Latest news with #indiewire.com
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Low Can You Go: Even at Cannes, Longevity Means Living Lean
📩 Industry insight, unfiltered. Subscribe and check the 'In Development' box. ✉️ Tell us what you think: dana@ or call/text: 323-435-7690 More from IndieWire Kate Mara on Treating 'Friendship' Like a 'Dramatic' Indie and the Surprisingly 'Weird' Connection to Werner Herzog 'Renoir' Review: An 11-Year-Old Girl Ponders the Mysteries of the Universe in Chie Hayakawa's Extremely Low-Key Coming-of-Age Drama 👋 Hello! The Cannes Film Festival was a blur, the American Pavilion was packed, and IndieWire's Future of Filmmaking summit was a huge success. Today I'm flying to Paris for two well-earned days visiting my sister, but here's my take on what Cannes had to tell us about sustainable film careers. Turns out Beverly Hills' sister city had a quite a bit to say. (As always, if you've got anything to say to me reach out at the contacts above.) Richard Linklater on the down low Zero is a minimum guarantee Minimalism is a superpower Here's Richard Linklater's best advice to aspiring filmmakers: 'Keep your overhead low.' Given our location, that might sound ridiculous. We're at the American Pavilion in Cannes and I've asked him how he might advise today's filmmakers, who operate in a world very different than the one that shaped his at IndieWire's Future of Filmmaking summit, the director of Cannes Competition title 'Nouvelle Vague' got real about how much the industry has changed since his 'Slacker' days. 'I don't know if guilty's the word, but when I talk to young filmmakers… it was such a different time that just doesn't exist anymore.' This was my 10th Cannes Film Festival, but my first since 2013. To the naked eye, little changed: massive Carlton Hotel billboards for the latest 'Mission: Impossible'; a stunning Emma Stone on the red carpet, even while being attacked by a bee; and guest appearances by shameless strivers. (The faux Bezos-Sanchez couple was mightily convincing until they were seated in the nosebleed section of the Palais.) However, after talking with independent producers, filmmakers, and sales agents, it's clearly a different world. A $1 million film may make money; $3 million and up is cause for anxiety. We live in the era of the zero m.g., where theatrical distribution doesn't necessarily mean the filmmakers were paid. Negotiations for the advance (or, the minimum guarantee) can start at zero and sometimes that's where they stay. As two producers noted, in separate conversations: 'The worst part is they expect you to be grateful.' So how do you make it work? One unlikely role model is a filmmaker I met in Cannes, Elizabeth Blake-Thomas. Her career doesn't look anything like Linklater's. Originally a U.K. theater director, she's made more than two dozen low-budget genre films you might find on TVODs like Amazon or Tubi, with actors like Mena Suvari or Casper Van Dien. Sometimes the cast includes her daughter and producing partner, Isabella. Blake-Thomas' first film cost $26,000; she's had budgets up to $3 million. Whatever the number, she's never gone over. That applies to her own life as well. She keeps overhead low — very low. Elizabeth and Isabella live in a one-bedroom apartment in the Valley and share a Fiat 500. No debt; no vacations; yes savings. 'If a job wasn't to come straight away, you can still live,' she said. 'That would be awful if I was in that situation.'Most of all, she said, this isn't temporary. Her lean and focused life leaves her the energy to focus on making movies that make money for her investors, which means she can keep making more. 'I don't put time and effort into things that don't matter,' she said. 'I have my dog and my daughter. We love our life. That lets me put my full energy into filmmaking but I have to be really intentional about it, because it takes everything.' This won't be the first time Hollywood's compared to gambling, but: The less you spend at the casino, the longer you last. Aspiring filmmakers need a runway — the time required to meet people, make things, make mistakes. And time is money. 'Everything you do, you're taking a leap,' Linklater said at the summit. 'I tell filmmakers: If no one wants to support you, that just means you are not ready yet. People [need] to believe in you, and that's usually you believing in yourself. You can't fake that. You have to earn that through your own experience, your own confidence, your own hard work and dedication. But I think the timing works out when it's ready.' Not every sustainable career requires sleeping on a sofa bed, but creative lives constantly face factors beyond their control. For people like Blake-Thomas, minimalism means controlling her destiny. Keep it simple, keep costs down, and keep making movies. 