Industry Analyst Stephen Follows on Film Financing, Festivals, Distribution, & More

In this episode, we welcome Stephen Follows. Stephen is an expert industry analyst, as well as a writer, producer and educator. In our chat, he shares his backstory and his thoughts on the worlds of film financing, festivals, and distribution. He also speaks about how he decodes the industry through data — and provides a “Crystal Ball” view of where things might be heading in the coming years. Stephen also offers real-world advice for filmmakers on how best to position themselves for the evolving road ahead. “The Making Of” is presented by AJA:Explore AJA’s New Solutions for Next-Gen Production and BroadcastAhead of NAB 2025, AJA debuted innovative solutions for production and broadcast professionals, including the BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 IP video bridge for remote workflows/streaming/backhaul, the DANTE-12GAM IP audio embedder/disembedder, and KUMO 6464-12G compact SDI router. Find out how your facility, pipeline, or project can benefit from the flexibility these new tools provide here.OWC Powers Indie Horror-Comedy ScreamboatFrom set to post, the Screamboat team trusted OWC to keep their horror-comedy production running smoothly. Atlas media cards captured the action, while Envoy Pro FX and ThunderBlade drives enabled fast offloads. In post, the ThunderBay Flex 8 anchored their workflow with high-capacity, high-performance storage. Explore how OWC powered this ambitious indie project every step of the way.Read more hereFeatured Book: Engage Filmmakers This new report offers a detailed look at what filmmakers read, share, and trust.Based on over 1.5 million articles and posts, Engage Filmmakers is designed for organisations that want to reach filmmaking audiences in a meaningful way. It shows what topics resonate, which formats perform best, and how to build lasting credibility.What’s inside:• Audience segmentation by filmmaking role• The content formats that get attention• Platform strategies backed by real data• Practical guidance for building trust with filmmakersIf your team creates content or campaigns for the film industry, this is built to help you do it better.Explore here — 10% off for “The Making Of” readers!Check out the ZEISS Otus ML:Now on sale, the Otus ML 1.4/50mm photography lens from ZEISS is the new generation of high-quality optics for your photographic art. Find it at your favorite photo retailer!Learn more hereA New Solution from Videoguys:The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD is built for adventure, fitting seamlessly into your mobile lifestyle while delivering blazing-fast NVMe performance with read speeds up to 1050MB/s and write speeds up to 1000MB/s. Designed for content creators and on-the-go professionals, this high-capacity drive is tested and compatible with iPhone, making it easy to free up space on your smartphone. Its rugged design offers up to three-meter drop protection, IP65 water and dust resistance, and a durable silicone shell for extra security. Backed by a 5-year limited warranty, the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD is now available in an impressive new 8TB capacity at Videoguys.com.Browse it hereUpcoming NYC Event: Gold Women’s Health & Business ConferenceJoin us Thursday, May 8 in NYC for the Gold Women’s Health & Business Conference—an empowering afternoon focused on elevating women in business and well-being. Learn SEO, Marketing Strategies, Funding resources, & Wellness insights for women. This powerful experience is designed for Founders, Creatives, & Professionals ready to thrive in 2025 and beyond. Visit us herePodcast Rewind:April 2025 - Ep. 75…“The Making Of” is created by Michael Valinsky.Promote your products or services to 155K filmmakers, content creators, TV, broadcast & live event production pros reading this newsletter… email us at [email protected] Get full access to The Making Of at themakingof.substack.com/subscribe