BPS 287: Screenwriting for Netflix's Algorithm with Stephen Follows

BPS 287: Screenwriting for Netflix's Algorithm with Stephen Follows

Author: Bulletproof Screenwriting April 5, 2023 Duration: 56:36
This episode might give you a better understanding of How To Sell A Movie To Netflix?

In this age of streaming platforms, knowing your distribution route and your audience's comfortable viewing habits as filmmakers is crucial. Today on the show returning champion and film industry data analyst ninja Stephen Follows, breakdowns the build-up process and goal of his newly-launched data analysis platform, VOD Clickstream. The first phase of Stephen's VOD Clickstream is an independent research of Netflix streaming history between 2016-2019 of two-thirds billion data points that reveal what folks have been watching on Netflix. The research provides insights into the streaming sector by anonymizing browsers and users' history through a plugin to analyze clickstream data from Netflix.

Being an entrepreneur himself, he explores, through this project, the future of VOD Clickstream's impact on independent filmmaking and creates a feedback loop with the audience to gauge films and television show performances.Stephen and I discuss the interlink between the upswing of film and television content, the growth of streaming platforms, and the challenges this situation poses for indie films to succeed on these platforms.

Enjoy my conversation with Stephen Follows.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bulletproof-screenwriting-podcast--2881148/support.

Ever find yourself staring at a blank page, wondering how the stories you love actually got made? Bulletproof Screenwriting™ Podcast digs into that process with the people who live it. Each week, we sit down for honest, detailed conversations that pull back the curtain on the craft and business of telling stories for the screen. You’ll hear from Oscar® and Emmy® award-winning writers, not just about their triumphs, but about the drafts that failed and the specific problems they had to solve. We also talk with best-selling authors who have adapted their work, seasoned Hollywood agents and managers who know what sells, and various industry insiders who provide a clear-eyed view of how things really work. This isn't about abstract theory or motivational fluff. It's a practical resource built on real experience, covering every aspect of the screenwriting process from that initial spark of an idea to navigating the complexities of the marketplace. The goal is straightforward: to provide you with actionable insights and straight talk that can strengthen your work and clarify your path forward. Whether you're just starting out or have a few scripts under your belt, this podcast offers a grounded perspective on the journey, one concrete discussion at a time. Tune in for a dose of reality and craft from those who have been in the trenches and emerged with stories to tell.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 500

Bulletproof Screenwriting™ Podcast
Podcast Episodes
BPS 307: How I Wrote Birdman with Oscar® Winner Alexander Dinelaris [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:09
Alexander Dinelaris is an Academy Award and Golden Globe winning screenwriter for "Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)", a co-producer on the three time Academy Award® winning film "The Revenant", and the boo…
BPS 305: How I Made $193M Off My Micro-Budget Film with Oren Peli [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:36:24
Oren Peli, an Israeli-American film producer, director, and screenwriter, is the creative genius behind the horror sensation Paranormal Activity. The movie single-handedly revolutionized the found-footage genre and spawn…
BPS 303: How I Wrote a Sundance Film with Chloe Okuno [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:14
Today on the show we have writer/director Chloe Okuno.Chloe is a graduate of UC Berkeley with a masters degree from the American Film Institute Conservatory. There she received the Franklin J. Shaffner Fellow Award, and…
BPS 302: Writing the INSANE World of Machette with Alvaro Rodriguez [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:13
Alvaro Rodriguez has been writing since childhood and, in fact, did his best work when he was 11. Without a movie camera in sight, Rodriguez relied on the written word and a Polaroid Button to storyboard the films in his…
BPS 301: I Wrote a Short Film Now WTF Do I Do with Clarissa Jacobson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:30
So you made a short film, now WTF do you do? Today guest is filmmaker Clarissa Jacobson and she is the perfect person to guide you through the rough waters of getting your short film out to the world.Clarissa is the writ…
BPS 300: How I Wrote Erin Brockovich with Susannah Grant [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:32
In the male-dominated world of Hollywood, Susannah Grant has emerged as a powerful force, breaking barriers and reshaping the landscape of screenwriting. With her unique storytelling abilities and uncompromising vision,…
BPS 299: Hidden Tools of Comedy for Screenwriters with Steve Kaplan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:43
Steve Kaplan is a well-known comedy writer, teacher, and consultant. He is the author of the book "The Hidden Tools of Comedy: The Serious Business of Being Funny," which is a popular resource for aspiring comedy writers…
BPS 298: Creating the Cult Classic Sharknado with Thunder Levin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:14
Thunder Levin was born and raised in New York City, graduated from Hunter College High School, and received a BFA in Film from NYU before moving to Los Angeles at age 23. He credits the original Star Trek television seri…