The Filmmaking Stuff Podcast
Filmmaking Stuff is the professional resource for entrepreneurial filmmakers, providing tactics on film producing, film funding, and film distribution.
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 9
- Latest publication
- Sep 16, 2026
- Audience
- Checking…
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 8, 2026
Latest episodes
The Ant Theory: How to Keep Moving When Things Fall Apart (opens the original)
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In filmmaking, things fall through all the time—financing disappears, actors drop out, deals change, and rejection comes with the territory. In this episode, I explain my Ant Theory and how I’ve used it throughout my filmmaking career: instead of sitting around thinking about what went wrong, figure out what you need to do next and take action. It’s a simple approach to persistence, handling rejection, overcoming filmmaking setbacks, and continuing to move toward your goal.
Your Movie Rents for $5.99 — Here’s What You Actually Get (opens the original)
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What does a $5.99 indie film rental actually earn the filmmaker? In this episode, I break down the economics of TVOD and show where the money goes after the streaming platform and distributor take their percentages. We also look at investor recoupment, how a small indie film might calculate its potential rental revenue, and why filmmakers should work backwards from realistic distribution revenue when setting a movie's budget. If you're financing, producing, or distributing an independent movie,
What Film Investors Actually Look For (opens the original)
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What makes a film investor say yes to an indie movie? In this episode, I break down the things investors look at when evaluating a film investment, including the screenplay, budget, genre, cast and attachments, artwork, and film business plan. I also explain the “invisible factors” filmmakers can’t control—and why your best move is to keep strengthening the parts of your movie package that you can.
Before Day One: The Business of Making a Movie (opens the original)
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What business decisions should an indie film producer make before day one on set? In this episode, we break down the big-picture decisions that can determine whether your movie has a real shot in the marketplace—from the script and budget to genre, audience, cast, tax incentives, distribution, and your path to revenue. Because producing a successful indie film isn't just about making the movie. It's about having a plan for what happens when the movie is finished.
The Five-Minute Sell Test for Indie Films (opens the original)
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Can you tell if an indie film will sell in the first five minutes? In this episode, Tom Malloy explains the key signals distributors and sales agents look for during a pitch—from your hook and artwork to your trailer and marketing plan. Learn how to present your project like a professional and dramatically improve your chances of getting meetings, offers, and distribution.
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