'It means I get to be here,' she said from our table overlooking the Mediterranean, 'and do this.' Future of Filmmaking has partnered with Universal Studio Group for a series of virtual panels about the making of TV shows like 'Hacks,' 'Man on the Inside,' and 'The Four Seasons.' Quinta Brunson of 'Abbott Elementary' will also be joining IndieWire at Vidiots on May 20 for another installment of 'Pass the Remote.' Check out USG University: Consider This, starting May to attend 'Pass the Remote' at Vidiots on May 20. 5. by Charles Bastille Pretty self-explanatory from the title and we wish it was more helpful, but this list published on Medium draws a troubling portrait of Trump's effect on American arts programming even before he started bringing up tariffs. From theaters to city parks funding, a huge bite has been taken out of cultural curation in this country and it's time we started recognizing it as an injustice in the same way this piece does. 4. by Dhar Mann Ignoring the eye-catching lead-in, Mann's post on Linkedin this week acknowledges a very important conversation happening in many spaces around Hollywood: Is the creator economy taking over? People tend to balk at the idea of new money and that's what Mann represents with his newly formed YouTube content creation studio in Burbank, but every pipeline we now consider traditional had to start somewhere. 3. by Jon Reiss* With his substack 8 Above, Reiss digs into the fluctuating nuances of global film distribution. For his most recent write-up, he breaks down modern strategies for getting your project seen, with emphasis on eventizing the work for theatrical, as well as building a digital following. 2. by That Final Scene As much as we're intrigued by the creator economy and the opportunities it may bring, we still have an overall appreciation for what some may call 'traditional cinema' and trying to get others to as well is kind of our bag. This seems to be the case with Sophie from That Final Scene as well, who's framework of 'cinema as cultural gyms' might be the most genius marketing tool we've heard in a while. No surprise, considering Sophie was at one point in film marketing herself. 1. by Ted Hope* There's a lot of meat to this breakdown from American film producer Ted Hope via his substack Hope for Film. Some of it is positive, but it mostly serves as a necessary wake-up call. The system that allowed independent filmmaking to thrive has been broken and we deserve better. In an industry that has become all about factoring risk against reward, Hope suggests it's time to be bold in new ways just for the hell of it. *paid subscription Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie The 55 Best LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows Streaming on Netflix Right Now
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Low Can You Go: Even at Cannes, Longevity Means Living Lean
📩 Industry insight, unfiltered. Subscribe and check the 'In Development' box. ✉️ Tell us what you think: dana@ or call/text: 323-435-7690 More from IndieWire 'Eagles of the Republic' Review: Egyptian Drama Explores the Line Between Art and Propaganda 'Sesame Street' Is Coming to Netflix, Where It Will Have a Reimagined Season 56 👋 Hello! The Cannes Film Festival was a blur, the American Pavilion was packed, and IndieWire's Future of Filmmaking summit was a huge success. Today I'm flying to Paris for two well-earned days visiting my sister, but here's my take on what Cannes had to tell us about sustainable film careers. Turns out Beverly Hills' sister city had a quite a bit to say. (As always, if you've got anything to say to me reach out at the contacts above.) Richard Linklater on the down low Zero is a minimum guarantee Minimalism is a superpower Here's Richard Linklater's best advice to aspiring filmmakers: 'Keep your overhead low.' Given our location, that might sound ridiculous. We're at the American Pavilion in Cannes and I've asked him how he might advise today's filmmakers, who operate in a world very different than the one that shaped his at IndieWire's Future of Filmmaking summit, the director of Cannes Competition title 'Nouvelle Vague' got real about how much the industry has changed since his 'Slacker' days. 'I don't know if guilty's the word, but when I talk to young filmmakers… it was such a different time that just doesn't exist anymore.' This was my 10th Cannes Film Festival, but my first since 2013. To the naked eye, little changed: massive Carlton Hotel billboards for the latest 'Mission: Impossible'; a stunning Emma Stone on the red carpet, even while being attacked by a bee; and guest appearances by shameless strivers. (The faux Bezos-Sanchez couple was mightily convincing until they were seated in the nosebleed section of the Palais.) However, after talking with independent producers, filmmakers, and sales agents, it's clearly a different world. A $1 million film may make money; $3 million and up is cause for anxiety. We live in the era of the zero m.g., where theatrical distribution doesn't necessarily mean the filmmakers were paid. Negotiations for the advance (or, the minimum guarantee) can start at zero and sometimes that's where they stay. As two producers noted, in separate conversations: 'The worst part is they expect you to be grateful.' So how do you make it work? One unlikely role model is a filmmaker I met in Cannes, Elizabeth Blake-Thomas. Her career doesn't look anything like Linklater's. Originally a U.K. theater director, she's made more than two dozen low-budget genre films you might find on TVODs like Amazon or Tubi, with actors like Mena Suvari or Casper Van Dien. Sometimes the cast includes her daughter and producing partner, Isabella. Blake-Thomas' first film cost $26,000; she's had budgets up to $3 million. Whatever the number, she's never gone over. That applies to her own life as well. She keeps overhead low — very low. Elizabeth and Isabella live in a one-bedroom apartment in the Valley and share a Fiat 500. No debt; no vacations; yes savings. 'If a job wasn't to come straight away, you can still live,' she said. 'That would be awful if I was in that situation.'Most of all, she said, this isn't temporary. Her lean and focused life leaves her the energy to focus on making movies that make money for her investors, which means she can keep making more. 'I don't put time and effort into things that don't matter,' she said. 'I have my dog and my daughter. We love our life. That lets me put my full energy into filmmaking but I have to be really intentional about it, because it takes everything.' This won't be the first time Hollywood's compared to gambling, but: The less you spend at the casino, the longer you last. Aspiring filmmakers need a runway — the time required to meet people, make things, make mistakes. And time is money. 'Everything you do, you're taking a leap,' Linklater said at the summit. 'I tell filmmakers: If no one wants to support you, that just means you are not ready yet. People [need] to believe in you, and that's usually you believing in yourself. You can't fake that. You have to earn that through your own experience, your own confidence, your own hard work and dedication. But I think the timing works out when it's ready.' Not every sustainable career requires sleeping on a sofa bed, but creative lives constantly face factors beyond their control. For people like Blake-Thomas, minimalism means controlling her destiny. Keep it simple, keep costs down, and keep making movies. 'It means I get to be here,' she said from our table overlooking the Mediterranean, 'and do this.' Future of Filmmaking has partnered with Universal Studio Group for a series of virtual panels about the making of TV shows like 'Hacks,' 'Man on the Inside,' and 'The Four Seasons.' Quinta Brunson of 'Abbott Elementary' will also be joining IndieWire at Vidiots on May 20 for another installment of 'Pass the Remote.' Check out USG University: Consider This, starting May to attend 'Pass the Remote' at Vidiots on May 20. 5. by Charles Bastille Pretty self-explanatory from the title and we wish it was more helpful, but this list published on Medium draws a troubling portrait of Trump's effect on American arts programming even before he started bringing up tariffs. From theaters to city parks funding, a huge bite has been taken out of cultural curation in this country and it's time we started recognizing it as an injustice in the same way this piece does. 4. by Dhar Mann Ignoring the eye-catching lead-in, Mann's post on Linkedin this week acknowledges a very important conversation happening in many spaces around Hollywood: Is the creator economy taking over? People tend to balk at the idea of new money and that's what Mann represents with his newly formed YouTube content creation studio in Burbank, but every pipeline we now consider traditional had to start somewhere. 3. by Jon Reiss* With his substack 8 Above, Reiss digs into the fluctuating nuances of global film distribution. For his most recent write-up, he breaks down modern strategies for getting your project seen, with emphasis on eventizing the work for theatrical, as well as building a digital following. 2. by That Final Scene As much as we're intrigued by the creator economy and the opportunities it may bring, we still have an overall appreciation for what some may call 'traditional cinema' and trying to get others to as well is kind of our bag. This seems to be the case with Sophie from That Final Scene as well, who's framework of 'cinema as cultural gyms' might be the most genius marketing tool we've heard in a while. No surprise, considering Sophie was at one point in film marketing herself. 1. by Ted Hope* There's a lot of meat to this breakdown from American film producer Ted Hope via his substack Hope for Film. Some of it is positive, but it mostly serves as a necessary wake-up call. The system that allowed independent filmmaking to thrive has been broken and we deserve better. In an industry that has become all about factoring risk against reward, Hope suggests it's time to be bold in new ways just for the hell of it. *paid subscription Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie The 55 Best LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows Streaming on Netflix Right Now
