Why Great Films Still Disappear: The Business of Getting Audiences to Watch | Shaked Berenson & Tom Malloy

What happens after you’ve made the movie?For independent filmmakers, finishing a film is only part of the challenge. The harder question can be finding an audience—and building a distribution strategy that gives the film a realistic chance of succeeding.Today’s guests are Shaked Berenson and Tom Malloy, the team behind Studio Dome, a film distribution and streaming company.In this conversation, they share decades of experience across independent film production, financing, distribution, and entrepreneurship, offering a candid look at how the business has changed.We explore:How streaming transformed independent film distributionWhat filmmakers lost when DVDs disappearedWhy the gap between successful and unsuccessful films has widenedWhy a good movie isn’t necessarily a commercially successful movieThe role of genre, timing, marketing, and luckWhy filmmakers need to build an audience rather than simply release a filmThe biggest misconceptions about film distributionWhy filmmakers should view distributors as partners rather than opposing teamsWhy unrealistic revenue expectations can hurt filmmakersHow AI could change filmmakingWhy they see AI as a useful enhancement tool rather than a replacement for storytellingWhy authentic storytelling remains central regardless of the technology usedBalancing artistic ambition with the commercial realities of filmmakingWhy filmmakers should understand what they’re making, who it’s for, and what the market is before working backward into the creative processShaked makes a particularly important point about the modern filmmaking landscape: technology has made it easier for almost anyone to make a film, but that has also made it harder to stand out.And for independent filmmakers, the question isn’t simply “Is this a good movie?”It’s also:Who is it for, how will they find it, and what makes them want to watch it?🌍 Thought Atlashttps://joinpodmatch.com/thoughtatlas🎬 Studio DomeThe transcript identifies the guests as Shaked Berenson and Tom Malloy, the team behind Studio Dome.