Hollywood Insider's Daily Newsletter

Smart daily moves for creators building their own Hollywood

Hollywood Insider Daily Smart - Daily moves for Creatives building their own Hollywood.

Everybody is talking about vertical dramas being the next big thing for Hollywood. The numbers are staggering — $350M made in the first quarter of 2025. I saw someone yapping about how we can’t let this one be built on the back on marginalized communities like Tubi was and not participate in the ...

Feb 24, 2026

Hollywood Insider Daily Smart - Daily moves for Creatives building their own Hollywood.

Hack #2 of this week’s 5 Indie Film Hacks might surprise you, because it has nothing to do with your camera. I say this all the time and people still don’t believe me: audio is more important than video. If your picture is soft, people will forgive you. If your sound is trash? They’re gone. You...

Feb 24, 2026

How a YouTuber got 4,100 theaters to show his movie

Most filmmakers are still playing the old game. Make the thing. Shop it around. Beg somebody to distribute it. And when they say no, you blame the industry. Let me show you what Most filmmakers are still playing the old game. Make the thing. Shop it around. Beg somebody to distribute it. And when...

by Nicki Micheaux — Feb 24, 2026

Hollywood Insider Daily Smart, daily moves for creatives building their own Hollywood.

By now you've probably heard the news: Netflix is trying to buy Warner Brothers. Politicians are fighting it. Unions are up in arms. Hollywood is spiraling. And it's not just Netflix. Paramount is in the middle of a hostile takeover battle. The entire industry is c...

Feb 23, 2026

Hollywood Insider Daily Smart - Aily moves for Creatives building their own Hollywood.

Are you still stuck trying to light your project? Or worse, you’re trying so hard to get that 3-point lighting down and you still have crazy shadows. Here are a few simple lighting tricks I’ve used when there was no money for a gaffer or to rent a truckload of HMIs. You can get a lot of low-cos...

by Nicki Micheaux — Feb 23, 2026

Hollywood Insider Daily Smart, daily moves for creatives building their own Hollywood.

I’ve seen filmmakers spend 45 minutes balancing a gimbal while their actor is standing there in tears, in the moment, waiting…By the time the gear is ready, the magic is gone. It’s not that gimbals aren’t cool. They totally are! But don’t let the t...

by Nicki Micheaux — Feb 23, 2026

Hollywood Insider Daily Smart, daily moves for creatives building their own Hollywood.

Here’s the equipment no camera store can sell you: Your taste. Your eye. Your instincts. Your voice. There was a moment on Summer of Violence when we had already shot the scene and needed to move on because the budget and the schedule were tight. We only had the room for one more day. But I kne...

by Nicki Micheaux — Feb 23, 2026

Hollywood Insider Daily Smart, daily moves for creatives building their own Hollywood.

Hi All week I’ve been giving you the five indie film hacks that can save you money, elevate your next project, and help you get shooting now — no excuses and no fancy equipment needed. Well… I put all five hacks into one YouTube video so you can rewatch them anytime, take notes, or send it to a f...

by Nicki Micheaux — Feb 23, 2026

Hollywood Insider Daily Smart, daily moves for creatives building their own Hollywood

Hi {{ Let's talk about what's happening right now in Hollywood. Vertical dramas are taking over TikTok. Instagram. Snapchat. YouTube Shorts. Creators are getting deals. Studios are paying attention. Even Kim Kardashian is jumping in. This isn't a trend. It's a shift. And if you're still thinkin...

Feb 23, 2026

Hollywood Insider Daily Smart, daily moves for creatives building their own Hollywood

Let's start with a hard truth: most filmmakers waste years, and small fortunes, blindly submitting to film festivals with no plan. I see it all the time, emotional submissions (just sending your film everywhere) rarely get results. Instead, I recommend a reset for 2026: approach festivals strate...

Feb 23, 2026

Stop Wasting Money on Film Festivals (The Strategic Reset)

Let me be honest with you. Most filmmakers are submitting to festivals emotionally, not strategically. You finish your film, you're excited, and you just start hitting submit on FilmFreeway. Sundance. TIFF. Every big name you've ever heard of. Maybe some smaller ones too. You're chasing prestige ...

Feb 10, 2026

Nate Parker and David Oyelowo partner with Elevate Creative Talents

Nate Parker and David Oyelowo are partnering with Nicki Micheaux and her online school - to get your vertical dramas on Mansa platform. Pictured above: David Oyelowo, Nate Parker, Nicki Micheaux Yes, THE Nate Parker. Writer, director, actor Birth of a Nation. And THE David Oyelowo, the actor w...

by Nicki Micheaux — Feb 04, 2026

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