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Michael, I think you touched on one of the biggest changes in today's indie landscape. I'd add that many successful indie films no longer rely on a single revenue stream. A theatrical release, TVOD, AVOD, airline rights, educational licensing, international sales, and community screenings can...

Personally, I still think the AFMs at the former Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel had the best atmosphere. It was a fantastic venue where networking happened naturally and many great business conversations started outside scheduled meetings. I also preferred the old timing in late October/early...

MICA, I think you raise an important point about IP ownership. One factor that deserves close attention is how success will be measured. Increasing investment is one thing, but building internationally competitive IP that continues to generate value for local creators is the real benchmark.

I've seen this happen more than once. In my experience, silence rarely means "not interested forever" it usually means your film isn't a priority at that particular moment. I've also seen people come back around Cannes, AFM, or other markets when they're actively looking for new titles. A polite...

I think that's a great question, Michael. From what I've seen, involving sales agents or distributors early isn't about letting them shape the creative vision it's about reducing commercial risk. During development they can already identify whether the target audience is clear, which...

Lucas, I completely agree. Beautiful cinematography can capture the audience's attention, but authentic performances are what earn their emotional investment. That's usually what stays with people long after they've forgotten the visuals.

Peter, I think casting is one of the most important decisions a director makes during the filmmaking process. I've heard many directors and producers say that the wrong casting choice can make months of work much more difficult, while the right actor can bring a character to life from the very...

I'd be interested to hear from people who actually use ProductionHUB on a regular basis. Has it become one of your go-to places for finding crew, vendors, or production partners, or do personal recommendations still end up being the way most people hire? I'm also curious how many of those...

I think there's one side of AI that we don't talk about enough. A few years ago, if you wanted another storyboard, poster or teaser edit, it took real time and money. Eventually you had to make a decision and move on. Today, we can generate fifty different versions in a matter of minutes...

In my experience, investors rarely lose confidence because of the script itself. More often, they start worrying when they cannot clearly see how the project reaches an audience and eventually returns their capital. I've seen strong scripts, recognizable cast attachments and experienced...

I also think timing has become much more important than many producers expect. Sometimes a project is actually strong, but it enters the market at the wrong moment, when buyers are already overloaded with similar genres or have recently acquired comparable titles for their territories. In many...

One thing I learned over time is that some of the best industry connections start from completely normal conversations not pitching. Sometimes you talk about films, travel, or simply a long exhausting day at a market, and then years later that same person suddenly remembers you when a project...

I’m personally seeing more and more financiers who are no longer convinced just because a project has recognizable cast attached. At Cannes this year, I spoke with several people who all said the same thing: too many films from the last few years still haven’t properly recouped, so everyone...

Totally agree, norwest. This breakdown of the traditional ladder is exactly what makes things so terrifying right now, but also weirdly liberating if you can adapt. The way I see it, studios have simply outsourced their R&D to the indie market. They have zero interest in risking a $40M budget...

We had a very similar experience this year. Some of our long-time partners from Asia told us the Japanese market feels quite slow right now, with fewer acquisitions and more revenue share deals instead of MGs. Unfortunately, we heard even more cautious opinions about the Korean market, although...

I think this is one of the biggest structural changes happening right now, especially on the independent side. Sales agents are still important, but their role increasingly feels shifted from “building demand” to “risk filtering.” A few years ago there was more space for uncertainty. Projects...

I agree with this, but I’d separate “hook” from “algorithm” a little. A strong hook definitely matters more than it used to, but I don’t think the goal is simply to create something viral. Buyers still need durability. A project that creates quick online noise but has no real audience depth...

@Lucas @norwest @Samantha Lucas is right the "fix it in post" era is dead. But let’s take it a step further: if you’re a producer and you aren't treating AI clauses as a Chain of Title issue, you don’t have a project, you have a liability. Most indie filmmakers are still treating AI like a...

Exactly my thoughts. I’ve been attending Cannes and the Marché du Film for quite a few years now, and I completely agree with the points made above the market has definitely shifted from "volume" to "value." It's no longer about how many meetings you can cram into a day, but about who is...

John, I think you’re getting very close to the core issue here. The shift to “high-context” conversations is real, but I’d argue it’s not just about protecting how questions are perceived it’s about protecting how decisions are formed. At a certain level, you’re not just asking for opinions...