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 journey to filmmakers navigating today’s industry.

This article is part of my ‘Big Ideas’ series, in which I explore the evolving landscape of the film industry. Each instalment combines data, research, and analysis to go deep on a trend, idea or case study to reshape the film business over the next decade.

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It’s easy to admire Ryan Coogler for the films alone. Fruitvale Station was a breakout debut that won Sundance and Cannes. Creed revitalised a dormant franchise with fresh emotional power. Black Panther became a cultural landmark and one of the highest-grossing films of all time.

But beyond the screen, Coogler’s rise is also a masterclass in professional strategy. He navigated the film industry not just with talent, but with a clear sense of purpose, a commitment to community, and a sharp eye for building the right relationships.

Here are eight things Ryan Coogler does that today’s filmmakers would do well to study:

1. Film school was his springboard. He treated education as a proving ground, using it to develop a voice, build a team, and launch his career with real momentum.

2. He started with what mattered. Coogler chose stories that held personal urgency and built trust by grounding every project in care, research, and clarity of intent.

3. His network wasn’t accidental. He built long-term creative partnerships based on loyalty, mutual belief, and shared growth, starting from his earliest work.

4. Every film led somewhere new. Each success created leverage for the next, with Coogler choosing projects that fit his trajectory rather than chasing visibility.

5. Be a collaborative auteur. He held creative control by setting the tone early, bringing in his team, and working through structure, not ego.

6. Let your values guide your decisions. His stories, teams, and leadership all reflect a clear ethical framework that shapes both content and culture.

7. In a crisis, be a leader. He stayed grounded through grief and pressure by keeping the human side of the process in focus and holding space for others.

8. Build the platform, not just the project. Coogler used his influence to create a lasting system that supports other storytellers and shifts who gets to lead the conversation.

Let’s look at each in a little more detail:

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1. Film school was his springboard

Ryan Coogler treated USC as a workshop in which every project was a test of what he could do and how far he could take it.

He made shorts that travelled. Locks, Gap, and Fig played at festivals, picked up awards, and helped define his early voice. They were tightly focused, socially grounded, and clearly made with ambition.

USC was also where he built relationships with people he would work with repeatedly. They learned how to work together under pressure that that built a trust that carried into his later features.

He start focused on his goal, even though money was a problem. He started the programme without stable housing and spent weeks living in his car. He kept going, found support, and stayed productive. That experience shaped how he worked under pressure later on.

After film school, the Sundance Screenwriters Lab gave him a wider platform. His script for Fruitvale Station stood out, the feedback sharpened it and being part of the program raised his profile.

Lesson to be learned
Treat education as a launch point. It’s a rare chance to build proof of concept, find long-term collaborators, and access systems that can open real doors.

2. He started with what mattered

Ryan Coogler chose subjects that felt urgent to him. Fruitvale Station came from watching the coverage of Oscar Grant’s death and wanting to shift the focus. He approached Grant’s family directly, earned their trust, and wrote from a place of care.

The idea for Creed surfaced while his father was unwell. He saw the Rocky world as a way to explore fathers, sons, and what they leave behind. Stallone turned him down the first time, but Coogler kept shaping the idea until it landed.

His preparation gave the emotion weight. He researched, redrafted, and clarified the story at every stage.

That level of focus helped others get behind it. The people he approached could see there was something real driving it.

Lesson to be learned
Lead with something that holds personal weight. If you know why the story matters, others are more likely to take it seriously.

3. His network wasn’t accidental

Ryan Coogler worked with people who backed his vision and stayed with him over time.