Using Data & Statistics to be a Better Filmmaker with Stephen Follows

The Honest Filmmaker

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This week on the podcast I talk to educator, producer and film industry data researcher Stephen Follows. Stephen has produced over 100 short films and two feature films, he also co runs Cat Snake Story Agency. He's taught at all the major film schools and specialises in film industry data.
I chatted to Stephen about some of the insights that film industry data brings him, especially in relation to indie filmmakers. We also talked about Stephens recently released Horror Movie Report which is a comprehensive case study of the horror genre, looking at data of every horror movie ever made, it looks at development, production, distribution and profitability. I asked Stephen about how Indie filmmakers can use data to improve their movies and how they finance, produce and sell them. I asked about any surprises from the insights of his report, if film festivals are worth entering and we chatted about why i HATE the term 'elevated horror'. Enjoy!
The Horror Movie Report: https://stephenfollows.com/p/the-horror-movie-report

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فصول

1. All about Stephen and his career (00:00:00)

2. Stephens route into filmmaking (00:01:04)

3. What has led Stephen into data and research - how much does it inform the creative side? (00:03:14)

4. How can indie filmmakers use data and statistics to help them? (00:05:11)

5. Following a formula (00:07:28)

6. What genre is the best bet for an indie filmmaker? (00:08:42)

7. From the research are there any surprises about Indie film? (00:11:15)

8. Should indie filmmakers find their audience and how do they do that? (00:14:16)

9. Film festivals - is it worth it? (00:16:23)

10. Distribution - what platforms are the most beneficial? (00:22:11)

11. Interesting findings from the Horror report (00:25:34)

12. Why Jim HATES the words 'Elevated Horror' (00:27:08)

13. Casting for horror - Jim's methodology - is it sound? (00:28:28)

14. Any types of Horror that do better than others? (00:33:40)

15. The future of filmmaking and the current slump in production (00:35:19)

16. The use of AI in creative endeavours (00:38:49)

17. Reasons to subscribe (00:42:16)