From Crumbling Studios to a Rising Creator Economy: Independent Filmmakers discuss the current state of the industry.

julissascopino
Jun 28, 2025
4 min read

Updated: Dec 2, 2025

Welcome to our FIRST Filmmakers in Boardrooms conversation!

Hosted by Filmmaker and Founder Julissa Scopino, and joined by Tyler Cino Maradiaga and Patricia Colmenero, we open the table to discuss the realities, challenges, and ambitions of today’s independent creators.

The studio system is shifting, and the industry is trying to figure itself out. Amid strikes, AI, and promises of “creative freedom,” filmmakers are questioning what that freedom really means and who truly holds the power. The conversation moves beyond the noise, into the heart of sustainability and ownership: how to create work that feeds your soul, your crew, and your community. From the guerrilla-style shoots of Brazil, Patricia reminds us that the real revolution is building a way of working where people feel safe, valued, and human again.

“It surprised me to realize that in most of the world, filmmakers can rely on public funding but in America, we’re taught to survive the market.” Patricia Colmenero

For Patricia, creative freedom is the foundation of her practice. She’s always made films on her own terms, without external control or compromise. Even when supported by government grants, her work remained untouched, guided only by conscience and craft.

In her world, the only boundaries worth observing are those of law and ethics, beyond that, art should answer to no one. Her perspective is a reminder that true independence is about creating from a place where integrity and imagination are inseparable.

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Topics Discussed

Access and equity in the modern studio system
Government funding models abroad vs. market reliance in the U.S.
Building community and fair compensation in low-budget productions
Creative freedom vs. creative limitation
How new platforms like YouTube are reshaping power
The economics of small-scale filmmaking and realistic budgeting

Tyler speaks to the moment of reckoning within the industry where filmmakers are forced to navigate between independence and infrastructure. He points out that limitation is a catalyst, often leading to stronger creative choices. He also frames the “creator economy” as both empowerment and burden: a new space where filmmakers hold unprecedented control yet must also become their own marketers, managers, and strategists. In his view, power today comes with responsibility and the challenge of building sustainable systems that honor both artistry and labor.

“YouTube gives you reach, but it also demands a massive investment, and you can’t create at the same scale you would with an HBO or Netflix.” Tyler Cino Maradiaga

In the end, Tyler reflects on the shifting balance of power in today’s industry, a new landscape where creators hold the reins but also shoulder the weight. The same freedom that allows a filmmaker to upload their work and reach an audience overnight now comes with the demand to be everything at once: the artist, the strategist, the brand, and the business. It’s empowering, but it’s also exhausting. The industry once built entire departments to support what a single independent creator now carries alone. The question is who has the endurance to sustain it.

Tyler Cino Maradiaga - Director, Producer — **Tyler Cino Maradiaga -** Director, Producer

Tyler Cino Maradiaga (they/he) is a Nicaraguan American filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. Rooted in a deep commitment to social justice that began during their undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley, Tyler brings nearly a decade of experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion to their artistic practice. They earned an M.A. in Film Directing from the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema at Brooklyn College, where they honed an exciting cinematic voice that blends drama, comedy, and the fantastical. Through this lens, Tyler crafts stories that delve into identity, community, and the complexities of social change.

Their work has screened at festivals including the Austin Film Festival, Chelsea Film Festival, and NewFilmmakers Los Angeles.

Learn more about Tyler on his website.

Patrícia Colmenero is a Brazilian diasporic storyteller based in New York. Working across film, literature, and visual arts, she creates works that illuminate the untold narratives of women and the enduring echoes of colonial history. Her practice moves through places and mediums, weaving stories that bridge distance, memory, and belonging. Holding a PhD in Cinema and Philosophy and an MFA in Cinema Arts, Patrícia brings over a decade of experience in teaching, artistic consulting, and transmedia creation. An award-winning filmmaker, her work can be found at www.patriciacolmenero.com.

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Director Patricia Colmenero — **Patrícia Colmenero -** Director

FiB Founder & Director/Producer Julussa Scopino — **Julissa Scopino -** FiB Founder & Director/ Producer

Julissa Scopino

"I really should've chosen a more official-looking picture, something that says, Founder of a Non-Profit. But this day was special. I was by the Hudson River, just me and the water, enjoying the lovely fall weather, on my way to a film festival wearing a hat I bought three years ago and decided to wear it this day for the first time.

I promise to take new professional photos soon... but then again, Tyler's wearing a snuggly fuchsia hat and he's cool with it."

Dear Creatives,

Thank you for journeying through our FiB site. Hopefully, there's some treasure you can find here that will expand the value & longevity to your art. That's our hope!

Until our next talk...