Indie Film Hustle® - A Filmmaking Podcast

IFH 470: How to Sell an Original Show to Hulu with James Lafferty & Stephen Colletti

May 20, 2021
Stephen Colletti, actor/producer from Laguna Beach and One Tree Hill, and James Lafferty, actor/director from One Tree Hill, discuss creating their Hulu series Everyone Is Doing Great. They talk about moving from acting into writing and producing. They cover crowdfunding, festival strategy, low-budget production challenges, set culture, and how timing and a packaging deal led to Hulu buying the show.
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ADVICE

Start With A Low Risk Pilot Experiment

  • Do test your project as an experiment and only spend what you can afford to lose on a pilot.
  • James self‑financed a pilot as an experiment, kept budgetary risk limited, and used it to prove tone before committing to a full season.
ANECDOTE

Crowdfund To Bridge Production Gaps

  • They crowdfunded to finish the season and raised about $270k on Indiegogo.
  • Stephen ran a 45–90 day campaign, leveraged One Tree Hill fans, and used live watch events with former cast to boost contributions.
ADVICE

Use Festivals To Prove Concept And Build Momentum

  • Do festival screenings and in-person events to validate a pilot and mobilize fans.
  • They screened episodes at ATX and SeriesFest, met fans, got creative feedback, and turned attendees into advocates on social channels.
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