Beyond Traditional Deals | Candice Cook Simmons (Lawyer, Strategist)

"You want to know what the numbers say, but quite frankly, the numbers don't always take into account anecdotal information that also drives consumer appetite."

Watch now on YouTube.

Candice Cook Simmons is the President of Color Farm Impact, former Chief Strategy Officer at RadicalMedia, and managing partner of The Cook Law Group. She works at the intersection of business, entertainment, and technology. As a fun aside, she also led the charge in global trademarking The Cronut 🍩.

In our conversation, we discuss:

• Why multi-hyphenate skills are crucial for filmmakers today.

• The power shift from traditional distribution to audience-first approaches.

• How timing and context dramatically impact film success.

• Practical advice on which rights to protect versus where to be flexible when negotiating with investors and distributors.

• Why "niche is strong, not small" in today's market.

• Being data-informed versus data-dependent.

• And more!

Key takeaways:

1. Embrace the multi-hyphenate mindset: “Silos are what keep us from really understanding what’s happening within a broader ecosystem...if your favorite celebrity is able to be a multi-hyphenate, why in the world are we telling people they need to only do one thing?”

   1. Creative success comes from breaking down silos.

   2. The most successful filmmakers today draw on skills from multiple disciplines and industries—marketing, photography, tech, business, and beyond.

   3. Don’t limit yourself to how things “have always been done.” New perspectives drive innovation.

2. Authentic relationship-building > transactional networking: “I like relationships...where if the people that I connect with are sick, I would feel comfortable having me come over in lounge clothes and bringing them soup and we sit and talk about something that’s not work related because the relationship and the value system is aligned.”

   1. Build genuine, values-aligned relationships; prioritize quality over quantity.

   2. The entertainment industry has been too transactional—lasting success comes from trust and shared integrity.

3. Community is your competitive advantage: “The only way people are going to succeed in this industry is together... A rising tide lifts all boats and it also can make people courageous.”

   1. Join filmmaker communities and actively contribute.

   2. Share data and insights from your releases.

   3. Create mutual support networks for marketing and publicity.

   4. Even in competitive spaces, collective momentum (e.g., multiple companies tackling women’s health) signals value to investors and audiences.

   5. Consider collaborative distribution approaches with complementary films.

   6. Don’t burn bridges—sometimes “not now” becomes “yes” later.

4. Know your audience deeply: “Audiences who are seen, are more responsive...They got their audience and now their audience is coming back for more because it’s speaking to them.”

   1. Serve them where they are, not where you wish they were.

   2. Tailor marketing and distribution to your core audience’s needs, behaviors, and platforms.

   3. Don’t dilute your vision to chase funding—if you lose the core message, you lose the audience.

5. Timing and context matter more than ever: “Timing is everything. You can have really great content, but if the timing of when you’re serving it to an audience is off, then your funders and financiers are essentially looking and they’re like, this didn’t perform well. Well, when did we put it out?”

   1. The context in which a film is released—cultural, economic, political—can make or break its success.

   2. Be willing to pivot release strategies based on changing contexts.

   3. Plan marketing that connects film themes to current conversations.

6. Get creative with financing and distribution: “There’s a contraction in the market, but there’s also a new branding opportunity. Creators are bringing their own audiences to the table...instead of mass marketing, tailor your objectives to where your audience lives.”

   1. Brand collaborations and co-productions are on the rise; think beyond traditional funding.

   2. Investors and distributors increasingly value loyal, niche audiences over broad, generic reach. Remember “niche is strong, not small.”

   3. Measure success by audience engagement, not just size.

   4. Create opportunities for audiences to participate in film promotion.

   5. Build communities around your films, not just passive viewers.

7. Protect your rights: “Hire a lawyer, and then beyond that, think about what’s most important...segregate the rights you want to protect (e.g., US, UK, educational) and be more flexible with others.”

