How Filmmakers Can Diversify Their Income Streams

Making a living as a filmmaker isn’t what it used to be.

And the way to build full-time filmmaking career has changed drastically over the years.

There was a time when selling a film or TV show could potentially set you up for life (sigh).

Don’t get me wrong, there are still a handful of filmmakers that make money the more traditional way.

And I’ve earned money selling and working on my own TV show over the past 3 years.

But there are a lot more factors that come into play in present day.

With industry strikes, inflation, leaner budgets, and the overall uncertainty of the industry right now, I’ve realized relying on one income stream can be riskier than ever. 

My solution?

From my perspective, the modern filmmaker isn’t just an artist, we’re entrepreneurs.

We’re running a filmmaking business.

We build multiple income streams to have creative and financial freedom in our careers.

We get to say “yes” to projects we’re passionate about, and “no” to projects that don’t align with our vision.

So in today’s newsletter, I’m breaking down a few examples of income streams that you can tap into. 

You can have unique mix of these, depending on your strengths and goals. 

I’ve built career longevity by combining these and other income streams over the past 10+ years.

Now let's get into some examples.

5 Ways I've Created Income

1. Creating, producing, and selling unscripted TV shows

Since getting two seasons of my TV show Surf Girls across the finish line, I've been creating, developing, and pitching other original TV ideas to other executives, production companies, studios, celebrities, or streaming platforms. 

Pros:

- You potentially get to work on the project of your dreams!

- In my experience, if you do sell a show and negotiate a fee or percentage of the sale, your payout can be 4-6 figures just from that step alone

- If you work on your TV show, and negotiate a fee or rate for working on it, you can be paid for months

Cons: 

- TV takes a long time to green light (months to years)

- There aren’t very many factors in your control, no guarantees

- Building high-quality relationships that get you in the right rooms can take years

- You don’t get paid until the deal is done 

2. Directing branded & commercial films and series

Before TV, directing and producing branded & commercial work was my bread and butter.

Brands and companies are always looking for high-quality storytelling.

Traditionally, this looks like ads, commercials, and campaigns. 

But more recently, branded documentaries and social-first content in this space has provided me consistent work.

And allowed me to break into the space without being a traditional “commercial” director (I come from the documentary and journalism world).

I’ve directed multiple films, series, and global campaign series for brands like Nike, Red Bull, and Vans, as well as for lesser known brands in between.

I don’t include all branded work I do in my portfolio.

Sometimes these jobs just makes sense for money.

Mixing in branded & commercial work into your income streams can be financial game-changer.

Start small and build your portfolio from there.

Don't forget: the first branded job I ever directed was for a local skateboard company, and I was paid in free skateboards. 

Pros: 

- Sometimes shorter production timelines than TV (project dependent)

- Less lengthy deliverables (5-15 min episodes in my personal experience)

- Can be fun and innovative!

Cons: 

- Quick turnaround times

- Clients can be particular about what they’re looking for

- Feedback loops between departments can take forever

- Burnout is real, it’s hard work

3. Owning and operating my production company

Owning and operating a production company allows you to take on larger projects and bring on your own team.

Providing full production services means you can sometimes work with larger budgets and decide how that money is being used.

A lot of brands and companies outsource for full-service production companies to produce and deliver projects.

If you’re a independent director or producer, sometimes you can miss out on these opportunities without production capabilities in-house.

Pros:

- You can allocate a percentage or fee paid to your company

- You control budget and how that money is spent

- You can hire who you want (sometimes companies need to approve)

Cons:

- It can be a LOT of work

- Having a bigger piece of the pie means more risk for you

- You need to have your ducks in a row, no cutting corners

- You need to establish a legal business entity and cover costs including production insurance, freelancers, employees, and essential paperwork including contracts, releases, crew payments, and more

4. Freelance and contract work 

Not every job has to be a full on production. 

Many filmmakers earn most of their income through single-role gigs such as freelance directing, producing, writing, shooting, or editing.

This can be a great way to stay creative and work on a wide variety of projects.

I offer my directing and producing services this way as well.

There was actually a time where I was mostly hired for shooting underwater cinematography. 

This is how I landed my first job shooting underwater cinematography for the Olympics, which eventually led to directing a project for them later on.

Pros:

- You get to work on a lot of cool projects and see a lot of different examples of sets

- You can build your portfolio & client list

- You can create relationships with well-connected producers and people who hire for these types of roles

- You show up for the job, do the job, and leave after (no production company wrap responsibilities)

Cons:

- Some jobs are high-paying, some are low-paying

- It can be competitive to land roles (someone will always do it cheaper)

- A lot of these gigs are work-for-hire model contracts  

5. Filmmaking education

I've always loved helping others.

I believe it is my responsibility to uplift others through my successes.

I've mentored countless filmmakers over the years.

I’ve also been paid to speak at universities, organizations, and companies about my filmmaking experience.

I’ve had the opportunity to teach and speak at University of Southern California, Chapman University, Loyola Marymount University, San Diego State University, San Francisco State University, and Brentwood High School in Los Angeles.

I've also been able to reach more filmmakers through sharing my expertise on social media, my Waves Made Weekly newsletter, online courses, workshops, and my Filmmaker Accelerator Program.

With more emerging (and seasoned) filmmakers looking for guidance, teaching can also expand your income.

This can look different for everyone.

There's no one way to do it.

But my only ask is, please, do not teach something you haven’t done yourself.

Offering your own unique, real, actionable value is the only way.

Summary

I hope these examples resonated with you and inspire you to think about creative ways to earn more income!

1. Creating, selling, producing TV

2. Directing branded & commercial projects

3. Providing production company services

4. Freelance and contract work

5. Filmmaking education