Where Do We Go From Here?
Writing during the entertainment apocalypse
Last weekend at a Craft Services workshop, Nicholas Weinstock asked me what I thought about the direction of the entertainment in 2025. The call took place three days after fires erupted throughout Los Angeles, as many of our friends and family were either temporarily or permanently displaced from their homes, so the question of Where do we go from here? hit on many levels.
I spent much of last year wrestling with this question, especially as the major streamers and studios continue their retreat into shareholder-focused "content strategies", and several of my independent filmmaker clients saw funding for their exceptional projects dry up. But, as the calendar turns, and even as the city burns, I don’t believe the answer is as dire as you might think.
Yes, we're seeing a contraction at the top. NBCU is splitting in two, Paramount and Skydance are still awaiting approval of their merger, Disney+ is pulling back on original productions, and Warner Bros. Discovery is still figuring out what to do with MAX. Meanwhile, Netflix keeps canceling shows after one season and releasing films that nobody watches. But while the giants are focused on their balance sheets (read: shareholders), something more interesting is happening in the spaces between.
The Indie Film Landscape study released last fall from former Sundance CEO and the Harvard Shorenstein Center was truly groundbreaking, a treasure trove of great data that confirms what many of us have suspected: The demand for independent film has never been stronger. The same technology that allows studios to cut costs is enabling creators to produce professional-quality work at a fraction of traditional budgets. Distribution channels have multiplied — albeit by a factor or two too far. And audiences are increasingly platform-agnostic – they want find great content wherever it lives.
This shift reminds me of what happened in music after Napster. The major labels contracted, but the indie scene exploded. Artists found new ways to reach audiences directly. The "middle class" of working musicians actually grew. We're seeing similar patterns in film and television. A24 has built the standard bearer of indie-style film, and Killer Films keeps finding ways to make meaningful work. The platform that I think might unify all these disparate powerhouses is Letterboxd, the social platform that just passed 17 million active users, and could have the user base to support a new indie distribution offering.
The other opportunity here can be seen from individual creators that are building sustainable careers through hybrid models – mixing traditional industry work with direct-to-audience projects. Evan Shapiro says it best: The next 10 years will be defined by the creator economy. The creator economy isn't just about TikTok dances and Instagram reels. It's about filmmakers finding ways to make and distribute work outside the traditional system. It's about writers building audiences before they even sell their first script. It's about producers finding new financing models that don't require appeasing streaming algorithms.
Does this mean everyone should abandon Hollywood and go indie? Of course not. The traditional industry isn't dying – it's evolving. Netflix is airing four episodes of Youtube native Miss Rachel this month! But understanding these shifts is crucial for anyone trying to build a sustainable career in entertainment.
Here's what I tell my clients: Build your creative work in layers. Yes, write that big studio spec. But also think about what you can make right now, with the resources you have. Look for opportunities in emerging markets and platforms. And most importantly, remember that while the industry may be contracting at the top, it's expanding everywhere else.
The future of entertainment isn't just about fewer shows with bigger budgets. It's about more creators finding sustainable ways to reach their audiences. The streamers may be focused on shareholders, but the real opportunity lies in focusing on what has always mattered most: telling stories that connect with actual humans.