The Filmpreneur Manifesto
What follows is a set of simple ideas.
When combined, they will help you make films you care about, and earn a real living from them.
If you’re tired of playing the industry’s game, and yearn to walk your own path, this manifesto, and the pages that follow, are for you.
Enjoy.
-Rob Hardy
The filmpreneur doesn't try to compete with Hollywood. He knows it's a fool's errand.
The filmpreneur understands that when you make films for everybody, you reach few, and delight no one. So she niches down and focuses on serving a core group of like-minded people.
The filmpreneur strives every day to make work that fits his niche like a glove. He knows that unless his work is different in a way that’s meaningful to his people, it’ll just be another commodity in a world drowning in commodities.
The filmpreneur practices self-awareness. He understands that self-knowledge is often the key to understanding others, and that understanding others is the key to being a successful artist and businessperson.
The filmpreneur knows how to put himself in the mind of his audience. He's genuinely empathetic towards them, because in truth, he's one of them.
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The filmpreneur doesn’t wait around for funding, or resources, or anything. She's relentlessly resourceful, and when there seems to be no way forward, she makes a way through sheer force of will.
The filmpreneur knows that lacking resources can be an advantage. Nothing breeds true creativity like constraints.
The filmpreneur realizes that if he's looking for funding, but doesn't get it, he hasn't succeeded in making himself "fundable." So he gets back to work.
The filmpreneur isn't interested in awards, glamour, or status games. She knows that the relentless pursuit of these things distracts from the work that matters.
The filmpreneur builds his life and career for maximum stability and leverage. He does this through creating true fans and owning his relationship with them.
The filmpreneur delights at the irony that the more successful she is independently, the more doors will open in the industry.
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The filmpreneur understands that great work is invisible without great marketing. So she doubles down on being an exceptional marketer.
The filmpreneur knows that marketing is no longer about repeatedly interrupting potential fans, but instead about earning their attention, delighting them, and building trust. It’s not about who arrives, but who stays.
Though the filmpreneur optimizes his marketing around relationships, he still uses the principles of direct response to build a measurable, scalable business.
The filmpreneur pays attention to trends, but builds their business around timeless fundamentals that never change.
The filmpreneur never spams, scams, tricks, deceives, or bamboozles his audience. He follows the golden rule, and treats them how he wants to be treated.
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The filmpreneur knows exactly what she wants out of life, and is unfazed when that vision doesn’t align with cultural expectations.
The filmpreneur has a strong set of core values, and leans on those values to make important creative and business decisions.
The filmpreneur plays the long game. He doesn’t think in terms of one-off projects. Instead, he opts to consciously build a business that will still be thriving in 30 years.
The filmpreneur is patient. In a world dominated by instant gratification and “get rich quick” thinking, the filmpreneur knows what they’re trying to build, and makes progress day by day.
The filmpreneur has learned to love the art of business. She understands that at its core, running a business is about finding creative and generous ways to serve people.
That said, the filmpreneur is still an artist at heart. Forever and always.
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The filmpreneur strives to build wealth. She understands that long term financial abundance is the key that unlocks a lifetime of bold creative exploration. Wealth isn’t an end in itself, but a tool. It gives her the freedom to align her time with her values.
The filmpreneur understands that money is a natural byproduct of serving your niche well.
The filmpreneur creates diverse revenue streams, both inside his business and outside.
The filmpreneur makes art that stands the test of time. She wants her work to matter just as much in 20 years as it does now.
As a storyteller, the filmpreneur creates worlds so irresistible that people in his niche can’t help but visit often and tell their friends.
The filmpreneur does everything in her power to create and own valuable intellectual property. She is a relentless builder of assets.
The filmpreneur understands that IP can grow even more valuable with age, so he builds systems to continually profit from those assets, even if they're decades old.
The filmpreneur doesn't just make films. She finds tangential business opportunities that help her serve her audience better.
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The filmpreneur embraces risk and uncertainty.
Because of this embrace of risk, the filmpreneur feels unease—or even fear— constantly. But he knows the greatest rewards come to those who push through to the other side.
The filmpreneur is skeptical about “best practices” and following the "traditional way" of doing things. In fact, the filmpreneur understands that best practices are the fastest, most direct route to mediocrity.
The filmpreneur is allergic to mediocrity.
The filmpreneur has high standards. In a world drowning in mediocre content, she only creates and shares things that she’d want to consume herself.
The filmpreneur doesn't play it safe to avoid failure. Because to avoid failure is to avoid risk. And to avoid risk is to succumb to mediocrity.
When the filmpreneur fails, he sees it as a useful piece of data. He's now learned another way not to accomplish his goals, thus narrowing his focus onto the things that will work.
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The filmpreneur is a master at running small, cheap experiments. He knows that his resources are limited, so he finds creative ways to test the market before committing to large projects.
The filmpreneur keeps an eye on the data, but trusts their gut.
The filmpreneur knows that there are no “step by step” formulas for creative and business success. There’s never any guarantee that what worked for one person yesterday, will work for you today.
The filmpreneur is a student for life. She knows the second she stops learning is the second she starts becoming irrelevant in the modern economy. The world is changing fast, and she keeps pace.
The filmpreneur doesn’t just learn from other filmmakers. She studies across disciplines, and finds creative ways to apply what’s working elsewhere to her business. This is her major competitive advantage in an insular industry.
The filmpreneur loves learning through books, courses, and podcasts, but knows that the real learning takes place in the realm of action. One small project can yield more real learning than five years of consuming the best information.
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The filmpreneur documents the process of making films. He knows it's great content for his audience, but it also helps him practice self-awareness, be more intentional, and hone his craft.
The filmpreneur is a craftsman. Not only in his films, but in his business. He takes the time to learn the fundamentals and practice them for as long as it takes to be great.
The filmpreneur expects obstacles at every step of their journey. Luckily, she’s a master of solving problems through creativity, resourcefulness, and first principles thinking.
The filmpreneur builds communities, both online and offline.
The filmpreneur builds relationships, both online and offline.
In both of the above, the filmpreneur defaults to generosity, empathy, and kindness.
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The filmpreneur has strong boundaries, and respectfully turns down projects and opportunities that don’t align with the bigger picture.
The filmpreneur defaults to action in the face of adversity. And he knows there will be adversity at every step along the way.
The filmpreneur loves the work itself. Financial reward is a byproduct of that love.
The filmpreneur succeeds in a world where other filmmakers are waiting around to be chosen.
By living through these ideas, the filmpreneur enjoys a good, prosperous life, doing what she loves, and being of service to others. Because in the end, that's what matters.
Want to see these principles in action? Let’s embark on an adventure, where you can watch how the filmpreneur worldview plays out compared to the traditional view.