This week was supposed to be the start of production on the sequel to our choose-your-own-adventure film, The Moment: Part 1 (warning: mature content). It was going to be a 15-day shoot with hundreds of cast and crew. It’s tough to describe the pressure, adrenaline, and heightened state that being on a film set induces. There was a palpable energy leading up to the production. And… then, it got delayed. Pushed to late 2025 or beyond due to factors outside of our control.
It’s tough to describe your emotions when a project you’ve been tending for months in development and pre-production suddenly grinds to a halt. Sadness? Frustration? Relief? (haha. joking. but am I?)
Filmmaking, like impact-building, is never a straight path. It is more like a winding road with surprise detours and the occasional landslide. And as I’m often reminded by life, usually, what looks like a setback is actually an open door.
Because of that delay, I was able to attend the National Religious Broadcasters convention, where our project American Principles Series won Outstanding Achievement (the top award of its category) 🏆. More importantly, I had conversations with a couple of my heroes in independent film, the kind of people who have built sustainable, culture-shaping storytelling outside of Hollywood. I can’t share the details of those conversations yet, but I honestly believe they will lead to impactful storytelling and filmmaking for audiences around the world over the coming years.
The filmmakers, executives, and teams pioneering independent and faith-based cinema are firing on all cylinders. They are not just making art based on instinct and guesses. They are applying data and a rigorous examination of how audiences react to different stories to answer the question with which most of Hollywood struggles: What moves viewers?
This is the core question I pose in almost every strategy conversation, but in different words. What does the audience need? What serves them? What makes their lives tangibly better?
Independent cinema has never been savvier or more focused. We are about to see a huge power shift in film and media. Which is all just to say:
The way brands reach audiences is changing…
Last night I was watching the Academy Awards (at least until Hulu’s epic streaming glitch). And the winning films at the ceremony reinforced something we have known for a long time: Independent films, creators, and filmmakers are having a moment.
Take Flow for instance: A wordless, animated film made using Blender, a free open-source software, just won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. It beat out Inside Out 2 and The Wild Robot. (Also, my kids were RIVETED when we watched it this weekend. More than I’ve seen them for most films.) It was produced for $3.7 million (a budget that wouldn’t even cover Pixar’s coffee expenses. Hey. I’m not the finance guy. don’t quote me.). I think it accomplished this because it delivered something big studios often miss: originality, emotional depth, and artistic risk-taking.
Or Sound of Freedom, which shocked Hollywood last year by grossing $184 million domestically. It earned more at the domestic box office than Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One. At least among Americans, an independently released, mission-driven film outperformed some of the biggest franchises in the world. Guess existing IP isn’t all its cracked up to be, huh? (maybe audiences want original stories?)
Then there is The Brutalist, nominated for 10 Academy Awards this year. And it was produced completely outside of the Hollywood system by a young filmmaker with a dream that took 7 years to pull off (largely on his own until he finally snagged a killer cast to join him in his vision). Its success proves what we are seeing across the industry. The old model is no longer the only way.
One of the biggest takeaways for 2025 is impact outside of Hollywood. Independent filmmakers, international studios, and mission-driven creators are shaping film and media in ways that were once impossible. And they no longer need Hollywood’s permission to create massive cultural impact.
I think everyone can learn lessons from this shifting power dynamic in film and storytelling.
For marketing directors, brand leaders, and nonprofit storytellers, the opportunity to use film for real impact has never been greater. Here are a few takeaways that come to mind:
1. Authenticity Wins – Audiences are tuning out Hollywood’s formulaic storytelling in favor of real, human stories. Mission-driven brands should lean into stories that are honest, often raw feeling, and deeply meaningful.
2. Niche Audiences Are Powerhouses – Films like Sound of Freedom and Flow prove that passionate audiences can turn a film into a movement. If your brand or nonprofit has a dedicated following, they are your most valuable asset.
3. Interactivity and Engagement Matter – Our choose-your-own-adventure film showed us something profound. People want to engage, not just watch. Whether through interactive films, docuseries, or digital campaigns, inviting your audience to participate deepens the impact.
4. You Do Not Need a Hollywood Budget – Flow had a tiny budget ($3.7 million) compared to Pixar films, yet it won animation’s highest honor. With the right story, the right audience, and the right distribution, even a low-budget film can shift cultural conversations.
So back to the winding path…
Doors open and doors close (hows that for mixing metaphors?), but I’m more excited than ever about what the future holds, because storytelling is a lifelong pursuit, and those who achieve cultural impact are the people who stay on the path, constantly moving forward.
If your nonprofit or brand has a story that needs to be told, now is the time. There are no shortcuts to impact, but with the right strategy, your message can reach the audiences that need it most. And you’re not alone in that pursuit of impact, we’re here right alongside you.
Here’s to Human Flourishing!
-Ian
Oh, also, have I mentioned “The Moment?”
Last year we and several clients/partners launched “The Moment” to entertain and inform gen-z and alphas about the importance of their decisions. We’ll be sharing BTS and more information about using Entertainment and Narrative filmmaking to reach tough audiences in coming newsletters, but in the meanwhile, check out “The Moment: Part 1.”