Imagining a Creator-Led Micro-Studio

A five-year vision for making movies without burning out

I just posted at the beginning of January that I wasn’t making any goals for my new year. And it’s true. I’m trying to learn to "go with the flow” instead of being exhausted by constant upstream paddling. It’s working out great. I’m at peace. And I’m feeling productive. But I found myself thinking today…

“Okay, but where does this river even lead?”

If I’m letting the river guide me, I should probably make sure I’m on the right river!

So, this is gonna be less of a “goal” sesh post and more of a “vision.” What do I want my life to look like in 5 years? What do I want Mirror Box to look like in 5 years?

So, it is January 21, 2031 (surely we’ll have flying cars by then?). Here’s the vision.

1. In five years, I will be writing and producing one micro-budget movie a year.

The only way to build an audience over time is to put out art consistently. In the same way an author writes a book a year or a band records an album a year (touring bookstores and clubs respectively), filmmakers need more at-bats, more interactions. Right now I’m cranking out about one every 3-4 years, which is incredible, but it’s so easy for people to forget about us between releases. At the same time, it takes about 2-3 years between financing, production, post, festivals, and distribution to make a movie. Speeding that process up is an unrealistic ask for microbudget filmmakers. I can crank out multiple scripts a year, but the actual production is the tough part.

The idea to get around this is by branching out to work with multiple directors and collaborative partners. Writers are pretty invisible in film. The director usually gets all the attention. But what if film could be more like comic books? There are multiple authors who have a giant following who collaborate with different artists (who also have giant followings) on each new book (I’m especially inspired by James Tynion IV right now). This would be the same idea.

With a film a year, we’re going on tour once a year, revisiting the same cities, the same arthouse theaters. We’ve got an annual touchpoint with audiences. Make a movie a year. Take it on tour. Between tours, we make cool stuff for audiences to see, do, and show off. Repeat. The next five years are all about experimenting with models to make that possible. And guess what - with a movie a year (and three already in the can), that will get us up to eight experiments by 2031!

And just think how much more efficient touring will be with the whole flying car thing.

My buddy (and fantastic author / publisher) Colby McHugh and I testing out the larger ambitions of Mirror Box, tabling at HeroesCon a few years back.

2. In five years, I will have built Mirror Box into a self-sustaining micro-studio.

I actually wrote a minute ago on Ted Hope‘s Substack all about the myth of sustainability, how we need to redefine what that means, away from “supporting ourselves financially” to “providing nourishment for our souls.” And I believe that. But at the same time, it’d be really cool to figure out a model that makes it possible to keep doing this. I don’t need these films to sustain me over the next five years (thanks, day job!), but it would be really hard to keep this going long-term unless I learn how to get the company to sustain itself. So, what’s the model?

A creator-led micro-studio. Taking what authors and musicians have been doing and expanding it into the film space. Consistency over time (1 film/year). A trusted brand (you know what you’re getting from “a Mirror Box production”). Low overhead. Repeat collaborators. Direct audience relationships. Long tail mindset.

Where does revenue come from?

• Substack. 10,000 followers. 500 of them paid (these paid subscribers get exclusive first looks at scripts, mood boards, on-set photos, etc). Est. $18-$25k/yr.

• Crowdfunding. A portion of each film’s budget will come from a crowdfunding campaign. It’s not about funding as much as it is crowdbuilding. Est. $15-$20k/yr.

• Touring. 30 stops. Each one has a sponsor. Q&As and event-ized in-person bonuses at all of them. Est. $22-$30k/yr.

• Merch. We take it on tour, we sell it online. Lore-based limited-edition collectibles: shirts, pins, posters. Est. $6-10k/yr.

• Mirror Box Fest. An annual event where we screen our latest film, sneak peeks at future films, and share some of our favorite films from friends, workshops, parties, a one-day mini-con spotlighting likeminded filmmakers, artists, and authors. Est. $3-$6k/yr.

• Spin-offs. Build mini-IP around our films, characters, and worlds, expanding them into other mediums (books, comics, etc.) Est. $3-$6k/yr.

• Physical media. Collectible DVDs and vinyl records. Est. $4-$8k/yr.

• Digital. And finally, what we normally think of as film revenue: Digital rentals, purchases, and advertising-based platform revenue. Est. $12-$18k/yr.

Yes, these are just estimates. They could be wildly off in either direction. It assumes a lot of ambitious, dream-y things. But, with this model, we’re clearing around $100k/yr net. Enough to fund the production and release of a film each year. And doesn’t it all sound so fun? (And also probably a wildly unrealistic amount of work.)

But remember, each film will compound. The above is just for the first year of release for each movie, but they’ll continue to make money year after year, potentially pushing us to figures that might also allow a full-time employee or two, which brings me to…

3. In five years, I will have a partner.

Confession. I’m really bad at asking for help. And I love taking on challenges. So I often work myself to the bone trying to excel at every possible job a writer/filmmaker/producer/marketer/distributor can do. But, I’ve learned this year that I will never be successful doing something I’m not passionate about. I’m always willing to try pushing myself in new areas, working my ass off, but at the end of the day, if I’m not deeply in love with what I’m doing, it’s going to suffer.

I really enjoy writing for Substack, for example. I can keep this going for eternity. BUT social media, recording videos, creating social posts, and capturing photos will always drain me. From the outside, it looks like I’m okay at these things, but I’m never consistent with it.

So, I want to hire or partner with someone sometime over the next five years who eats, breathes, and loves online interactions, design, and video creation. A Mirror Box Director of Marketing, maybe.

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So, that’s the dream. Is that where the river is heading? It seems like it. But of course, there could be a fork in the river, I could go tumbling over a waterfall, or it could even dump me out into the ocean. But here I am, along for the ride. See ya soon, 2031!

— Hudson

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You guys might remember last week when I interviewed Behind the Slate about self-booking a week-long theatrical run for his brilliant micro-budget feature, WITHDRAWAL. Well, good news, if you are in Atlanta on Wednesday, February 4 I will be hosting a screening and Q&A of the film at the Plaza Theatre!

Filmmaker Aaron Strand will be there for an open and honest Q&A / discussion around NonDē filmmaking and the current indie film landscape. What’s working? What’s not? How filmmakers are creatively pivoting.

If you’re curious about where indie film is heading (or you’re just looking for a great night at the movies), I’d love to hang out with you!!!

CLICK HERE for tickets!!

or WATCH THE TRAILER!!!