StephenFollows.com - Using data to explain the film industry

StephenFollows.com - Using data to explain the film industry

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Film marketing tactics recommended by the pros
Over the past year I’ve quizzed a number of film industry professionals on various topics.
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Stephen Follows
What Amazon’s patent filings reveal about how filmmaking may change in the future
I dug through 7,423 Amazon patents related to video and found the ones most likely to change how filmmakers approach development, pre-production…
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Stephen Follows
How often do lead characters die in movies?
I logged the fates of 27,000+ lead characters to uncover how death on screen has shifted by genre, decade, and cause.
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Stephen Follows
6
Uwe Boll on tariffs, AI, and the end of traditional film funding
The filmmaker who boxed his critics, cursed fans, gamed tax systems to finance flops and hits alike, talks film financing, AI, and names the one video…
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Stephen Follows
6
How film nationality is determined around the world
I reviewed the official film nationality rules used by over twenty countries to see how each one defines ownership, and how American might be able to…
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Stephen Follows
Ultimate tips for attending the Cannes Film Festival
Everything you need to know to make the most of your Cannes experience – from screenings to soirées.
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Stephen Follows
How many Hollywood movies are made outside America?
I crunched the data behind the state of "non-American" Hollywood movies, and considered how any system of American tariffs might work.
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Stephen Follows
How to prepare for ANY film festival
After years of surveys and conversations with filmmakers, producers, and festival directors, here are the 20 things people consistently say make a…
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Stephen Follows

April 2025

What Netflix’s patents reveal about the future of watching movies
I read through almost 500 Netflix patents to look at what the streaming has been tackling, building and disrupting.
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Stephen Follows
How has the portrayal of the Pope in movies changed over time?
How popes have gone from distant icons to complex characters on screen, revealing as much about filmmakers as about faith itself.
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Stephen Follows
What filmmakers really want to know
I analysed 160,000+ filmmaking questions on Reddit from the past decade to uncover what filmmakers really ask, need and struggle with.
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Stephen Follows
2
What filmmakers can learn from Ryan Coogler’s career strategy
From indie breakthroughs to billion-dollar franchises, Ryan Coogler built a career on integrity, collaboration, and purpose. His path is an inspiring…
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Stephen Follows
Has the way movies use dialogue changed?
What happens when you track dialogue patterns across 90 years of cinema? I ran the numbers on 60,000 films to find out.
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Stephen Follows
1
How 300+ film experts say you should build your career from day one
Clear, practical steps that film industry veterans recommend for new filmmakers starting without existing connections.
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Stephen Follows
What’s the sweet spot for horror movie budgets when considering profitability?
Horror is one of the most reliably profitable genres, but not all horror movies turn a profit. One key factor influencing success is budget size.
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Stephen Follows
How 'Event Cinema' is becoming a bigger part of exhibitors' audience strategies
How studios and exhibitors are using Q&As, immersive experiences, fan-led moments and exclusive merchandise to transform cinema screenings into…
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Stephen Follows
Are movies based on video games still 'the worst'?
I crunched the numbers on over 14,000 films to see if video game movies are still the worst rated and to uncover why that is, including whether Uwe Boll…
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Stephen Follows
3
Why your film can't secure distribution (from 300+ brutally honest film market professionals)
I interviewed 327 film professionals about what filmmakers get wrong when trying to secure a film distribution deal and then did not hold back with the…
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Stephen Follows
1
Nine lessons filmmakers can learn from Annapurna Pictures
Annapurna supports ambitious directors and unusual projects
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Stephen Follows
What is replacing love as the dominate theme of movies?
What do 25,353 films reveal about the quiet transformation of movie storytelling over the past century?
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Stephen Follows
6
What types of horror movies are the most investor-friendly?
Investing in movie comes down to two key factors: ensuring a strong chance of breaking even and identifying projects with breakout potential for high…
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Stephen Follows
What filmmakers can learn from Tyler Perry’s incredible self-made empire
Tyler Perry rewrote the rules of independent filmmaking, building his own audience studio and creative system from the ground up. Filmmakers can learn…
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Stephen Follows
2

March 2025

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