Two creator-led movies just hit theaters last week, marking a new era for Hollywood.
Both prove one thing: creators aren’t waiting for studio deals anymore. Instead, they’re building their own.
A $1.3M Crowdfunded Movie
When Stuckmann started Shelby Oaks three years ago, YouTubers weren’t selling films to A24 or NEON.
Stuckmann raised $1.3M from 14,000 backers to write, direct, and produce the film himself, all while still uploading weekly to his 2M-subscriber channel.
Now, NEON has picked up distribution, expanding it to theaters nationwide.
A 100-Day Indie Challenge
Meanwhile, Creator Camp has spent the past three years helping bring creator stories to life.
Their first theatrical project, Two Sleepy People, was shot in 100 days on a $100K budget, starring and written by Baron Ryan.
It premiered this month in Seattle, SF, LA and NYC and follows a surreal love story about two people who wake up as strangers every morning.
Our Take
For years, creators used YouTube to break into Hollywood.
Now, they’re building a new Hollywood themselves.
From Stuckmann’s fan-backed horror to Creator Camp’s micro-budget romance, a new blueprint is emerging:
- Develop projects outside the system
- Fund through fans, not financiers
- Build communities that buy tickets, not just scroll by
Creators aren’t waiting for a greenlight. They’re already rolling.
