Emily Keyes

Brand sponsorship is the new indie film funding strategy. They’re backing projects directly, turning product placement into a financing strategy, not just a marketing add-on. If you’ve already raised some money, built a small team (especially with a fanbase), and secured a shooting start date — brands can jump in now. And having them on board is more than a logo in a scene. It adds major value to your pitch deck helping you close investors, impress distributors, and actually start production. Studios are splitting. Streaming is evolving. The system is wide open. What brands want is visibility. What filmmakers need is backing. This is where both worlds meet. And for the filmmakers who are ready it might be the fastest path to greenlit.

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A fairly recurring theme in our comics and our discussions is around hiring (and getting hired). There might not be a more important subject so expect more. I learned this tip from Peter J Weyman many many years ago. Before LinkedIn it could be challenging to find someone that worked with a candidate. What I fail to mention in this is that you need to find someone you can trust to give you a sense of the candidate. Just picking a random coworker isn't necessarily fair to your candidate. They could just have a grudge against them.

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Programmatic recruitment feels like walking into a hardware store for the first time. You're overwhelmed by laser-guided, Bluetooth-enabled tools promising to revolutionize everything, while the reliable hammer sits quietly getting the job done. After guiding thousands of recruitment teams, here's what actually works versus what's just generating buzz: What works: ✅ Strategic automation that frees you from mundane tasks ✅ Data-driven targeting beyond basic demographics ✅ Real-time optimization toward quality, not just clicks ✅ Centralized management across thousands of job boards What often falls short: ❌ Novel advertising channels without recruitment focus ❌ Over-engineered social recruitment tools ❌ engagement features that complicate the candidate experience Organizations that achieve consistent success don't use the most cutting-edge technology. They're applying proven principles with discipline and intelligence. Read the full blog to separating proven approaches from passing trends: https://hubs.li/Q03vq__q0 #ProgrammaticRecruitment #TalentAcquisition #RecruitmentTech

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Most film founders don’t lose money because the film fails. They lose money because the financing was wrong. A bad script can be fixed. Bad financing destroys ownership forever. Before asking: “Is this film good?” A business owner asks: “Who owns what after release?” That question decides everything.

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True expertise doesn’t come from doing one thing well. It comes from mastering every part of it from start to finish. AtlasFX Co-Founder Scott Bilter shares how remaining laser-focused on FX—and going deeper than competitors were willing to—became the company’s greatest strength. He takes us inside the work that makes that depth possible: — Digging into ERP data to uncover hidden exposure errors — Turning disparate data into insights that treasury teams can trust —Helping CFOs and treasurers explain results with confidence, not uncertainty By going deeper, not wider, AtlasFX gives treasury teams something rare: true clarity in a space most still find opaque. #FXRiskManagement #Treasury #Finance #AtlasFX

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This week, our BETA clients log in to version 1 of WELB (our version 800 ). Across the last 12 months, we've been working on helping studio owners not just open, but thrive. We're not a franchise. We don't want you to do it "our way." But we do want to keep standards high in what is a very unregulated industry. With the pilates boom in full swing, here are 3 things that will ensure your studio doesn't just stay open, but stays profitable in 2026: 1️⃣ Your Timetable (and Capacity) Make sure your class schedule actually matches demand. Check peak times, add extra sessions where possible, and decide how many people you really want per class—not just how many you can fit. Avoid over-scheduling. Too many classes can dilute demand and make your studio look quieter than it really is. 2️⃣ Your Onboarding for New Clients January brings lots of first-timers. Offer a clear intro or beginner class, explain what to expect before they arrive, and make it easy for them to book their next session. A friendly follow-up message or simple "what to book next" recommendation can be the difference between a one-off visit and a regular client. 3️⃣ Your Team's Energy & Availability January is busy. Protect your team so quality stays high. Confirm instructor availability early, avoid overloading the same people, plan cover before you need it, and keep classes consistent (no last-minute swaps). Make sure everyone knows the January game plan. A supported team = better classes. And here's the non-negotiable: 📊 Know your data. Data may feel like the "cooler" note to end on—more head than heart. Yet it is often the source of the greatest emotional reassurance. Whether pitching for investment or simply running a profitable studio, access to and understanding of your numbers is non-negotiable. Studios that deeply understand their audience data will be the ones that thrive. What's your number one priority for your studio this January?

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Many founders get stuck in trench warfare, they're down in the trenches doing the day-to-day operations, fighting the same battles over and over. Meanwhile, what they really need is someone developing the first tank to make trenches completely useless. This was a huge problem at AppArmor, and I see it everywhere now. Here's why founders often struggle to break out of operational quicksand:

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Vine invented short-form video. Vessel invented the creator paywall. Machinima invented the multi-channel network. (And all three are gone) They weren't built around a bad idea, they had a timing problem. Machinima had creators clamoring to join the network. Acquisition offers of $400–500M were on the table in 2012. They passed. The market shifted. Creator relations collapsed. Original programming bled cash. A company that could have defined the creator economy became a cautionary tale. Maker Studios looked at the same moment and sold. Perfect timing. Massive outcome. This pattern plays out over and over and it's rarely discussed. Vessel raised $75M+ and locked creators into an exclusivity model where they controlled the first distribution window. The idea was sound. The timing wasn't. In 2015, fans expected YouTube for free and 'early access' wasn't enough to change that. Vessel didn't fail because the idea was wrong. It failed because it arrived before the market was ready for it. Patreon and Nebula launched later after creators had built deeper direct relationships, and after fans had developed the identity and belonging that makes people want to pay. Same general concept. Different moment. Different result. Vine invented short-form viral video. Created the first generation of internet-native stars. Then died because it launched before monetization infrastructure existed, trapped creators in a format they'd outgrown, and became an afterthought inside Twitter. Musical.ly launched into a more mature mobile ecosystem, built around participation and remix culture, evolved aggressively, and became TikTok. Vine proved short-form video worked. TikTok proved it could dominate the world. When people debate which creator economy companies "won" or "lost," they focus on exits, product decisions, leadership, and strategy. Those things matter. But they're downstream of one variable almost no one names: Timing. Not just being early. Not just being late. Being in the right relationship with the market's readiness and having the discipline to read that signal correctly. The companies that built lasting legacies weren't always the most innovative. They were the ones who knew what moment they were actually in. What's a timing lesson, from your own career or the companies you've watched, that more people should be talking about?

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Headcount vs. High Performance: Which one wins? ✨ Paige Hope of Elan Pure joins OPS Unfiltered to share her "gritty" approach to building a brand without the safety net of VC funding. She breaks down why she prefers fractional support over a massive full-time staff in the early stages to avoid burning through precious cash. #OPSUnfiltered #podcast #Luminous #ecommerce #inventorymanagement

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