Monthly Digest - MAY 2018

May 31, 2018

May 31, 2018 | Dear Producer, No. 05

Dear Producer is off to a great start and I want to thank you for promoting Dear Producer to our community. And a special thank you to the producers who have volunteered their time and invaluable knowledge to helping create a much needed resource for producers.

I'm excited to bring you the first digest of Must Read articles from May (posted throughout the month at DearProducer.com). Must Read articles are not breaking news or press releases — they are essential industry articles that will help producers stay informed and educated. They are curated to help producers adapt and evolve in a challenging and ever-changing industry. Think of the Must Read articles as your homework (the fun and engaging kind).

Why "homework"? It is vital that we stop and do our homework in order to set ourselves and our projects up for success and to build a more sustainable industry. Yet, we know time is the most precious of resources, which is why we curate these articles for you. We hope you learn and enjoy!

Rebecca Green
Editor-in-Chief

MUST READ

What will end up being two of the top Must Read articles of the year are brought to us by the Sundance Institute's Creative Distribution Initiative. Following the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, two films - the narrative COLUMBUS, and documentary UNREST - were given a grant and a suite of resources to support an independent creative release. In exchange, they documented the entire process from start to finish sharing their data and learnings with the field. Read both case studies here.

From pre-sales to US distribution deals, Variety breaks down the steady-yet-sobering sales at Cannes in Cannes 2018: Big Movies Soar, as Independent Movie Market Contract.

The Hollywood Reporter published 25 Players Who Can Actually Get an Independent Movie Made and while the list only covers the financiers who fund films with A list talent (cast and/or directors) who can trigger international pre-sales, it is still a handy resource.

For those getting their feet wet in television, check out this Co. Design interview HBO Doesn’t Want To Be Another Netflix with HBO’s VP of experience design, Ryan Wilkerson, who talks about how HBO is changing the way HBO tells stories across many devices, ranging from virtual reality headsets to smart home speakers.

And for a little inspiration, read Ronan Farrow's Emotional Commencement Speech at Loyola Marymount