<![CDATA[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 a hosted by Emmy-winning producer Grace Porras featuring Flashback Pictures founder and CEO Daniel Cotroneo (Mad Men, This Is Us) and creative executive Dominic Russo (co-creator of Workaholics). With more than 60 combined years in the business, they're building 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 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.

]]>www.flashback.picturesRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Thu, 02 Jul 2026 12:16:10 GMTWed, 10 Jun 2026 02:06:06 GMT60Flashback Pictures<p><b>How indie film production actually works.</b></p><p></p><p><i>How do films get developed and financed?</i><br /><i>Why is vertical filmmaking exploding?</i><br /><i>Are studios everywhere secretly using AI?</i></p><p></p><p><i>The Indie Playbook </i>is a monthly podcast a hosted by Emmy-winning producer Grace Porras featuring Flashback Pictures founder and CEO Daniel Cotroneo (<i>Mad Men</i>, <i>This Is Us</i>) and creative executive Dominic Russo (co-creator of <i>Workaholics</i>). With more than 60 combined years in the business, they're building an independent film studio during one of the industry's biggest disruptions, and they're pulling back the curtain on how.<br /></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>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 slate of nine feature films coming over the next three years.</p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>Flashback Pictures. Old School. New Screen.</p>episodicFlashback Picturesdaniel@flashback.picturesno<![CDATA[Ep 1: Why we're betting on indie filmmaking NOW]]>Hollywood is changing fast. Traditional production models are shrinking, jobs are disappearing, and creators everywhere are asking the same question: What comes next?


In this premiere episode of The Indie Playbook, Daniel Cotroneo, Grace Porras and Dominic Russo from Flashback Pictures pull back the curtain on how they're building an independent film studio in the middle of one of the film industry's biggest disruptions. They discuss developing films, the rise of vertical filmmaking, and AI-assisted animation.


Whether you're a filmmaker, writer, content creator, or someone just trying to break into the entertainment industry, this episode offers a candid look at what it takes to build a creative career when the rules are being rewritten.

]]>bb6bffbf-9bf1-4f02-88b4-c19446c499a2Sat, 20 Jun 2026 10:34:51 GMT<p>Hollywood is changing fast. Traditional production models are shrinking, jobs are disappearing, and creators everywhere are asking the same question: <b><i>What comes next?</i></b></p><p><br />In this premiere episode of <b>The Indie Playbook</b>, Daniel Cotroneo, Grace Porras and Dominic Russo<b> </b>from Flashback Pictures pull back the curtain on how they're building an independent film studio in the middle of one of the film industry's biggest disruptions. They discuss developing films, the rise of vertical filmmaking, and AI-assisted animation.</p><p><br />Whether you're a filmmaker, writer, content creator, or someone just trying to break into the entertainment industry, this episode offers a candid look at what it takes to build a creative career when the rules are being rewritten.</p>no00:48:0011Ep 1: Why we're betting on indie filmmaking NOWfull