Indie Film Strategy

9.7

(17 ratings)

2 Weeks

Cohort-based Course

Maximise your film’s financial possibilities without giving up your artistic integrity.

Indie Film Strategy

9.7

(17 ratings)

2 Weeks

Cohort-based Course

Maximise your film’s financial possibilities without giving up your artistic integrity.

Get notified about the next cohort

Hosted by

Stephen Follows

Film Industry Analyst and Creative Director

Stephen Follows

Film Industry Analyst and Creative Director

Course overview

Unlock Your Film’s Full Profit Potential

A four-week part-time live online course, with a peer group of fellow filmmakers.

You’ll learn what works in your sub-genre, explore what your film could be and build a workable blueprint for how to maximise its commercial potential.

Who is this course for

You're an indie filmmaker - a writer, producer, director or any combination.

You're developing a feature film in the next twelve months.

You want to secure funding and distribution without losing an ounce of artist integrity.

You're an indie filmmaker - a writer, producer, director or any combination.

You're developing a feature film in the next twelve months.

You want to secure funding and distribution without losing an ounce of artist integrity.

What to expect

Live interactive sessions

Stephen will take you through live online workshops twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6pm UK / 2pm ET / 11am PT.

Adaptive bonus sessions

Live sessions on Fridays to dive deeper into certain topics or explore timely subjects tailored to the needs of the cohort.

Community

Join a private Slack channel to connect with peers, get feedback, ask for help, and more.

Real-world data

Learn from data on thousands of indie films to make informed decisions about yours.

9.7

(17 ratings)

What the industry says about Stephen

I enjoy reading Stephen’s analysis of the film business for its unique and useful insight into our industry and would happily recommend his writing to all filmmakers and film professionals

Eric Fellner

Producer and Founder, Working Title

Stephen’s research is brilliant. No-one is doing data-driven analysis of the film industry quite like Stephen Follows. His detailed research and reporting about the film industry is unique and invaluable.

Jonathan Wolf

Head of the American Film Market

Stephen drills down on data to discover truths about the film industry. Totally worth a read.

Ted Hope

Ex-Head of Production, Amazon Original Movies

For an in-depth look at what is really happening to the film industry and to gauge the next step in the current marketplace I always turn first to see what Stephen Follows has observed!

Elliot Grove

Founder BIFA / Raindance

Stephen Follows brings deep research and long experience to his understanding of trends in the film industry, both large and small. At TIFF, I've found his insights illuminating, and I can imagine how much he has to offer to filmmakers.

Cameron Bailey

CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival

Stephen Follows’ film data research is second to none. He provides modern analyses that inform new insights on filmmaking and the film industry, while retaining a deep respect for the craft. If you’re making or selling a film, you’d be crazy not learn from Stephen.

Regina E. Dugan

Ex-director of the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)

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Indie Film Strategy

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Meet your instructor

Stephen Follows

I have spent the past decade analysing the film industry, studying which films work and why.

My research has been cited in the vast majority of news outlets and I’ve advised celebrities, studios, investors, academics and filmmakers.

What drives me is passion to understand how the industry functions, and then show filmmakers how to further their own goals.

For the first time, I've distilled this understanding into a course aimed at specifically helping indie filmmakers target their movies for success.

Stephen | stephenfollows.com

Course syllabus

What is your film?

Examine thousands of commercially successful films and their elements. You will identify which elements of a film are perceived by audiences and how to describe the key elements of your own film.

What could your film be?

There's an ideal version of your film out there and we'll explore a multiverse of possibilities by toggling the key elements of your film.

Who's your audience and what do they want?

Find the audience who's dying to see your film by identifying audience attributes and asking smart questions to tease out their hidden expectations.

How to package your film?

People make snap judgements when it come to deciding what to watch. Learn to craft packaging that makes it a no brainer for your audience to choose your film.

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Indie Film Strategy

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Learning is better with cohorts

Active learning, not passive watching

This course focuses on producing tangible outcomes and a blueprint that will help you on your filmmaking journey

Learn with a cohort of peers

You’ll be learning together through lively discussions in breakout rooms and with an engaged community

Community and feedback

Join like-minded people in who will grow with you during and after the course

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I can’t make a live session?

What is the course schedule?

I work full-time, do I have time for this?

What’s the refund policy?

I'm working on a team with other creators, can they join the course?

Be the first to know about upcoming cohorts

Indie Film Strategy

Get reimbursed by your employer