Author: Ben
-
California Fights Back Against Runaway Production With Massive New Film Incentives
In a year when California is facing a $12 billion budget shortfall, you might think film incentives would be the first thing cut. Instead, they just got a massive upgrade. With Friday’s final vote, the California Legislature officially locked in $750 million per year for its Film & TV Tax Credit Program, one of the
-
Warner Bros. Let Akira Slip Away. Now It Might Finally Get Made.
For over 20 years, Akira fans watched Warner Bros fumble around with one of the most influential anime and manga titles of all time. From Taika Waititi and Leonardo DiCaprio to a carousel of casting rumors and eight-figure development budgets, the live-action adaptation of Akira has felt more like an extended fever dream than a
-
How to Get Film Permits Without Losing Your Mind…or Your Wallet
Permits are the part of filmmaking no one wants to deal with. Until a cop tells your boom operator to pack it up or a park ranger slaps you with a fine. Indie filmmakers often skip permits to save money, time, or because they simply don’t know where to start. But going rogue can backfire
-
YouTube Enters the Big Leagues with First-Ever NFL Game Broadcast
YouTube is officially in the sports broadcasting business, and it’s not dipping its toes in, it’s cannonballing. The platform will livestream an NFL game in its entirety, for free, globally (minus a few exceptions), marking a major first in its 20-year history. The exclusive livestream will be the NFL’s Friday night Week 1 game from
-
YouTube Shorts Is As Lucrative as Long-Form: Impact on Creators
Table of Contents The Short-Form Revolution Is Officially a Business Model Connected TV Overtakes Mobile for YouTube New Ad Packages for Cultural Moments YouTube and the Future of AI The Billion-Dollar Platform That’s Still Growing Shorts Are a Feature and the Future At YouTube’s 20th birthday bash in New York, CEO Neal Mohan dropped a
-
Artists Equity Signs Multi-Year Theatrical Deal with Sony Pictures
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon just doubled down on movie theaters. Their artist-led production company, Artists Equity, has inked a three-year global theatrical deal with Sony Pictures, bringing their next wave of prestige-minded projects to the big screen with major backing. Under the new partnership, Sony will distribute, finance, and handle global ancillaries for all
-
How to Handle Brand Partnerships on Set Without Losing the Story
When a brand is part of your film, they’re not just a sticker on a coffee cup, they’re a stakeholder. Treat them like one. That means including the sponsor in pre-production conversations, updating them on shoot schedules, and providing context for how and where their product will appear. Invite a brand liaison to visit the
-
Denis Villeneuve to Direct the Next James Bond Film for Amazon MGM
From sandworms to spycraft, Denis Villeneuve is trading Arrakis for Aston Martins. The Dune and Blade Runner 2049 director has officially signed on to direct the next James Bond movie, marking the franchise’s first outing under Amazon MGM Studios and the start of a bold new era for 007. “This is sacred territory,” Villeneuve said
-
“I Cannot Get My Bearings” — Hollywood Grapples with Post-Fire Displacement
In the early hours of January 9th, flames tore through Pacific Palisades and Altadena, forcing thousands to flee. Whole blocks were leveled, including entire streets filled with working filmmakers, composers, producers, and writers. Among the many industry professionals affected were Homeland director Lesli Linka Glatter, Wicked and The Greatest Showman producer Greg Wells, and screenwriters
-
How Brazil’s FAST Boom Is Reshaping Global Streaming
While much of Hollywood obsesses over subscriber churn and bundling strategies, Brazil is quietly flipping the script on global streaming. With skyrocketing Connected TV adoption, an explosion in FAST (Free Ad-Supported Television) viewership, and a surging online video ad market, Brazil is quickly becoming one of the most important territories in the next chapter of
-
Where to Distribute Your Indie Film (Based on Its Genre)
Self-distribution isn’t about throwing your film onto the biggest platform and hoping for the best. It’s about strategic placement, getting your film in front of the people who are most likely to watch, love, and share it. And that starts with genre. Each film genre comes with a different culture of viewership. Horror fans flock
-
How Hungary Quietly Became Hollywood’s Secret Weapon
When Francis Ford Coppola needed to record the sweeping score for Megalopolis, he didn’t turn to Los Angeles or London, he turned to Budapest. And he’s not alone. In a global industry increasingly shaped by labor disputes, runaway costs, and tax incentive wars, Hungary has emerged as a serious player on the world filmmaking stage.
-
Hollywood’s Hollow Core: Is L.A. the Next Detroit?
It used to be that walking through the backlots of a major studio felt like entering a city that never slept: craft services buzzing, grips running cable, actors crossing paths with gaffers and execs. But according to Gladiator II screenwriter David Scarpa, that energy is gone. “It feels empty,” he says of today’s backlots. “You
-
The Musical Void in Indie Film (and How to Own It)
Musicals are expensive, time-consuming, and tonally tricky. Even at the studio level, they’re a gamble. For indie filmmakers, the genre can feel nearly impossible. Between songwriting, choreography, recording, and performance, musicals require skills (and budgets) that go beyond the usual indie toolkit. Distributors know this. Most see indie musicals as radioactive: too quirky for mainstream
-
How Crowdfunded Films Attract In-Kind Sponsors to Save Money
Crowdfunding can be a lifeline for indie filmmakers. It provides upfront capital, builds a fanbase, and gives your project early momentum. But even a successful campaign often falls short of covering the full production cost, especially once you factor in backer rewards, platform fees, and unforeseen expenses. That’s where sponsorship comes in. Rather than trying
-
Turning Indie Films into Revenue Streams Via Licensing
Film licensing is the process by which the rights to distribute, exhibit, or broadcast a film are granted to a third party. This can take many forms: a TV channel buying the rights to air your movie for six months, a streaming platform acquiring exclusive distribution for a region, or a foreign distributor licensing the
-
What Filmmakers Need to Know About Automotive Brand Deals
Automotive companies are always in search of new ways to stay visible, aspirational, and culturally relevant. While big-budget action films and TV series have long been the domain of brands like Audi, BMW, and Dodge, there’s a quieter strategy happening behind the scenes, partnering with indie filmmakers to get vehicles into story-driven, lower-cost productions. The
-
Sponsored Web Series Are the Future of Brand-Backed Filmmaking
For decades, brands were relegated to the sidelines of film and TV—footnotes in product placement deals or sponsors of commercial breaks. But today, many are skipping the middleman entirely. From fashion labels to beverage companies, brands are now funding and producing their own content in the form of sponsored web series. These aren’t just glorified
-
Why Your Forgotten Indie Film Might Still Make Money
Most indie films get a brief moment in the sun, maybe a small theatrical run, a festival circuit, or a modest DVD release. Then they quietly fade into obscurity. But streaming platforms have rewritten that script. With the right tweaks, older indie films can find new audiences, generate fresh revenue, and build the filmmaker’s brand
-
A Survival Guide for When Your Film Doesn’t Sell
Every year, thousands of independent films are completed, and most will never land a traditional distribution deal. Not because they’re bad. Sometimes they’re too niche. Sometimes they’re poorly timed. Sometimes they simply fall through the cracks of an overcrowded, trend-driven industry. If you’ve made a film and it’s not getting attention from buyers, it’s easy
