Holiday Reading and How to Rest

By Rebecca Green

Since moving to Substack in September, there has been an increase of over 400 subscribers to Dear Producer. I wasn’t expecting this kind of growth, but I am very excited to welcome all the new producers and non producing filmmakers who have come here to learn from and celebrate the amazing producers Dear Producer showcases. It’s been such a joy connecting with all of you and I want to thank everyone who gave their time and knowledge to Dear Producer this year, helping to build a stronger ecosystem for independent film.

If you are a new subscriber, this will be your first reading list. I started compiling these when I launched Dear Producer in 2018. It’s my way of helping you stay on top of the latest industry news, shifts, and trends, as I believe it is important to understand the big picture regardless of what role you play on a film or level you are at. Below are the articles I’ve read since my last reading list in September that I feel are worth your time, with a focus on the positive stories about reaching audiences, more collective organizing, and looking to a bright future while we’re still a little stuck in the mud.

If you have yet to upgrade to a paid Dear Producer subscription, now is your last chance to get an annual subscription for only $15. Please consider supporting Dear Producer to keep this community growing. (Most new content will go behind a paywall in 2025.)

So we survived to ‘25 like they told us to, now what? Now we rest! But did you know there are seven types of rest? If you are feeling burned out right now, I encourage you to think about the ways in which you might need to relax and how sleep and rest are not the same thing.

In her TED Talk, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, a physician, researcher and the author of the book "Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity," lays out the seven different types of rest you need to consider: Mental, spiritual, emotional, social, sensory, creative, and physical.

Rest can have profound effects on our well-being yet it is something most producers struggle to find time for in their lives. There’s always an email that needs to be returned, a director that needs counseling, a financier that needs answers, or a distributor who is causing you grief. However, if you want to stay on this journey of filmmaking, I encourage you to give yourself the gift of rest this holiday season. Whether you're surrounded by a big and loud family for the next two weeks or have a quiet solo season like myself, we all need to rest so that we can approach 2025 with the energized spirits we will need to keep original storytelling alive.

Wishing you all a happy holiday and looking forward to seeing all the amazing things I know you will accomplish next year.

Keep Going,
Rebecca

Hits & Misses 2024: Case Studies of Six Sundance 2024 Premieres
“On the higher-budgeted, star-driven end of the specialized industry spectrum, 2024 will, indeed, produce some major prestige movie events (right now, Focus’s Conclave, NEON’s Anora and A24’s We Live in Time are all breakouts). This bodes well for everyone. But, again, the more pertinent question for independent filmmakers is what is happening to films made completely outside the system.”
Filmmaker Magazine by Anthony Kaufman 12/16/24

Pushy Directors, Money Problems and a Prosthetic Penis: All in Day’s Work for THR’s Producer Roundtable
“The six superwomen behind this season’s biggest films solve problems on the fly, navigate financing and struggle to keep creativity on track.”
The Hollywood Reporter by Mia Gallupo 12/05/24

Sugar23 & Fifth Season Launch Brand-Focused Film & TV Studio
“Production/management company Sugar23 has teamed with Fifth Season to launch a venture which will co-finance over $100 million in production with strategic brand partners over the next three years. Fifth Season will fund the venture, and Sugar23 will bring the expertise and brand relationships that make this launch a bit different: they involve major brands hungry to be content sponsors more directly involved in the creative process.”
Deadline Hollywood by Mike Fleming 12/03/24

‘Nutcrackers’ Director David Gordon Green On Applying Blumhouse Model To Comedy, “Disservice” Modern Multiplexes Are Doing To Moviegoers
“As the industry continues to rebuild following Covid and last year’s double strikes, Green is optimistic about the future, seeing the potential for a “renaissance” for feature comedies, and film, in general. But it’s an outcome that will only come with some serious soul searching amongst filmmakers and execs — an interest in real innovation that would involve taking a close look at everything from star salaries to ticket prices and movie theater seating.”
Deadline Hollywood by Matt Grobar 11/27/24

There’s No Longer Any Doubt That Hollywood Writing Is Powering AI
“Dialogue from these movies and TV shows has been used by companies such as Apple and Anthropic to train AI systems.”
The Atlantic By Alex Reisner 11/18/24

Audience is my north star.
“Transparency, power dynamics, and early stage ecosystem investment are just some of the thoughts on Karin Chien's mind.”
Hope for Film by Karin Chien 11/16/24

Intimacy Coordinators Vote To Organize With SAG-AFTRA
“Intimacy coordinators have said a resounding “yes” to being represented by SAG-AFTRA. The group voted unanimously to organize with the guild in a National Labor Relations Board election, in hopes that the union will represent them in any dealings with the major studios, SAG-AFTRA announced Tuesday. The next step will be negotiating the group’s first contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.”
Deadline Hollywood by Katie Campione 11/12/24

