Author: Ben
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Want Your Indie Film to Make Money This Year? Choose One of These Three Genres
Let’s talk genre. Not as an artistic decision. Not as a festival strategy. But as financial leverage. Because if your film is headed for AVOD (ad-supported video-on-demand), one truth stands above the rest: The three genres most likely to break even in under a year are: Horror, Thriller, and Documentary. This isn’t a guess. It’s
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Tubi Originals Are Booming: Your Indie Film Should Be Next
You’ve heard it before: “Everyone’s chasing Netflix.” But while indie filmmakers crowd the gates of the big SVOD platforms, a quiet disruptor has been building momentum, and paying for mid-budget films with real speed. We’re talking about Tubi Originals. They’re not a gimmick. They’re not a fluke. They’re a growing juggernaut in the indie film
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AVOD Success Is All About the Long Tail
There’s a myth in indie film that everything rides on the premiere. That if your launch doesn’t explode with views, headlines, and social buzz, you’ve already lost. That logic might apply to theatrical releases or opening-weekend box office. But in the time of the rise of AVOD (ad-supported video on demand) it couldn’t be more
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How Social Media Supercharges ROI for Film Sponsors
For decades, brand sponsorship in film was simple: get the product on screen, say thank you, roll credits. But in today’s hyper-connected world, sponsorship isn’t just a moment, it’s a campaign. And increasingly, social media is where the return on investment is made or lost. Brands now expect more than passive placement. They want ongoing
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Red Flags That Make Film Investors Walk Away
Investors don’t just back stories, they back systems. And when evaluating early-stage indie film projects, they’re looking for red flags that signal risk, inexperience, or a lack of strategic planning. A brilliant screenplay can still get passed over if the business plan is fuzzy, the team is disorganized, or the financial model smells like wishful
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How Product Placement Hacks Your Brain (And Your Wallet)
Product placement isn’t just a sneaky marketing trick, it’s a psychological masterstroke. Our brains are wired to process stories more fluidly than ads. When a product is organically integrated into a narrative, it bypasses our skepticism and hits us on a subconscious level. Instead of raising our defenses like we would with a commercial break,
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Product Placement That Worked, And Why It Did
The Beauty Inside – Intel and Toshiba Laptops This 2012 web series is often cited as the gold standard of branded storytelling. Created by Drake Doremus (Like Crazy), the series tells the story of a man who wakes up every day in a new body. At the heart of it? A laptop that stores his
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How Equity Crowdfunding Is Changing Indie Film Finance
For years, crowdfunding was synonymous with free t-shirts, behind-the-scenes access, and maybe your name in the credits. It was donation-driven, passion-fueled, and largely non-recoupable. But that’s changing, fast. With the rise of equity crowdfunding platforms, backers are no longer just supporters. They’re shareholders. Investors. Equity holders in the very films, companies, or creative projects they
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How Black and White Films Really Perform on Streaming and Licensing Platforms
It’s easy to romanticize black and white filmmaking. It feels “elevated,” “artful,” even “cinematic” in ways color sometimes isn’t. But for filmmakers and investors alike, admiration alone isn’t enough. What matters is how the film performs once it leaves your hands and enters the market. Does black and white help or hurt your odds on
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Hedge Funds and Indie Films: What Every Filmmaker Should Know
At first glance, hedge funds and independent film might seem like an odd couple. One is built on financial engineering and quantitative analysis; the other on creative risk and emotional storytelling. But in recent years, the two worlds have increasingly overlapped, especially as hedge funds look for alternative investments with the potential for outsized returns
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Global Film Financing: The Co-Production Treaties That Actually Work
International co-production treaties are more than just paperwork, they’re keys that unlock entire ecosystems of funding, tax incentives, and market access. These bilateral or multilateral agreements between countries make it easier for producers to collaborate across borders while giving investors a structured, legally protected way to finance global films. Co-productions recognized under these treaties are
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Getting Your Film on Digital Platforms and What Indie Filmmakers Need to Know
Getting your film on a major streaming platform like Amazon Prime or Apple TV isn’t as simple as uploading it to YouTube. These platforms aren’t just libraries—they’re curated ecosystems, and each has its own submission process, technical standards, and distribution gatekeepers. Some platforms allow direct submission. Others require going through a content aggregator or distributor.
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Pitching Awards-Season Indies for Profit, From Laurels to Licensing
Awards-season films are often complex, character-driven, and stylistically bold. That’s why they win awards. But it’s also why they can intimidate buyers—especially those trained to spot genre hits, audience reach, or international sales potential. The pitch, then, is everything. It’s not about selling the film you made—it’s about selling the film they can use. That
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Film Soundtracks Are a Hidden Asset With Real ROI
When most people think about film investing, they picture theatrical returns, streaming royalties, or maybe merch if a franchise takes off. But there’s a quiet, consistent source of income humming in the background—literally. The music used in films, from original scores to needle-drops, is more than just emotional glue. It’s an asset. And in the
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Film Investors, Meet the Platforms That Power Creative Equity
When it comes to raising money for your film through equity crowdfunding, your choice of platform can make or break your campaign. Some platforms are built for startups. Others are designed for filmmakers and creative ventures. Each one comes with different rules, fees, features, and investor networks. This guide compares the major equity crowdfunding platforms—Wefunder,
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Film Festivals That Actually Get You Distribution (Not Just Laurels)
Every filmmaker wants the red carpet and the clout—but if your goal is distribution, especially from regional streaming platforms, you need to play smarter, not just fancier. While Cannes, Sundance, and TIFF are great for prestige, many regional platforms focus on festivals that spotlight local voices, underrepresented regions, and emerging indie talent. These are the
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Why Production Insurance Matters
Production insurance isn’t glamorous. It won’t help you get into Sundance, and it definitely won’t make your cinematography look better. But without it, your film can collapse faster than a tripod with a missing leg. At its core, production insurance protects your project—financially and legally—against the unpredictable chaos of filmmaking. Whether it’s a broken camera,
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Economic Strategies in an Expanding Film Market
Unlike traditional commodities constrained by finite resources, the film industry operates under a paradigm of perpetual expansion. With each passing year, the global repository of films grows, presenting both opportunities and challenges for filmmakers, distributors, and audiences alike.? Quantifying the Cinematic Deluge Estimating the total number of films ever produced is complex. According to The
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Co-Financing Your Indie Film Without Losing Creative Control
Co-financing is exactly what it sounds like: splitting the cost of a film project between multiple parties to reduce financial burden and increase access to resources. In the indie world, where budgets are tight and risk tolerance is low, co-financing offers a smart alternative to going it alone. Instead of betting your entire savings or
