A Few of the Platforms Providing Hope for the Film Industry
Also, An Ode to One of My Favorite Franchises, This Week's Recommendations, and A Note on Next Week's Newsletter
Welcome to this week’s Sunday Evening edition of The Backlot. These newsletters will include stories from my recent experiences working in documentary filmmaking, helpful resources for emerging filmmakers, and other posts covering topics in the industry.
NOTE - The Sunday evening version of the newsletter is free. Future mid-week posts on Wednesday evenings will require a paid subscription.
This week, we’re discussing a few platforms leading the way forward and providing an ode to one of my favorite franchises…
🎞️ A Few of the Amazing Innovations Leading the Way in the Film Industry
🎬 An Ode to The Franchises of Our Youth
🗞️ Wrapping Up & Recommendations of the Week
Change is on the Horizon
As you may have noticed, over the last few months, the industry has undergone a lot of change. Whether we’re talking about documentary filmmaking or the movie industry as a whole, the old system is starting to come to an end.
This week, The Ankler published a newsletter discussing this change and how this process has happened several times throughout the industry's history. From the reform of the 1970s to the advent of streaming and prestige television, change has always been an inevitable part of the film industry.
At the same time, the change happening now seems more monumental than the previous ones. Legacy studios are closing, jobs are being lost, and the future seems uncertain for many in the industry.
And yet, as much as the upheaval of these old systems seems frightening, there is also another way to view the picture - positive change.
The future of the film industry is becoming more democratized. As the old systems created by the gatekeepers of filmmaking fail and become obsolete, new systems and new voices can pave the way forward.
I’ve chosen to believe in this future—one where filmmaking is better, more equitable, and in the hands of those who care the most—the filmmakers.
For this reason, I’ve compiled a list below of a few platforms that are leading the way in this better future of filmmaking. These are just a few of the many innovative platforms that are providing a glimpse of the exciting things happening in the film industry.
Portrait - A Creative Network
Portrait is a new way of interacting with filmmakers, producers, and other industry members through an invite-only social media platform. The application was started by Jean Ellen Cowgill (who is on Substack, by the way) and has become a place where anyone working in the industry can have access to connect with fellow filmmakers, producers, and creatives.
Film.io - Audience Building Platform
Film.io is an innovative new platform that debuted at Sundance in 2024. The platform aims to decentralize the film industry by using blockchain technology to help projects be seen by investors and producers. Using an innovative design, Film.io allows audiences to vote for different projects using tokens, which allows these films to gain more notice from potential investors, producers, and broader audiences.
The Distribution Playbook - Democratizing Distribution Knowledge
The Distribution Playbook is a compilation of resources and advice for filmmakers on distributing their films. Created by Seed&Spark and Kinema, the notion page provides course modules on a variety of topics, from international distribution to budget allocation. The playbook helps filmmakers gain access to insider industry knowledge through expert research, case studies, and interviews with distribution experts.
Kinema - The Social Audience Platform
Kinema is an innovative platform that is becoming more apparent in indie-distribution campaigns across the industry. The platform helps filmmakers manage their non-theatrical exhibition (aka screening tours) both online and offline and through developing partnerships with cinema spaces, organizations, and community leaders to host screening events.
A few months ago, I listened to a talk by a few filmmakers who used this platform to successfully raise awareness for their film and make money from self-distributing the documentary on the platform.
If you have any other platforms or programs that are helping to revolutionize the film industry, please share them in the comments below. The more resources we can share, the better the future we can build together.
An Ode to One of the Franchises of My Youth
On Thursday night, a few friends and I made our way into a packed IMAX theater with a couple hundred strangers to watch the latest entry in the beloved Alien franchise.
Alien: Romulus, the newest addition to the decades-spanning sci-fi franchise, follows the story of a group of young pirates who attempt to steal an abandoned spaceship to leave their homeworld and find a better life.
