Stephen Follows
@stephenfollows.com
I'm a film industry analyst, passionate about understanding how the industry works and sharing insights to help filmmakers get their projects funded, made, and seen. I consult for Guinness World Records on film-related records. stephenfollows.com
Full article: stephenfollows.com/p/no-one-knows-how-much-movies-cost
No-one knows how much movies cost to make anymore
The film industry has largely stopped sharing production budgets, leaving less than 4% of movies with any public data, and when tested, many of the figures we do have prove to be unreliable.
stephenfollows.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Full article: stephenfollows.com/p/no-one-knows-how-much-movies-cost
The full breakdown is here: stephenfollows.com/p/are-movies-with-fewer-producers-better
Are movies with fewer producers better?
I crunched the data on 75,903 producing credits across 8,415 films in order to discover whether more producers lead to better movies or not.
stephenfollows.com
November 6, 2025 at 1:00 PM
The full breakdown is here: stephenfollows.com/p/are-movies-with-fewer-producers-better
Listen to The Town: podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/do-standing-ovations-at-film-festivals-mean-anything/id1612131897?i=1000733215450
Do Standing Ovations at Film Festivals Mean Anything? The Town Investigates.
Podcast Episode · The Town with Matthew Belloni · 23/10/2025 · 35m
podcasts.apple.com
October 24, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Read the full article: stephenfollows.com/p/what-do-film-critics-think-of-film
What do film critics think of film festival standing ovations?
I analysed 1,941 trade press articles and spoke to leading critics to uncover whether standing ovations actually mean anything.
stephenfollows.com
October 24, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Read the full article: stephenfollows.com/p/what-do-film-critics-think-of-film
Read the full story here: stephenfollows.com/p/whats-the-biggest-barrier-to-cinema-going
What’s the biggest barrier to cinema-going?
There is a hard truth about cinema-going that many in the exhibition sector don’t seem to want to admit.
stephenfollows.com
October 15, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Read the full story here: stephenfollows.com/p/whats-the-biggest-barrier-to-cinema-going
Full article: stephenfollows.com/p/how-is-the-horror-genre-changing
How is the horror genre changing?
Horror is thriving in every corner of film, from IMAX blockbusters to micro-budget gems. Here’s how the genre is shifting, and what comes next.
stephenfollows.com
October 13, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Full article: stephenfollows.com/p/how-is-the-horror-genre-changing
Full article ⤵️
stephenfollows.com/p/do-standing-ovations-at-film-festivals
stephenfollows.com/p/do-standing-ovations-at-film-festivals
Do standing ovations at film festivals mean anything?
I gathered over 500 reported standing ovations across five of the world’s biggest film festivals to see whether the length of applause tells us anything meaningful about a film’s future.
stephenfollows.com
October 1, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Full article ⤵️
stephenfollows.com/p/do-standing-ovations-at-film-festivals
stephenfollows.com/p/do-standing-ovations-at-film-festivals
Full article: stephenfollows.com/p/how-many-hollywood-movies-are-made
How many Hollywood movies are made outside America?
I crunched the data behind the state of "non-American" Hollywood movies, and considered how any system of American tariffs might work.
stephenfollows.com
September 29, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Full article: stephenfollows.com/p/how-many-hollywood-movies-are-made
Full article is here: stephenfollows.com/p/is-go-woke-go-broke-true-for-movies
Is 'Go Woke, Go Broke' true for movies?
I studied the data behind 10,524 films and more than four million audience reviews to see whether conversations about woke-adjacent themes correlate with box office outcomes.
stephenfollows.com
September 27, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Full article is here: stephenfollows.com/p/is-go-woke-go-broke-true-for-movies
