If you were a film geek in the ’80s and ’90s like me, Bruce Campbell’s face and voice are permanently etched into your brain. He’s the legendary actor behind Ash in the Evil Dead films, the star of Burn Notice and Bubba Ho-Tep, and the author of three New York Times bestsellers. Now, with his wife Ida Gearon, he has written, directed, produced and self-funded Ernie & Emma, a sweet, funny, chainsaw-free film about a widowed salesman. Bruce skipped traditional distribution and is touring with the film himself on an 18-city Alamo Drafthouse run continuing through November.
Bruce joined me on How Success Happens, and I’ve broken down five highlights from our conversation to help craft your own success.
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Freedom Is the Whole Point
In real life, Bruce loves The Sound of Music, the Carpenters and happy endings. But he’s known as “the chainsaw guy” to Hollywood, so nobody was writing him the parts he wanted. So instead of waiting to be cast, he wrote the role himself. “My fingers ain’t broken,” he told me. “Writing is the cheapest part of the arts.” Bruce expanded on that, adding, “Freedom is everything, man. Give me liberty or give me death.”
Takeaway: If nobody is offering you the opportunity you want, build it yourself.
Stop Bragging About 18-Hour Days
Bruce kept shooting days to about ten hours and promised never to waste anyone’s time. He has no patience for burnout as a badge of honor. “The young filmmaker loves to brag about the 18-hour shooting days. I’m like, ‘That means you don’t know what you’re doing.’” As the funder of the flick, he was also very aware that wasted time means wasted money. “My checkbook yelled at me every day.”
Takeaway: Respect your team’s time, and they’ll give you their best work in return.
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Beware of “The Spores”
Bruce started writing a test-screening questionnaire, then realized he was copying the studio habits he’d left behind: endless notes, focus groups and reshoots. “I call it the spores. The spores get into your head, the spores confuse you.” He still hires experts and wants every good idea, but in the end he stays “the judge, the jury and the executioner” of his own vision.
Takeaway: Hire people who understand your vision, and keep the final call for yourself.
Pick Up the Phone
Bruce didn’t wait for a distributor. He messaged Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League, a friend from years of Evil Dead marathons, and offered to show up in every city if they booked the film. Bruce’s strategy is to prove the film in small markets first, then approach “the big dogs later.” His cinematographer got the same kind of result by asking Sony for cameras and came back with free gear and a box of lenses.
Takeaway: Your existing relationships are your best launch pad, so ask boldly.
Your Only Problem Is Motivation
For about $5,000, anyone can buy a camera, lights, mics and editing software and make a movie in their own hometown, Bruce notes. “Don’t tell me your problems, filmmakers. Your problems are solved. Here’s your only problem: motivation.” You still have to put in the 10,000 hours, but the gatekeepers are gone. His closing pep talk: “Come on, you lazy bastards, get going.”
Takeaway: Stop waiting for perfect conditions and start your project with the tools you already have.
Bruce also explains why Hallmark movies need “some teeth,” tells me about the fan who cried five times during Ernie & Emma, and rates a job as an Elvis impersonator. Listen to the full episode, and subscribe so you never miss a conversation.
Learn More
Find tour dates and the trailer at ernieandemma.com, and buy tickets at drafthouse.com. You can follow Bruce at bruce-campbell.com and on X at @groovybruce.
For more on the topics Bruce covered, read these Entrepreneur stories:
About How Success Happens
Each episode of How Success Happens shares the inspiring, entertaining, and unexpected journeys that influential leaders in business, the arts, and sports traveled on their way to becoming household names. It’s a reminder that behind every big-time career, there is a person who persisted in the face of self-doubt, failure, and anything else that got thrown in their way.
If you were a film geek in the ’80s and ’90s like me, Bruce Campbell’s face and voice are permanently etched into your brain. He’s the legendary actor behind Ash in the Evil Dead films, the star of Burn Notice and Bubba Ho-Tep, and the author of three New York Times bestsellers. Now, with his wife Ida Gearon, he has written, directed, produced and self-funded Ernie & Emma, a sweet, funny, chainsaw-free film about a widowed salesman. Bruce skipped traditional distribution and is touring with the film himself on an 18-city Alamo Drafthouse run continuing through November.
Bruce joined me on How Success Happens, and I’ve broken down five highlights from our conversation to help craft your own success.
