A Tale of Two Systems

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

When I was a kid we used to catch fireflies (or lightning bugs) in a mason jar with holes in the lid which gave the illusion that they could breathe and thus survive what was more or less a fatal trap.

It occurs to me cinema and those who create and champion it have fallen into the same logic.

Let me break that down for you.

The current “systems” or “business model” of filmmaking is the mason jar.

The fireflies are the filmmakers and films being caught inside.

And then there’s FilmStack on the outside looking in saying we probably should rethink this whole scenario.

Cause what fireflies actually need is a field not a jar.

That’s where NonDē comes in, but more on that later.

So why do so many of us keep trying to cram our films into containers or systems where they don’t belong?

And while we are actively cultivating this field with the thoughts, ideas, and inspiration being planted here everyday, I think a little more clarity, or fertilizer, if we’re sticking with this metaphor for a little bit longer, on a couple of things will really accelerate the growth of these seeds.

Because you know what else is as outdated as this current “mason jar” system?

The story of who or what filmmakers are really up against. And until we have a more accurate portrayal of these times, we won’t know how to prepare for them or build for our collective future.

That constant struggle between is my film going to get a theatrical exhibition or will it become content on a streamer’s platform?? To say this is a battle between studio and streaming is a reductive way of looking at the situation and frankly gives too much attention to the ones who are actively trying to kill cinema.

Clarification #1: This isn’t a studio vs streaming war - that’s just what legacy media wants you to think.

Which brings me to a necessary clarification: the differientiation of product that each “system” is selling as oppose to what we on FilmStack are “bidding” or building for.

But before we dive into product differientation it’s important we take a look at justice.

(stay with me.)

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. - A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens

Clarification #2: We do not live in a world of “just” systems. In fact many of the systems in place are actively harmful to those involved and the current film industry is no different.

“Just because someone is the loudest, doesn’t mean they are right.”

Social media has proven this time and time again by pretty much anyone who owns podcast equipment yet we still look to those who control the narrative as if they alone are the moral authority and thus final say.

“Death may beget life, but oppression can beget nothing other than itself.” - Charles Dickens

While Hollywood’s version of storytelling is rather anti-ambiguity and in favor of spoon-feeding an audience to the point of overstuffed, empty caloric consumption

the oligarchic power controlling things like media, government, tech, hollywood, thrives on ambiguity (and the vague nature of the english language

and if you’re wondering about this “vague nature” in which I am referring, go ahead and eloquently articulate the difference between I love you and I love pizza. I’ll wait.)

In other words, oppression and control feed off of ambiguity. And ambiguity if not cultivated in the right, nourishing environment breeds confusion, fear, and paranoia.

And if you’re building a movement as FilmStack is with NonDē, you can not truly “join forces” with someone if your definition of revolution is not the same or what you think of when you think of future or equality/equity or a movie.

which brings me to:

Clarification #3: STUDIOS AND STREAMING ARE NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF CINEMA.

Yes, Hollywood used to be the “global pipeline” in which to expand upon the artform of cinema, but now it is the business of recycled IP, celebrity brand management, and the outdated, or at the very least, extremely out of touch narrative of “legacy media.”

In other words, it’s capitalism’s mouthpiece.

Netflix on the other hand is in the business of “attention” or more accurately addiction and even better still, mindlessness.

Blockbuster punished customers for being forgetful; Netflix rewarded them for being mindless. -Will Tavlin, Casual Viewing

Not to mention the content abyss that is currently the creator economy.

After 2020, cinema was flattened into just another product of the audiovisual industry—lumped in with TikToks, YouTube videos, and big-budget streaming series, and branded simply as “content.” - Carlos A. Gutiérrez, The Crisis Isn’t Cinema. It’s The Industry

In fact I would go as far to say as of now, any form of written or visual media produced by these three systems: Hollywood (or studios), Netlflix (or streaming), and Creator Econonmy (or social media) could be considered content.

Content is the wolf in sheep’s clothing that keeps getting passed off as cinema leaving everyone confused as to what a movie actually is.

And for the sake of this artform’s future and all of us creating it - we have to stop lumping these things together under the same name.

This is a monopolistic mindset and we are not monopoly men.

It has caused us to reduce complex ideas to the point that people are laughing at any film’s ability for nuance.

We have to understand that we need and are building a system for cinema.

Not content. Not commercialism. Not celebrity-endorsed brands strategies.

For those of us who are truly seeking to make cinema, which is what NonDē is being built around, then we have to stop acting like Hollywood, Streaming, and the Creator Economy are in the same “business” as us.

Again they are “mason jars containers,” cinema needs a wide open field full of rich soil.

And yes of course there are things we can learn from them as far as business strategy, just like I can also learn a lot from real estate development, but at the end of the day - I’m not trying to sell a house.

Or how about this metaphor:

Just like it would be idiotic to filter water and gasoline through the same pump without polluting the water, we have to stop filtering cinema through systems that have become incredibly toxic to the health of this artform.

cinema: movies collectively, as an art.

So now that we know what we’re selling is cinema, not content and definitely not AI slop, the next step is how to cultivate it or:

Clarification #4: How FilmStack is single-handedly solving culture’s “education problem” and why the problem is education.

