The mainstream film industry is as bleak as it has ever been – at least from a business standpoint. Productions are shutting down left, right, and center. The few projects that are getting made are having their budgets slashed. And filmmakers trying to break in are faced with extreme competition.

There are far more capable filmmakers than ever before, but the opportunities are shrinking by the day. From a supply/demand standpoint, it’s not looking good.

In many respects, as DIY filmmakers we are less affected than average. When you produce your own material (and can do it for very little money), it doesn’t really matter what the industry is doing. You can always keep working and honing your craft.

But there are trickle-down effects that impact even the smallest of productions. Especially when it comes to festivals, distribution, and opportunities for future projects – all of which are growing more narrow with each passing year.

So what are up-and-coming filmmakers to do? Besides continuing to create art, which is always the goal – filmmakers need to start identifying (or creating) a competitive advantage for themselves.

What exactly does that look like though? Well, it’s anything that the filmmaker can leverage to increase their odds of getting their film made, seen, or sold. A few examples include:

• Having a built-in audience
• Being skilled in VFX & CGI work
• Having a network of known actors
• Relationships with festivals/distributors
• The ability to make films with no budget
• Unique access to book rights for development

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Almost every filmmaker (even those just starting out) has some kind of unique advantage. Most simply never identify it, or overlook it – and as a result, fail to leverage it for the benefit of their career.

Those who do recognize and capitalize on their advantage (no matter how small), tend to put themselves in a position of success. One filmmaker friend was recently given the opportunity to direct a multi-million dollar feature, having only made 2 shorts before. But those shorts showcased his incredible VFX abilities, which provided a huge point of leverage.

Countless other filmmakers have leveraged their built-in audiences to raise funds for their movies, attract name actors, and get their projects greenlit. In my own case, being able to make a film with no crew has opened the door for multiple new projects, including my upcoming feature film Teacher’s Pet, and other films I currently have in development.

While it’s true that no two filmmakers share the same path, many share the same underlying strategy – finding what they are uniquely good at, and doubling down on that until it attracts success in other ways.

As an exercise this week, try to think about what your competitive advantage may be:

• Are you also a really great musician?
• Do you have a background in finance?
• Have a foot in the door at a festival or agency?

Whatever the thing is that you naturally do better than others, or already have access to – identify it. Then use it, and leverage whatever little bit of competitive advantage you have to create even more opportunities for yourself.

So much of future success in film and business stems from leveraging past successes. A filmmaker leverages a short film to get an agent. They leverage that agent to get into a festival. They leverage the award they won at that festival to make a bigger movie. And so on…

Most filmmakers starting out feel like there is this giant mountain to climb. They haven’t even taken the first step, and don’t know which direction to go in. But if they would just turn around and look behind them, they would see the path they’ve already forged. However small, it can give them critical insights on what they are good at and what advantages they may have.

Once those special qualities are truly identified, they can be put into practice systematically, and can’t help but lead to amazing things.

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