Ed Harris has long been heralded as one of the better actors of our time, and he's gotten two Oscar nods to prove it (Apollo 13; The Truman Show). Along with taking on the title character in the new film Pollock, Ed Harris has turned auteur by adding two new titles to his resume: director and painter?

First and foremost, you have to trust yourself, not let anyone talk you out of what you want. You have to trust your heart.

When it comes to independent film stalwarts, James Schamus has worked with some of the biggest. For Ed Burns' breakthrough film, The Brothers McMullen, Schamus served as executive producer and he helped to produce that film's follow-up, She's The One.

In his career as an editor, Michael Berenbaum has shown a tendency to collaborate with directors who look to film as something other than a commercial vehicle.

All it takes is a stack of index cards and a ballpoint pen to start your screenplay.

Some of today's most celebrated comedy writers talk about what it takes to be funny-and get paid for it.

Charlie Kaufman may get all the ink, but you could make a strong case for Mike White as Hollywood's most idiosyncratic screenwriter.

In Love and a .45, writer-director Carty Talkington has created a stylized, darkly comedic journey through the contemporary American landscape of murder, media, music, controlled substances and unbridled love. Fast-paced and infused with a refreshingly twisted take on pop culture, the film lures the viewer in with its peculiar charm before springing a plot and tone shift that at once stuns and captivates. Filled with unexpected strong performances and a rollicking musicality that often runs counterpoint to the dramatic mood, the film hardly plays like a directorial debut.

Financed with his own money, actor and first-time director Tom Noonan's What Happened Was... has become another 1994 indie success story.

John Cullum looks beyond Northern Exposure and discusses collaborating with his wife, Emily Frankel, on her new play.