Cinema still has the chance to be the “knowledge” (a visceral education on humanity) needed to counteract our inability to think and to bring us back our collective sanity, because it is like all great works of art: a transcendental, singular experience and not just content to be consumed or commodified.

One cannot deny that the decentralization of power and the democratization of voices is singlehandedly the greatest by-product of the internet even if a lot of those voices are siloed and power is still concentrated to the oligarchs (monopoly men.)

In other words, the voices are there you just gotta seek them out.

The problem is most people don’t want to put in the work of discovering which is where curators, critics, and most importantly, education comes in.

The reason FilmStack is catching fire the way it is is not only because the times warrant such a movement, but because you have a large group of people pulling resources, time, and energy into dreaming and trailblazing a new world of film.

In other words, we’re teaching and learning from one another and that inevitably gives a more comprehensive, sustainable, and communal “picture” to work towards.

As opposed to the current “picture” being depicted for us:

We as people naturally seek for someone to help us make sense of the world around us because either we lack the willpower or energy to seek it out ourselves. And so when someone comes along and offers us both a vision for life that resonates within us and a community of others already a part of that particular narrative, it becomes almost impossible to resist. This is religion, this is country, this is meme culture.

…We are no longer citizens but consumers of not our own dreams or desires but of the pseudo-dreams and desires created by the necessity to perpetuate the illusion of progress and an overarching narrative required to keep a nation, a nation. But each and everyday this narrative is crumbling more and more before our eyes and beneath our feet. Instead of unifying us, this narrative has sown division, hate, and the devaluation of human life - and they shaped technology around our disconnect as if that was all technology could be. from my post, unseriousness is a trauma response

We also shaped our educational institutions around power, profitability, and “legacy” to the point of flat out exclusion of ripe and ready minds because:

America does not understand the inherent value of education, it operates in the superficial value of elitism.

I.e. I am smarter than you because I went to Harvard and/ or sold my company for 200 million. This speaks nothing of the system of legacy or the monumental cost of tuition or how you had to invent 10 million of your own money to get to that kind of scale.

Elitism hoards where education uplifts, inspires, and expands upon the world.

Not to mention this just happened:

it’s giving the fall of an old world empire. and yeah sure this painting may be an “imaginary view” but doesn’t everything more or less start with one’s imagination?

Which leads me to the “bigger picture” point I am trying to make:

comprehensive applied knowledge is about to be the “hottest” commodity of the future.

It’s what the world is hungry for and it’s what this new world of cinema can deliver upon should we stay the course.

FilmStack is an education hub championing a new culture of film or as

Swabreen Bakr

puts it:

a growing community of…people who are creating and developing new ways of making and engaging with film, the business of filmmaking, exhibition, and distribution.

And as I pointed out in What FilmStack Is Really Building On Here:

The cinematic arts are the perfect vessel to lead the way in envisioning a better future and to help us anchor our present to perhaps gain back enough sanity to start thinking for ourselves again.

Or as

Elijah A. Bland

points out in his post, Cinema, Self-Education, and the Tools We Forget How to Use

Cinema is more than entertainment. It’s a language, a medium, and yes, a tool—one that can reignite our curiosity, stretch our capacity for empathy, and invite us to think deeply about who we are and what we value. It offers near-limitless possibilities for self-reflection, communication, and community building.

But the real power of cinema, for me, lies in this:

No one can watch for you. No one can decide what the meaning is except you.

Cinema is, by its very nature, an invitation to self-educate.

The current systems spreads a filmmaker’s capacity so freaking thin we might as well all offer ourselves up as flapjacks to our local diner. But when I discussed having a “hybrid mentality” of both artist and entrepreneur in

The Label

’s newsletter last Friday, I wasn’t suggesting picking up yet another “hat” to wear in your filmmaking career, I was saying expand your mind to become even more effective in the decisions you make in this chaotic, convuluted landscape by looking at each decision from a bigger, contextualized picture. To rise up as a creative leader who understands the value of their own taste, discernment, and knowledge and knows how to apply these things to each facet of “making a movie.”

Which brings me to the last “clarification.”

Clarification #5: In building this new “container,” we need to be looking outside the film world (because it’s not just about us, it’s about the culture surrounding every artistic field.)

Take this brilliant post, We’re All Image Directors Now by

Zoë Yasemin Akihary

who runs the Substack, Art Direction. This entire section could be applied to filmmakers and those building this new world of film:

The 2030s: A Return to Meaning

If the 2020s are defined by speed, experimentation, and identity-as-play, the 2030s might bring a craving for depth.

This is where I think we’re headed: toward an era of intuitive, symbolic, and emotionally intelligent image-making. A visual culture that feels slower. Tactile. Thoughtful. One that doesn’t just show beauty, but holds something sacred in it, something you can’t immediately explain.

