I went to Tribeca's Storytelling Summit which focuses on educational panels and networking for Filmmakers and Screenwriters in film, television and new media. Then I spent two days at TribecaX which focuses on where brands, marketing and filmmaking intersect. With the influx of social first shows and scripted, branded, micro-dramas and social series on social media, as a writer I'm like... "okay great how do I get paid to do this?" So I went to investigate! Call me Nancy Drew.
But for both sides of the festival, the MAJOR takeaway was:
Ownership = Agency
From the panels they programmed to the responses from those panelists, the pervasive theme of the week was the idea of wanting more agency over our content and careers. There were:
- Writers and Filmmakers sick of their content getting scrubbed from streamers, so they look for independent distribution avenues.
- TV creators and aspiring showrunners who didn't want to wait for Gatekeepers to "allow" them to create their work, getting started themselves with nontraditional funding and a lean team.
- Entrepreneurial minded filmmakers and creators who wanted a larger share of the pie they create. Full control over how they pay their crew, ad revenue, merchandising and partnership opportunities -- all within their control if they create outside of the traditional model.
- Visionaries who don't want the red tape of the studio system to impede their ability to get sh*t done. If they want to move fast and break things, the fewer cooks in the kitchen, the better.
And you might be thinking "obviously, you have more agency if you own your work, but that's not feasible for everyone."
But that's just it, every year it gets easier for creators to seize the means of production and make work without relying on traditional systems.
During one of my favorite panels, Kareem Rahma of Subway Takes and Keep The Meter Running, and creator turned Co-founder of Creator Camp (which produced Two Sleepy People), Max Reisinger, advocated for creating an ecosystem and business model that gives you the most freedom and agency over your work. Kareem kept saying "You don't need them!," them referring to traditional studios and networks. And the man is right!
The ability to create your own work is no longer a matter of access to resources -- we have those -- it's about hutzpah. Do you have the grit and passion (and energy lol) to just go for it on your own. That's the main difference here.
Kareem even told the audience that he had an offer to make a television show with a major network that came with too many creative constraints, so he turned them down, and later opted for the deal with Youtube that gave him the freedom he wanted.
On the unscripted side, Chefs and Co-Hosts of "Chewed Up" on Youtube partnered with production company, Simple Alien, to produce their show outside of a network landscape. Going independent allowed them to retain ownership of their own recipes (Which when you're on a network like Food Network, become the property of the Network/Studio, not the creator).
They spoke about the ownership of their own creativity and agency over the brands they partner with being a huge draw. They eventually partnered with LG to create their own F.A.S.T. channel which they program, making their show available on Youtube, podcast streamers, and television!
Going indie doesn't exclude you from the traditional models, it gives you a different angle in, and more leverage when you do.
TLDR: When you own it, you're in control of your own fate. And when gatekeepers won't open the gate, climb over the wall.
How it applies to our careers:
I've been thinking about the new way to create a career in this business for a while, and it seems there are two paths: Break out, or Break in.
Breaking in is the traditional way, getting an assistant job and working your way up the ladder, or getting scouted based on your scripts alone and entering the business from another industry.
Breaking out means investing in yourself to create work on your own, outside of the traditional system. Creating your own work, building your own audience, and because the industry has major FOMO, they inevitably will come knocking. But by then you'll have the agency to advocate for a deal that's advantageous for you. The keys to breaking out are:
- Building and owning your own audience, that you have a direct line of communication to.
- Creating your own work and sharing it with the world, without studio/network ties.
- Finding distribution and financing avenues that are mutually beneficial to you, your financiers, and your audience.
- Creating a personal brand as an artist.
- Being brave enough to build in public.
So what does this mean? If you think you have what it takes to build a creator ecosystem for yourself - audience, financing, distribution etc - then start upskilling in the areas you want to learn more about.
For example, if you currently write but don't know anything about production, volunteer on some sets, shadow some friends, take a class online or do some independent research. Some resources that can help get you started:
If you feel overwhelmed by the prospect of self producing, but still don't want to wait for some studio to give you the shot to make your show or movie, then I'd recommend starting to network in earnest with folks in the indie space.
You'll need to find people who are willing to get scrappy and make something on their own. Kareem Rahma advised this in the panel: If you aren't a marketing brain, go find someone that is. Start building a community that can create something great together.
For this go to local meetups, festivals and events in your area (in person works best for this because you'll need a team where you are to start creating!). Resources to get you started:
- βThe Big Dig is a filmmaker networking event that is catered to "No BS Networking" They want you to connect to hire people, get hired, collaborate and actually get stuff made. This is founded by my friends over at Heavy Shovel Productions and this year they're bringing the Big Dig to a few cities across the country! Check if they have one near you.
- Heavy Shovel also has a community board online for folks seeking crew or connections to get a specific project made. You can just post "I am A ____" with your contact info, or "I need a ____" with info on the crew you're looking for.
- βFilm Girlz Brunch operates out of LA and Chicago
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I'm curious, do you want to Break out and create your own work, or break in the traditional route? Reply to this email to let me know!
A Preview of My Other 4 Takeaways, In Short:
The Lines Between Social, New Media, and Traditional Media are Blurring.
With Youtube, Substack and Instagam all venturing into TV territory and longtime Youtube creators like Michelle Khare vying for Emmy Awards the definition of "Television" is blurring at a faster rate than ever before.
Social Series & Verticals -- the launchpad for non-union writers so get in while the gettins good.
Cross-platform storytelling, branded Shorts and Social Series like The Interns were a focus at Tribeca X. With the influx of social series for brands like Venmo, Verizon (Hi Connor Storrie!) InStyle, βGoogle, Marc Jacobs, and smaller businesses like Brooklyn Coffee Shop, vertical format micro-series are exploding right now. And while major brands are collab-ing with big name writers, smaller companies with a marketing budget to produce the series will be needing writers who understand an episodic format to help them create these shows, without the Rachel Sennott or Nia DaCosta price tag. (I got an inbound inquiry about this just the other day!)
My first writing credit was on a social series for Facebook Watch (rip) so I obviously think social is a great place to cut your teeth on someone else's dime and build a portfolio for yourself!
How to make it in Hollywood? Build in Public.
The 10 ton elephant in the room of every room at Tribeca was the succession of Backrooms and Obsession at the box office -- both films coming from young filmmakers who first tried and tested their ideas in public on Youtube and social media before getting deals to make the feature versions of their movies. But they were far from the only examples at the festival of people who have had success building their craft and brand online before finding success.
An industry divided on AI.
I nearly got whiplash from every panel flip-flopping on AI=Good and AI=Bad positions throughout the festival. It felt very Butter-Side-Up or Butter-Side-Downers, everyone took their stance VERY seriously, but the audience didn't seem to come away with the clarity and thought leadership they were craving. I already posted the most egregious AI comment of the festival on Tiktok, but as one of the first major festivals to program AI-Assisted films, the festival seemed pro-AI, or at the very least agnostic. But the panelists and audience? A completely different story.
I'll break each of these down in next few emails!
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