Freevee To Shut Down As Amazon Consolidates Subscription & Free Content Under Prime Video
“It’s official — free, ad-supported video on demand streaming service Amazon Freevee, the home of such originals as Jury Duty, Bosch: Legacy and Judy Justice, will be phased out over the coming weeks.”
Deadline Hollywood by Nellie Andreeva 11/12/24

Film Preservationists Call on AMPAS to Rehire Laid Off Archival Staff
“On October 30, AMPAS let go of 16 employees — roughly 2 percent of AMPAS’ overall staff — including 14 from the Academy Film Archive and Margaret Herrick Library, and the other two from the Academy Museum collection staff.”
IndieWire by Brian Welk 11/6/24

Study Reveals Untapped Market of 40 Million People Who Will Pay for Indie Films on Streaming
“Former Sundance Institute CEO Keri Putnam led the "US Independent Film Audience & Landscape Study" and believes there's a massive audience waiting for indie collaboration.”
IndieWire by Brian Welk 11/01/24

What if A.I. Is Actually Good for Hollywood?
“It’s already powering remarkable visual innovations, like in the new movie “Here.” But boosters think that’s just the beginning.”
The New York Times by Devin Gordon 11/01/24

The Big Squeeze: Why Everyone in Hollywood Feels Stuck
“That promotion isn’t happening. Forget that raise. And your Boomer boss isn’t vacating that corner office anytime soon. Inside Hollywood’s Great Malaise.”
The Hollywood Reporter by Mia Galluppo 10/30/24

From ‘Hundreds of Beavers’ to ‘The Graduates,’ the Future of Indie Film Is Microdistribution
“Bespoke release strategies, one-man distributors: Don't ever tell an indie filmmaker that their films won't see the inside of a theater.”
IndieWire by Brian Welk ​​10/29/24

Teens Want To See Less Sex, More Friendship In Movies & TV Shows, UCLA Study Finds
“Teens are much more interested in seeing storylines about friendship and platonic relationships and less focus on sex in movies and TV shows, according to a UCLA study. That’s one of the key findings in the latest installment of the university’s “Teens and Screens” report — which surveyed some 1,500 young people across the U.S. aged 10 to 24.”
Deadline Hollywood by Denise Petski 10/24/24

Why Los Angeles Is Becoming a Production Graveyard
“As the number of movie and TV shoots approaches historic lows, insiders are lobbying for fewer restrictions to help bolster Hollywood’s place in the city it calls home.”
The Hollywood Reporter by Winston Cho 10/23/24

Lynda Obst Dies: Prolific ‘Sleepless In Seattle’, ‘Fisher King’ & ‘Interstellar’ Producer Was 74
“Lynda Obst, one of the most prolific female producers in Hollywood, died Tuesday in Los Angeles, according to her brother, WME partner Rick Rosen. She was 74. The producer’s long list of hit films includes Flashdance, The Fisher King, One Fine Day, Contact, Hope Floats, Interstellar and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. She also executive produced Sleepless In Seattle, TVLand’s Hot in Cleveland and had a deal at Sony Pictures Television.”
Deadline Hollywood by Tom Tapp 10/22/24

Blumhouse Partners With Meta On New AI Creative Industry Feedback Program
“Blumhouse and Meta are partnering on Meta Movie Gen—a suite of AI models that show how you can use simple text inputs to produce custom videos and sounds, edit existing videos, and transform a personal image into a unique video. For the pilot, Blumhouse—a driving force in horror—selected a group of filmmakers to test out the technology and provide feedback before its public debut.”
Deadline Hollywood by Justin Kroll 10/17/24

Producers United’s Policy Revisions Embraced By Warner Bros Discovery, Disney, Paramount, Universal & HBO; Changes In Fee Structure & Healthcare Will Help Career Producers Survive
“It has only been six months since Producers United launched an appeal to its content-making bosses to stop the systemic erosion facing career producers – those who lead productions, sign the budgets, and whose livings come solely from fees on the projects they produce. The upstart group has secured commitments to reform their policies from the film sides of Warner Bros Discovery, Disney, Paramount and Universal, and the pay TV network HBO.”
Deadline Hollywood by Mike Flemming 10/17/24

‘Fleabag’ Producer Sets Out How New Indie TV Finance Models Will Take Hold, As Euro Execs Talk Pitching & Packaging — MIA Market
“During the panel, hosted by Turning Point CEO Carlo Dusi, several international execs debated the key changes producers should be making to get shows away in an era of shrinking budgets and less buying, noting collaboration, pitching and packaging were all in various states of evolution.”
Deadline Hollywood by Jesse Wittock 10/17/24

