the paramount-warner bros merger must be stopped. here’s why.

If you care about independent film, read this.

Hello, my darlings.

You guys know how deeply concerned I am about consolidation in our industry — and it’s not just because Larry Ellison’s name sounds like a character in a bad romcom. I worked inside the film marketing machine for years, and watched as indie films were squeezed to the edges of a distribution model that was designed to serve the few. I left my post behind because I cared too much about what was happening to culture.

By Paramount-Warner merging, it is clear they don’t want you to know about the small, weird, beautiful movies that are still being made. They want to monopolize your attention, and that means giving you less choice.

And truthfully, I built That Final Scene as a direct response to this.

Since, I’m on holiday this week (eating tzatziki by the pound and lying on my back), I’m leaving you in the capable hands of Ted Hope, who has been speaking to this issue far more eloquently that I can. I read all of Ted’s posts, but the two below on media consolidation, the specific merger & our alternatives felt particularly urgent to share with you.

In an industry where so many people just want to be the loudest or the snarkiest or the first to break a story, Ted is driven by a belief that we can and must make things better, that art is essential, that community is essential, and that individual, non-dependent stories are worth fighting for. I hope you enjoy reading these pieces from him as much as I did.

Btw: In the next few months, you’ll see me sharing more paywalled pieces from his iconic newsletter Hope For Film as a bonus to those of you supporting That Final Scene with your hard earned money 🫶🏻

Now onto Ted’s wisdom…

Have you been hurt by media consolidation? I have.

blockthemerger.com

I have been working in the film business for over forty years. I worked my way up from complete zero (I knew no one) and being a production assistant to producing over seventy feature films, all of which I was very “hands on” on. I have built and run several production companies, a postproduction facility, as well as running a film society and its festival, a start-up streamer, and launching Amazon Studios movie program where I oversaw about sixty-five additional films to the ones I have produced. My films have received 44 Oscar nominations with 11 wins. I only state this so it is clear that no one is immune from current state of affairs.