Category: Filmmaking Business
Master the business of indie filmmaking! Learn how to fund, produce, market, and distribute your films with expert strategies, case studies, and insider tips.
-
Film vs. Music Streaming — Exclusivity, Payouts, and Future Convergence
Streaming transformed both the film and music industries, but the two have evolved very differently. Both film and music streamers offer vast libraries on demand and use subscription models (often with ad-supported tiers), delivering entertainment across devices. However, a closer look reveals divergent strategies: film/TV platforms fiercely guard exclusive content to stand out, while music
-
How Disney Greenlights Shows (And What Indie Filmmakers Can Learn)
Table of Contents Greenlights by Brand, Not by Boardroom From Centralization to Specialization What This Means for Filmmakers 1. Niche is Power 2. The Greenlight Starts Before the Pitch 3. Your Catalog is Your Currency Our Final Take At this year’s UCLA Entertainment Symposium, Disney Entertainment co-chair Dana Walden pulled back the curtain on how
-
Jacob Elordi, Tom Holland, or Harris Dickinson—Who Will Wear the Tux in Bond 26?
With Dune mastermind Denis Villeneuve confirmed as director for Bond 26 and Amazon now steering the franchise for the first time, we’ve officially entered a new era of 007, one that’s younger, sleeker, and likely more prestige-driven than ever. But now comes the billion-dollar question: who’s going to wear the tux? Insiders say Amazon wants
-
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
-
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
-
“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
-
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.
-
Stop Waiting for a Sales Agent Start Studying Film Sales
Filmmakers love to say, “I’ll worry about distribution later.” But later is too late. By the time your film is finished, the die is cast. The tone, the length, the genre, the rating, the platform fit, the market positioning. All of it’s baked in. So if you made every decision assuming someone else would handle
-
What Sets Apart the 1 in 10 First-Time Filmmakers Who Land Domestic Distribution?
Most first-time filmmakers never land domestic distribution. The odds are bleak: only about one in ten break through. But if you analyze the ones who do, a clear pattern emerges. It’s not random. It’s not luck. It’s about perception. About presentation. About how the film looks before anyone even hits play. You want to know
-
We’re Fixing Indie Film With Code, Data, and Sass (and SaaS)
Independent film is broken. Not creatively or artistically, but structurally. The stories are as strong as ever. The talent pool is massive. The hunger is real. Yet filmmakers are stuck in an outdated system—one that offers little transparency, fewer resources, and even fewer paths to sustainable careers. Here’s the truth: if you want to build
-
What Do Filmmakers Misunderstand Most About Distribution?
Distribution isn’t the reward at the end of the journey. It’s not the final handshake. It’s not the bow on top of your finished film. Distribution is the strategy. It’s the engine. It’s the difference between your film being watched by two hundred people and being watched by two hundred thousand. And yet, most filmmakers
-
Here’s What Filmmakers Need for their Post-Festival Plan
You’ve made it. Your film just had its world premiere. Maybe at a prestigious festival. Maybe at a regional one that truly loved your work. You walked the carpet, took the Q&A mic, shook hands with buyers, and finally exhaled. Now what? If your answer is “wait and see,” you’re already behind. Because the truth
-
The #1 Reason Your IndieGoGo Isn’t Getting Funded
If your crowdfunding campaign reads like a college essay, you’ve already lost. Your backers are not grading you. They’re not your professor. They’re not looking for structure, citations, or formal tone. They’re looking to feel something. Most indie filmmakers approach their campaign pages with the mindset of a grant application. They over-explain. They under-inspire. They
-
Want to Make Money Off Your Indie Film? Stop Obsessing Over Theaters
Most indie filmmakers treat the box office like it’s the final boss. But here’s the truth: it’s barely the tutorial level. Theaters are nice for prestige. They’re great for premieres, red carpets, Instagram posts, and a handful of press quotes. But financially? They are not your finish line. For most independent films, they’re a vanity
-
Your Indie Film Just Hit Tubi. Now What?
So your film just got picked up for AVOD. First of all, congrats. You’re officially in front of a real audience. Not just a theater of friends and family, not just a festival screening with a Q&A, but actual eyeballs. Now here comes the part that matters more than the pickup itself: How are you
-
You Can’t Upload to Amazon Anymore, But You’re Not Out of Options
If you were hoping to release your indie film directly to Amazon Prime Video, it may already be too late. Amazon Prime Direct, once a wide-open platform for filmmakers to upload their work without a middleman, has quietly finished phasing out open submissions from independent creators. No fanfare. No press release. No dramatic public takedown.
-
Your Film Isn’t Too Niche. It’s Exactly What Streamers Want.
The idea that your story needs to be “universal” to succeed is outdated, false, and frankly, dangerous. For years, filmmakers from marginalized communities were told to smooth the edges of their culture. To make their characters “more relatable.” To replace specificity with sameness. All in the name of “marketability.” But in 2023, the numbers told
-
If Sundance Is Your Only Plan, You Don’t Have a Plan
Let’s rip the Band-Aid off: if your entire distribution plan revolves around getting into Sundance, you don’t have a strategy. You have a fantasy. Look, we get it. The idea of your film premiering in Park City (ahem…Boulder…), packed into a sold-out theater full of buyers, agents, and Variety journalists is intoxicating. A standing ovation.
-
AVOD, SVOD, or TVOD? How to Pick the Right Release Strategy for Your Indie Film
It’s the question every indie filmmaker eventually has to face: where should your film live? Should you put it on a paid platform and aim for prestige? Drop it on an ad-supported streamer and reach the masses? Sell it directly to fans? AVOD. SVOD. TVOD. Three distribution models. Three radically different outcomes. And no, there’s
