The Indie Playbook

How indie film production actually works. How do films get developed and financed? Why is vertical filmmaking exploding? Are studios everywhere secretly using AI? The Indie Playbook is a monthly podcast hosted by Emmy-winning producer Grace Porras featuring Flashback Pictures founder and CEO Daniel Cotroneo ( Mad Men , This Is Us ) and executive "Creative Guy" Dominic Russo (co-creator of Workaholics ). With more than 60 combined years in the business, they're building Flashback Pictures, an independent film studio, during one of the industry's biggest disruptions, and they're pulling back the curtain on how. Their core belief is that the old studio gatekeepers are gone, old budgets are dead, and that's the best thing to happen to filmmakers in decades. They have the receipts. A vertical series that went from concept to launch in three months and has been licensed across multiple platforms internationally. A 2D animated feature built with a human-first, AI-assisted workflow for $350K instead of $75 million. And a recently-secured $375K CA Film Credit for a $1M feature shooting in Fall 2026. This plus a slate of nine feature films coming over the next three years. So if you make films, write them, or just want in, pull up a chair. This is how movies get made when you stop waiting for permission. Flashback Pictures. Old School. New Screen.

The Indie Playbook is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 0 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts The Indie Playbook, a business show with 0 episodes published.

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  Episode #6

  Ep 6: What the HELL is a Vertical?

  Aug 19, 202641 minS1

  <p>What exactly are <b>vertical microdramas—and why is everyone suddenly talking about them?</b> 📱🎬</p><p></p><p>In this episode of <b>The Indie Playbook</b>, the Flashback Pictures team dives into the rapidly growing world of serialized, phone-first storytelling: short episodes, constant cliffhangers, and an evolving business model that’s already generating serious revenue.</p><p></p><p>Drawing from our experience making <b>Pizza Guys vs. Vampires</b>, we break down what it actually takes to write, produce, finance, and distribute a vertical series—and why creating great content is only half the battle. From paywalls and Tik...

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  Episode #5

  Ep 5: How to get your indie film FINANCED

  Aug 5, 202650 minS1

  <p>How do independent films actually get financed—and where does the money come from?</p><p></p><p>In this episode of <b>The Indie Playbook</b>, Daniel Cotroneo, Grace Porras, and Dominic Russo break down the realities of independent film financing. From tax credits and private investors to pre-sales, gap financing, brand partnerships, and building a financeable package, they unpack the strategies filmmakers use to get movies made outside the traditional studio system. Along the way, they share lessons from Flashback Pictures' own journey producing Time Windows, discuss why timing is just as important as a great script, and...

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  Episode #4

  Ep 4: A.I...the end of movies as we know them?

  Jul 21, 202635 minS1

  <p>AI is transforming filmmaking faster than ever—but is it replacing creativity or unlocking new possibilities?<br /></p><p>In this episode of <b>The Indie Playbook</b>, Daniel Cotroneo and Dominic Russo are joined by filmmaker Blane Dydasco to unpack one of the biggest debates in Hollywood today: the rise of artificial intelligence. Inspired by George Lucas' recent comments on AI, they explore how these new tools are changing film production, the future of creative jobs, why story still comes first, and what independent filmmakers should embrace—and be cautious of—as the industry evolves.</p><p></p><p>Whet...

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  Episode #3

  Ep 3: Spielberg was a YouTuber too

  Jul 13, 202639 minS1

  <p><b>Everybody's talking about Hollywood's future—but history shows we've been here before.</b></p><p></p><p>In episode 3 of <b>The Indie Playbook</b>, Daniel Cotroneo, Grace Porras, and Dominic Russo explore how filmmakers like George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese built new paths outside the traditional studio system—and what independent filmmakers can learn from them today. They discuss creating opportunities instead of waiting for them, why ownership matters, the fight for audience attention, and how reviving the Bay Area film community could shape the next generation of storytellers.</p><p></p><p><b...

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  Episode #3

  Ep 3: Spielberg was a YouTuber too

  Jul 10, 202639 minS1

  <p><b>Everybody's talking about Hollywood's future—but history shows we've been here before.</b></p><p></p><p>In episode 3 of <b>The Indie Playbook</b>, Daniel Cotroneo, Grace Porras, and Dominic Russo explore how filmmakers like George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese built new paths outside the traditional studio system—and what independent filmmakers can learn from them today. They discuss creating opportunities instead of waiting for them, why ownership matters, the fight for audience attention, and how reviving the Bay Area film community could shape the next generation of storytellers.</p><p></p><p><b...

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