I don’t mean a return to nostalgia or “vintage” aesthetics. I mean a shift in emotional texture. A desire for quiet visuals with meaning. Symbols that hold weight and keeps you thinking (and also making time for that)…

We’re already seeing signs of this. The rise of visual work that feels handmade, imperfect, or human. Campaigns that feel like memories. Colour palettes that pull from earth, skin, or softness instead of filters. Editorials where the story is in the silence, the space between poses, the awkwardness of a gesture, the tension of a stare. Brands slowly heading towards longer form content again (Adidas Originals) or even being more absent on social media (Bottega Veneta).

But even outside what brands are doing, people are craving this. The rise of slow-living, project pan, slow form content like Substack, deleting social media and young people leaving the city to live a less pressured life are all contributing to this growing mindset.

In the 2030s, I believe the most compelling image-makers will be the ones who understand emotion as material. Not in a sentimental way, but in a designed, deliberate, deeply layered way. The image-makers that truly take the time to build their project, maybe even over years.

And this is where the role of the art director changes. We’re no longer just creating visuals. We’re shaping worlds. Worlds that don’t scream for attention, but get to keep it. Worlds that don’t rely on trends, but on energy. Intention. Symbolism. Emotional clarity.

We’ll need to become (a lofty, but aspirational word) ‘cultural healers’ and definitely not just aesthetic stylists or content creators. Because audiences will crave visuals that make them feel more human, something that is worth their time and not that tires them out. Slow content will stand out in a sea of fast paced content, intellectual content will stand out in between brain rots and clickbaits. We need to stop being scared ‘wasting’ our time on a project for it to get sucked up by the algorithm, I think our power as creatives is in doing the opposite.

It’s about integration. Images that can hold contradiction and lets you think. Fashion that communicates belief systems and a bigger world to be part of, not their latest product. And brands that aren’t trying to go viral they’re trying to build legacy.

Or this insight on curation from Matteo Azzolini in his post, The Creator-Curator Hybrid

As content multiplies, the challenge isn’t access; it’s orientation. We don’t need more input; we need better filters. That’s where the curator comes in: not just as a tastemaker, but as a trusted lens in a world of endless noise.

In the Overwhelm Economy, Filtering Is Key

In a digital landscape where every platform is pushing more and more content onto us, attention spans are shrinking and it’s harder for anything to actually stick. Morningstar reports that 65% of people globally feel overwhelmed by the amount of information available online. In this space, having someone who can filter through the noise is essential.

Lottie Bisou, curator and founder of THE ART DIRECTOR echoed that sentiment:

We’re all tired. Or at least I am! The scroll is infinite, and most of it forgettable. A good curator needs to filter through the copycat visuals to find something more unique, intriguing and thoughtful. We’re living in an age where jumping on a trend equals success. So essentially, algorithms are rewarding the one thing all (good) creatives were taught never to do: steal and copy. Eventually, consumers will tire. I think now, people are seeking connection and human thinking, and good curation should provide both.”

Good curators don’t just reflect culture: they shape it. They make niche sensibilities feel desirable. Their influence isn’t loud, but it’s lasting. As Lottie Bisou put it:

“True curation is a quiet rebellion. Amidst all the social noise, top curators are trying to slow down, be intentional, and curate what actually matters. Not what’s trending, but what resonates and links to a true insight. It’s also become more personal. People don’t want mass taste, they want someone whose lens they trust.”

NonDē isn’t even fully off the ground yet and we’re already expanding:

Indie Culture Is Great—But What's Coming Next is Better

But just bringing back the old indie vibe isn’t enough—or might not even be possible. That’s because there’s not much independence in the surviving indie business models.

Here’s how Taylor Lewis and Ellis J. Sutton describe the problem. They are talking about indie movies, but what they say applies to most spheres of creative work:

“Indie” has become a hollow title: one that still plays by the rules of a broken game

So they make a defiant decision:

We’re not calling it “independent film” anymore, because that name belongs to a system that’s collapsing under its own crushing weight: underfunded, over-leveraged, and barely surviving in the shadows of legacy distributors and streaming algorithms.

So what do we do?

We need something stronger than indie. And it’s starting to come to life.

Some people call it NonDē. Or you might describe it as indie on steroids. I like to think that it’s the next big thing.

Ted Gioia’s post happened simultaneously with another victory for the FilmStack community and the NonDē world:

My response is this:

Maybe the reason, or at least inadvertent benefit, of not having a Film and TV category on here yet is so Cinema can be put back into the cultural conversation once again for all to see.

A champion of cinema just became #1 in Culture. You know what that tells me? The “leaders” of this industry are wrong - cinema isn’t dying and it is cinema and not algorithmic content that still has the POWER. And it is my firm belief, cinema will be where the revival of arts and culture begins and for those paying attention, has begun.

We need to take back the public space of cinema—as a site of resistance, of dialogue, of collective imagination. We must reclaim the creation of a public sphere through film—especially as all cultural life is increasingly privatized, corporatized, and platformed. - Carlos A. Gutiérrez, The Crisis Isn’t Cinema. It’s The Industry

I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss. I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy. - A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens

For Furthering One’s Comprehensive Knowledge:

• The Crisis Isn’t Cinema. It’s the Industry from

  Distribution Advocates

• Casual Viewing by Will Tavlin

• The State of Cinema, 2025 by Taylor Lewis

• Trust Is The New Oil by Doug Shapiro