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hollywood's on Fire. Let's Roast Marshmallows and Make a Plan
👋 Hi. I'm Dana Harris-Bridson, editor-in-chief of IndieWire. This is your introduction to IndieWire's new vertical, Future of Filmmaking, and a preview of its new weekly newsletter, In Development. I don't want to repeat myself because (I think) our newsletter copy below does a good job of explaining what we're up to with Future of Filmmaking. And if it doesn't, or you've got other thoughts you'd like to share, I'm available on email (dana@ You can also call/text me at 323-435-7690. More from IndieWire What Does a '100 Percent Tariff' on Movies Made in 'Foreign Lands' Even Mean - and Can Trump Literally Do It? So Now We Know Why 'Thunderbolts*' Has an Asterisk in Its Title And! . Tales from the frontlines of what it means to create a career in Hollywood, once a week. I think you'll like it. We introduce IndieWire's Future of Filmmaking Why everyone must invent their own entertainment careers You don't have to do it alone Hollywood has always been a neurotic industry, but the current anxiety, uncertainty, and job losses are acute. (After President Trump's bizarroworld pronouncement of 100% tariffs on movies produced outside America, what's next? Don't answer that.) Employment in Hollywood has never been easy, but finding and keeping an entertainment job has become a Jenga-like enterprise. If I were a publicist, my kindest spin might be, 'Challenging.' Or, 'There's never been a better time for creative solutions.' Or, 'No comment.' However, I'm not a publicist. I'm a journalist who's covered the film and TV business, and independent film in particular, for a long time. Our take is there is no secret to success in Hollywood. There are thousands of secrets, all of which refuse to conform to anything like a path. IndieWire believes that if we talk to people, hear their secrets and stories, and share their insights, everyone knows a little more and starts to feel a little less alone. IndieWire created the Future of Filmmaking because while Hollywood (and the U.S.) may be under siege, storytelling matters as much as ever. Entertainment is stories, and stories let us relate, feel, and create change. And while IndieWire believes that the entertainment industry matters, the people who create it matter even more. Much about Hollywood is unfair, but the great equalizer is even if you went to a top film school, or were lucky enough to have a mentor, you still must figure it out yourself. That's the truth for agents, actors, production designers, riggers, directors, publicists, and first ADs. Even for the elite few who were born into it. Everyone. We want Future of Filmmaking to be the resource that can support anyone who wants to write, direct, design, edit, crew, develop, act, produce, and think it will be particularly useful for: Students and recent graduates Early-career professionals Curious outsiders Anyone trying to find their way in movies, TV, and content creation In addition to weekly newsletter In Development (please subscribe!), this is what you can expect from Future of Filmmaking. Check out our landing page, where you'll find daily posts featuring real-world stories and practical advice from across the industry. We're very proud to debut our new video franchise, 'What No One Tells You,' in which seasoned pros share lessons and insights direct to camera — starting with 'Dear White People' creator Justin Simien. The success of our inaugural summit in November 2024 helped us confirm the year-round appetite for Future of Filmmaking. It featured a keynote chat with Sean Baker, a conversation with Pixar creator Mike Jones, and panels on indie distribution, AI, pitching, and more. It was awesome. Our next Future of Filmmaking summit will be at Cannes Film Festival's The American Pavilion! We'll also bring back our Future of Filmmaking Summit in Los Angeles this fall. (More details soon.) Hollywood will always be an uncertain industry, but we believe Future of Filmmaking can help people build sustainable careers with honest insights, practical tools, reality checks, and community building. And we want to hear from you. Yes, you. Your ideas matter more than anything. Email me at dana@ (All correspondence confidential.) IndieWire began in 1996, back when Hollywood acknowledged independent film as its sexy, shiny second cousin. Today, anyone who wants to be in the weird world of entertainment could do a lot worse than to think like a wily, creative, slightly delusional independent filmmaker. Welcome to IndieWire's Future of Filmmaking. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie The 55 Best LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows Streaming on Netflix Right Now