Without going into too much detail about the film, I will say that Romulus was an intriguing entry into the series. Directed by Uruguayan filmmaker Fede Alvarez, known for his Evil Dead remake and Don’t Breathe, the film uses a mix of nostalgia and innovation to provide a powerful standalone entry into the franchise. Romulus does much to pay homage to the aesthetic and suspense of the first two Alien films while still managing to create an effective haunted house horror flick.
The final 15 minutes of the film is where it really shines and is worth the price of admission alone. It’s clear in this final act that Alvarez and co-writer Rodo Sayagues decided to put their mark on the franchise, as the film moves from being a nostalgic tribute to the original films into something much darker and horrific.
As an avid fan of the Alien franchise, these films hold a special place in my heart. I’ve been watching these movies for as long as I can remember. My father was especially a fan of the first two movies, and these science fiction masterpieces are burned into some of the core moments of my memory.
The nostalgia associated with these films is part of the reason I’ve developed such a strong bond with the franchise. They represent a perfect example of the imprint movies can make on our lives. These stories, the visuals, and the feelings provide me with a snapshot of my own memory —much like a familiar smell or a favorite song from our youth.
For myself, instead of seeing Ellen Ripley fighting the Xenomorph trapped on the Nostromo, I’m transported back in time and lost somewhere in a lucid dream from my youth. I’m back in my parent's bedroom, covering my eyes as the face-hugger begins to burst out of Kane's chest. Instead of hearing a pulse rifle ring out from the screen in Romulus, I’m back in my friend's room in high school, watching as the crew of Marines wander into the Xenomorph's nest in Aliens.
After watching Romulus on Thursday night, I thought a lot about this nostalgia and the connection I’ve developed with these films. I contemplated the meaning of these small moments in my own storyline and celebrated the way these films have left such an impressionable mark on my life.
In this way, every time I enter an Alien film, I’m entering my own past. I’m witnessing the origins of my fascination with filmmaking and my beloved obsession with telling stories. It’s no longer just going to a movie theater but entering a portal back into my own timeline - like watching the movie of my own youth.
For me, that’s what filmmaking is truly about—the feeling the images evoke in the audience and the way they stay with us over time.
If you’re interested in hearing more about the newest film, I suggest listening to this interview with Fede Alvarez to learn more about the thoughts behind some of the big creative decisions in the film.
A Note on Next Week’s Newsletter
Next week, I’ll provide an update on the future of this newsletter. Some big things are in the works, and The Backlot is preparing to undergo some major changes.
Next Sunday’s edition will provide some insight into these changes, the timeline for the newsletter, and what to look forward to in the future. This upcoming newsletter will also be the last one for a few weeks while we work to undergo this change and prepare for the next chapter.
I’m very excited to share more with you next week and give you a preview of what is to come. Stay tuned, and thanks for being here on this journey.
Film Recommendation of the Week
I was very tempted to recommend an Alien movie here but ultimately decided that was too easy.
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (2014)
Instead, I’m recommending the most recent version of the famous documentary series about the history of our universe, led by Neil Degrasse Tyson. The innovative series follows in the footsteps of Carl Sagan’s original series while providing up-to-date information on the origins of our universe. It’s a fantastic documentary series that provides a profound insight into the reality of our existence in time and space.
Other Recommendations
Sir Ridley Scott was interviewed by Letterboxd on the red carpet of Alien: Romulus. In true Scott fashion, the beloved filmmaker chose one of his own movies as one of his four favorites.
The latest documentary on Netflix, Daughters, which was acquired out of Sundance, has arrived on the platform. The film is being called one of the best films of the year and currently holds a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Rian Johnson announced on his social platforms that the new Knives Out movie, starring Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, and many others, has wrapped filming.
Gena Rowlands, the iconic actress known for her role in John Cassavettes A Women Under the Influence, passed away at 94. The actress was known for her role in the film among a number of incredible performances, and most recently known for being in her son’s film, The Notebook.