How Streaming Elevated (and Ruined) Documentaries: A Statistical Analysis
“Twenty years ago, documentary film was an extremely niche segment of the entertainment industry, devoid of funding or mainstream interest. Presently, non-fiction filmmaking (in the form of docuseries) stands as a cornerstone of streaming economics, a format bolstered and degraded by an ever-growing demand for cheap, time-consuming content. So today, we'll examine streaming's embrace and erosion of non-fiction storytelling. We'll explore the mainstreaming of documentary film and the consequences surrounding this welcome yet frustrating development.”
Stat Significant by Daniel Parris 10/16/24

Hollywood Veterans Get Brutally Honest About Mentoring Next Generation Amid Industry Turmoil
“It’s no secret that the entertainment industry is struggling. Contrary to workers’ hopes, film and TV production hasn’t roared back in the wake of last year’s writers’ and actors’ strikes. Job opportunities remain scarce as studios attempt to recoup their losses from the streaming wars by slashing staff and production. As a result of the challenges in the workforce, some prominent industry training programs have pulled back.”
Los Angeles Times by Christi Carras 10/10/24

Are You Really a Producer? A Crack Down On Vanity Film Credits Is Getting More Serious
“In the face of "producer" titles still being handed out as perks, the 8,400-member trade association has updated its Code of Credits and Producer's Mark to help distinguish working producers from the rest.”
The Hollywood Reporter by Katie Kilkenny 10/10/24

Amazon and Apple Strike Deal to Bring Apple TV+ to Prime Video
“In a surprise move, Apple and Amazon have cut a deal that will bring the Apple TV+ streaming service to Amazon’s Prime Video channels. The deal will see Apple TV+ join streaming services like Max, Paramount+, AMC+ and Starz as a subscription add-on for Prime Video subscribers. The Hollywood Reporter by Alex Weprin 10/09/24

How Everyone Got Lost in Netflix’s Endless Library
“Ten years after Silicon Valley remade TV, it’s become clear how the streaming revolution distorted our collective viewing habits — and sense of the culture.”
The New York Times by Willy Staley 10/07/24

Neon, Searchlight Pictures, MK2 & Film4 Execs Talk Indie Film B.O. Optimism: “We’re Coming Out Of The Trench” – Zurich Summit
“The pandemic and Hollywood strikes battered box office for independent cinema is turning a corner, distribution execs told a panel at the Zurich Summit industry conflab on Saturday.”
Deadline Hollywood by Melanie Goodfellow 10/05/24

How YouTube and Netflix Copied Each Other’s Homework
Earlier this month, Nielsen reported that YouTube became the most watched media company on American TVs in July. YouTube is not only the first streaming company to surpass 10% viewership, but it’s the first to dethrone the Walt Disney Co. since Nielsen launched its Media Distributor Gauge in November 2023.
Variety by Robert Steiner 10/03/24

Amazon Joins Motion Picture Association, as Entertainment and Tech Converge
“Amazon is both a streamer and a traditional studio, operating Prime Video and MGM Studios, which it bought for $8.5 billion in 2021. Its decision to join the MPA is a symbol of the convergence of entertainment and Big Tech, which were separated by a sharp divide not that long ago.”
Variety by Gene Maddaus 09/19/24

Review This: Letterboxd and Independent Film Marketing
“There are no silver bullets for solving the crisis in independent film distribution, but there are a lot of industry professionals looking to Letterboxd—and its opinionated and rapidly growing 15 million–strong community of cinephiles—as an important new tool for their survival.”
Filmmaker Magazine by Anthony Kaufman 09/18/24

Sony and Warner Bros. Gear Up for Political Fight for Las Vegas Studio
“Sony and Warner Bros. are preparing for a heavyweight fight in Las Vegas, as both studios seek state funding to build rival production facilities. The companies are looking to expand their footprint outside of Los Angeles, and Las Vegas is only 75 minutes away by plane. As with nearly all location decisions, the key factor is whether the state is willing to offer a tax incentive.”
Variety by Gene Maddus 09/13/24

25 New Faces of Independent Film 2024
Annual list of the next generation of filmmakers.
Filmmaker Magazine September 2024

Why A.I. Isn’t Going to Make Art
“Is there anything about art that makes us think it can’t be created by pushing a button, as in Dahl’s imagination? Right now, the fiction generated by large language models like ChatGPT is terrible, but one can imagine that such programs might improve in the future. How good could they get? Could they get better than humans at writing fiction—or making paintings or movies—in the same way that calculators are better at addition and subtraction?”
The New Yorker by Ted Chiang 08/31/24