   1. Seek lawyers who act as strategic partners, not just contract reviewers.

   2. Consider territorial rights separately from format rights (theatrical, streaming, educational).

   3. Prioritize which territories and rights matter most to you.

   4. When negotiating, bundle less-critical territories or rights, but hold onto the ones most important to your vision.

8. Data-Informed, not data-dependent: “You want to be data informed, but you don’t want to be data dependent...anecdotal information also drives consumer appetite.”

   1. Use data to prove audience demand, but don’t ignore the power of story, timing, and cultural moments.

   2. Show potential partners real audience engagement and momentum, not just projections.

   3. Watch for emerging trends not yet reflected in historical data.

   4. Consider cultural factors that affect audience receptivity.

   5. Use data to validate intuitions, not replace creative judgment

9. Global and local opportunities: “Great stories transfer, but when we think that we are the center of the ecosystem, we miss a lot.”

   1. Think about international appeal from development, not just distribution.

   2. Research international funding opportunities and co-productions.

   3. Look for opportunities in emerging markets (e.g., Ghana, Nigeria, Korea, India).

   4. Don’t assume the US is the only or best market for your work.

10. Leverage new distribution platforms: “If you had asked someone even four years ago, would you start your series on YouTube? I feel like they may have had a strong visceral response. And that response may not have been as positive because it was seen as a web series.”

    1. The definition of "successful distribution" is changing rapidly.

    2. Platforms like YouTube now offer legitimate pathways to build audience and generate revenue.

    3. Prove audience demand before approaching traditional distributors or as an alternative distribution strategy entirely.

    4. Build direct audience relationships you own, not just platform-dependent ones.

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What do you think?

Have you ever released something at exactly the right (or wrong) cultural moment? What's your best example of timing making a difference in a project’s success or failure?

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Where to find Candice S. Cook:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candice-s-cook-7454177/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candicesc1of1/

• Color Farm Impact: https://colorfarmimpact.org/

From Candice:

Candice Cook Simmons and Color Farm Impact invite you to help shape the next generation of leaders.

We're proud to launch The Maxine Shaw Curriculum—a powerful new leadership curriculum initiative created in partnership with celebrated educator Erika Buddington at Harvard University. This high school curriculum uses the power of storytelling and media to teach leadership skills, critical thinking, and purpose-driven action.

Now, we have an incredible opportunity—and we need your help. A generous donor has offered to match every dollar raised through June 30th, doubling your impact.

In a time when so much feels uncertain in the world and in our industry, this is something we can control: how we invest in the future.

Join us. Support this groundbreaking work. Let’s make a lasting impact—together.

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Introduction and Candice’s background

(01:28) Why multi-hyphenate skills are essential in today’s industry

(03:13) The power of timing and context

(04:21) Minecraft (and a discussion on theaters)

(06:37) Career journey: from litigation to media and entrepreneurship

(13:35) Relationship-building vs. transactional networking

(17:40) On collective action and transparency

(20:53) Trends in film financing and distribution

(23:15) The importance of timing and context in film success (case study: Dynasty)

(26:34) Navigating integrity vs. funding pressures

(32:08) Trends on the investment side—brand collaborations, niche audiences

(39:24) YouTube, new platforms, and creative production models

(45:26) Legal advice for protecting rights and distribution options

(47:46) The rise of brand collaborations and niche communities

(49:30) Recommended resources for filmmakers

(52:20) Where to find Candice

Referenced:

• The Producer’s Business Handbook: https://books.google.com/books?id=z63pAwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

• Film Independent: https://www.filmindependent.org/

• Sundance Institute: https://www.sundance.org/

• The Gotham: https://thegotham.org/

• Documentary Association of Europe: https://dae-europe.org/

• Hot Docs: https://hotdocs.ca/

• AFM (American Film Market): https://americanfilmmarket.com/

• Indie Film Hustle Podcast: https://indiefilmhustle.com/podcast/

• Entertainment Law Podcast: https://entertainmentlawupdate.com/

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