StephenFollows.com - Using data to explain the film industry
Stephen FollowsI use data to understand how the film industry works and then share that to help filmmakers get their films funded, shot and seen.
| Platform |  | Pricing | Freemium | Publishes | Twice weekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues | 542 | Founded | 2 years ago | Last Issue | 6 days ago |
| Active | |||||
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stephenfollows.comLatest Issues
Does a famous cast mean a better film?
On Monday, I published a piece on whether a famous lead actually pays off at the box office.
A few readers reached out to ask whether I had taken the films’ quality into account. I had, but what stuck with me was how many people clearly a...
Do famous actors pay off at the box office?
This month, we’ve seen the stellar performance of Obsession (currently $147 million at the worldwide box office - almost 80 times its budget), which has led readers to get in touch to ask if this proves that ‘stars don’t matter’
It might b...
Why is there less sex in movies?
Never did I think studying film data would get me in trouble for being too sexy.
Last month, YouTube took offence to one of my Film Data Scientist videos on the decline in sex on movies. I got it up, but YouTube couldn’t last 10 minutes,...
Nine takeaways from the 2026 Cannes Marché du Film
I spent a week walking the 2026 Marché du Film, talking to buyers, sellers, financiers and programmers. The headline numbers were record-breaking, but the interesting movement was under the surface.
Technically, the Festival de Cannes has...
Why movie clichés are GOOD, actually
No one says "Follow that car!" anymore... and there's a reason why.
I ran the numbers on over 72,000 films to find the most reused lines in cinema, revealing how movie clichés are born, spread, and die.
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Authors
The writers behind this newsletter.
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.
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