The Film Founder

I’m writing The Film Founder because the way films get made has changed — and a lot of us are trying to figure out what that means in real time.

The studio path many of us were taught to follow is shrinking, and much of the old advice doesn’t quite fit anymore. If we want to keep working, creating, and telling stories for a living, we have to look beyond just writing or directing and start paying attention to how projects are actually built.

We have to think like founders.

After 17 years working across the Hollywood studio system and Canadian television, I’m now directing my first indie feature film — financed privately, outside the system. This newsletter is where I share what that process looks like as I’m going through it.

Some weeks it’s creative. Some weeks it’s about money, structure, or decisions I didn’t expect to be making. Most weeks, it’s a mix of all of it.

This isn’t a success story or a hype reel. It’s notes from the middle — what’s working, what isn’t, and the things I wish I’d understood earlier.

If you subscribe, you’ll get:

• Honest behind-the-scenes insight from active productions

• Clear, practical thoughts on financing and ownership

• Industry shifts I’m noticing as I work through this new landscape

If you’re trying to build a sustainable way of making films in a changing industry, you’re very welcome here.

Thanks for being part of it!

— Ken