For anyone trying to survive (and actually thrive) in this business, the message should be clear by now… it is time to stop following the same tired routes that led us into this mess. We must build a new system, this doesn’t mean we need to come up with every great idea from scratch, there may be others out there we can turn to for guidance. So….
Stephen Follows uses Tyler Perry as a case study in building a sustainable, audience-first film business outside traditional systems.
Sticking in the what is, and currently Our Industry….
particularly if we want to find our way to something new…. like these below.
Labels help both B2B and B2C processes as both buyers and audiences find such labels an easy way to cut through the noise. When you know what you want as well as where to find it, life gets easier, satisfaction increases, and one can get a lot more done. EZPZ. Think of it is the way Disney initially used its sub-brands of Pixar, Marvel, and Lucas but instead of story-worlds, the label uses the power of curation.
Yup, you read that right. Evan Shapiro and gang did just that.
https://www.indiewire.com/features/interviews/indie-film-startup-distribution-1235168088/
(TH)
You come with the IP, they give you control and funding:
The future doesn’t belong to studios that hoard IP rights forever. It belongs to those that:
Identify and invest in singular creative voices that can’t be replicated by AI
Align financial incentives with those creators to produce work worth lasting decades
Build genuine partnerships instead of extractive relationships
Differentiate themselves from the algorithm-driven content ecosystem
Stephen Follows breaks down A24’s business model and pulls out practical lessons for independent producers and companies rethinking how they operate.
Core Values of a Micro Studio
A Micro Studio is a creator-owned media business built to sustain a small team by owning IP, building audiences directly, and distributing stories across formats.
It is not about scale, gatekeepers, or selling labor—it’s about long-term storytelling, ownership, and creative independence.
Why do we give up the rights to our films and IP so readily for what often amounts to sub-standard distro, particularly when it is the filmmakers who most likely will do more with their own IP?
Is financially incentivizing people to promote your work the way it will get seen most? Is it the way you will be able to earn a living doing what you love? Maybe. But could it be just another way we flood the zone with crap, burying the gems in the onslaught? That could also be true. Yup. But so could a few good folk who take curating seriously using it to make the system work better for everyone. Wouldn’t that be swell? And the same applies for a community that wants to share and support each other and each other’s work. Yeah, that too. Maybe this is the thing we’ve been waiting for. Or maybe not.
Time may tell… And until then, maybe a few of you are ready to take the leap and share some learnings with the rest of us? What say you?
(TH)
We need a digital distribution platform and storefront where indie filmmakers and labels can upload their movies and merch and sell directly to fans.
Why do we have open marketplaces for musicians (Bandcamp) and game developers (Steam) but not for filmmakers?
What if investors were worth more than just their financial contribution? What if there were no such thing as dumb money?
And then Dan shared his model where he gives 65% of all revenue to investors and the balance to cast & crew
And then there is the making sure the cast and crew have equity path:
Because ultimately, I think this is another way that we in the nonDē world can differentiate ourselves from the studio system, by sharing the profits with everyone who worked hard to get our movies made.
And sometimes it is just best to start with how it is today…
This article will be required reading in all investors circles and film schools. FilmStack should stop what they are doing and work to remember every word in this #MustRead. This is what the real business is.
And along the way Stephen takes the time to right the wrong that truly gets under my skin — he clarifies what William Goldman clearly meant and how everyone misquotes it.
Maybe it is the feature film form itself that is an issue. Maybe 80 is the new 90.
(TH)
And — surprise, surprise — over at HFF, I have been trying to keep you apprised of this for awhile now.
(TH)
What did we miss? Got any new models to share?
Who’s sharing what, you ask?
AS= Amanda Sweikow TH= Ted Hope SG = Sam Gallen SF = Stephen Follows
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