March 25, 2026 • 30 mins
In this episode, we’re diving into one of the most powerful opportunities emerging right now—branded content.
What if your film could be funded not by waiting for a studio or investor… but by aligning your story with a brand that shares your message and your audience?
What if branding wasn’t a compromise—but a creative partnership?
Our guest, Johann Garcia, founder of BrandedStreams, is at the forefront of this movement. He works with filmmakers and creators to help them understand how to position their projects as valuable storytelling opportunities for brands—opening new doors for financing, marketing, and distribution.
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SPEAKER_01 (01:18):
What if your film isn't just a story but a
valuable asset that brands areactively looking for?
SPEAKER_00 (01:28):
Hello, I'm Claire Papan, co-pro co-producer with
Carol Dean, president of Fromthe Heart Productions.
We're so glad you could join usfor the Art of Film Funding
podcast, where we explore boththe creative and practical paths
to making your films.
Today's conversation isespecially important for
(01:51):
filmmakers navigating a rapidlychanging industry.
Traditional funding is becomingmore uncertain.
Distribution models areshifting, and filmmakers are
being asked to think beyond theold systems.
In this episode, we're divinginto one of the most powerful
(02:14):
opportunities emerging rightnow: branded content.
What if your film could befunded not by waiting for a
studio or investor, but byaligning your story with a brand
that shares your message andyour audience?
What if branding wasn't acompromise, but a creative
(02:37):
partnership?
Our guest, Johan Garcia, founderof Branded Streams, is at the
forefront of this movement.
He works with filmmakers andcreators to help them understand
how to position their projectsas valuable storytelling
opportunities for brands,opening new doors for financing,
(03:02):
marketing, and distribution.
If you've ever wondered how tofund your film in today's
landscape, if you've struggledwith raising money or reaching
your audience, or if you'reready to think differently about
your career as a filmmaker, thisepisode will give you both
insight and practical direction.
(03:25):
Because the future of filmmakingis not just about creating
stories, it's about connectingthem to the world in new and
meaningful ways.
Let's begin.
Our special guest, Johan Garcia,is the founder of Branded
Streams, a platform and strategycompany focused on helping
(03:48):
filmmakers and content creatorsfinance, produce, and distribute
projects through brandpartnerships and integrated
storytelling.
With a background at theintersection of media,
marketing, and digitaldistribution, Johan specializes
(04:09):
in connecting filmmakers withbrands in a way that aligns
creative vision with commercialopportunity.
His work explores how brandedcontent can serve as both a
funding model and a distributionpathway, allowing filmmakers to
(04:30):
bypass traditional gatekeeperswhile building sustainable,
audience-driven careers.
Johan is particularly focused onhelping independent creators
understand how to position theirprojects as valuable
storytelling assets for brandsrather than simply seeking
(04:51):
sponsorship.
Transforming the filmmaker intoa strategic partner in today's
evolving content ecosystem.
And Carol, I think your brandingfilm is important for all
filmmakers, right?
SPEAKER_01 (05:07):
Yes, because we need to know all we can about
branding.
And we thank you, Johan, forjoining us.
SPEAKER_02 (05:15):
Nice to be here, Claire and um uh and Carol.
Thanks very much for having me.
SPEAKER_01 (05:20):
Certainly.
What we're going to do is getinto the big picture.
What is branded content today?
So, for filmmakers who are newto this concept, how do you
define branded content and howis it different from traditional
film financing or sponsorship?
SPEAKER_02 (05:40):
Think of it this way
puts a logo on something, whilebranded content puts a brand
inside the story.
Traditional filmmaking meansgiving up equity or creative
control.
You take investor money and theywant and they want a say.
Old school sponsorship is a logoon a poster or a credit at the
end.
Branded content is different.
(06:02):
It is it's a it's what a productor a brand actually live inside
the world of the film.
A character uses it, mentionsit, makes a decision because of
it.
It feels real because it isreal.
The brand isn't interrupting thestory, it's part of it.
That's the decision we built atBranded Streams.
SPEAKER_01 (06:20):
So you might have a computer, and um, because let's
say it's a filmmaker, um,they're doing a documentary, and
uh they need to buy uh the thecontent of the documentary, the
one we're following decides tobuy that they need a computer,
so they would then buy thecomputer that is the brand you
(06:43):
want to because it would be anecessary thing in the film,
correct?
SPEAKER_02 (06:49):
Yes, uh some brands actually even provide the
computer for you.
If they like the the documentaryuh well enough, they'll send you
the computer, you could use it,and then you just send it back.
SPEAKER_01 (06:59):
All right.
So that could be Dell or somemostly I would think American
manufactured items would bereally special for content.
SPEAKER_02 (07:10):
Yes, exactly.
And Dell does do that type of umuh in-kind product placement,
you might call.
SPEAKER_01 (07:16):
Great.
So it's a matter of having avery good ask and contacting
them.
SPEAKER_02 (07:22):
Yes, exactly.
Having the right package, youmight say.
SPEAKER_01 (07:25):
The right package.
Okay.
So why are brands becoming sucha powerful force in content
creation right now?
And what are they looking forthat filmmakers can provide?
SPEAKER_02 (07:38):
Well, ad skipping changed everything.
Audiences are skippingpre-rolls, fast-forwarding
through commercials, usingad-free tiers.
Traditional advertising isgetting harder to land.
Meanwhile, when a character onscreen picks up a brand, you
can't skip that.
You're emotionally engaged inthe story, and the brand rides
that engagement with you.
(07:58):
Brands have figured this out.
They want to be they want to bein the story, not between the
stories.
And with streaming exploding andmore content being made more
than ever, the inventory of uhplacement opportunities is
massive.
The timing isn't couldn't be betany better.
SPEAKER_01 (08:13):
Okay.
Well, the point that people haveto understand is you don't just
put a brand in your film, youhave to have someone to help you
get the approval to do that,right?
SPEAKER_02 (08:26):
Yes, you do.
SPEAKER_01 (08:28):
Every every manufacturer has an approval
process, and I've read that mostof the time they want to read
your script to see how you'repositioning the product and what
is the content of your script.
So, because they spent millionsprobably marketing their product
(08:50):
and they want it to have aspecial place in people's
hearts.
So they first want to make surehow you're uh showing their
brand and what the rest of thecontent is, right?
SPEAKER_02 (09:02):
Uh you're absolutely right, Carol.
The one thing that we found isthat when the brand does want to
sponsor your film project, theywant to read your script, they
want to make sure that it'sexactly uh the product, the the
story that they want to be partof.
SPEAKER_01 (09:16):
They want to be part of that story, right?
SPEAKER_02 (09:18):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (09:19):
Okay.
So um opportunities forfilmmakers uh abound here.
Do you see branded content as areplacement for traditional
financing, or is it acomplementary strategy?
SPEAKER_02 (09:36):
Uh it's complementary, but uh it can
fill the gaps that traditionalfinancing never could.
So there's we I found thatthere's 10 different ways to
fund a film project.
There's private equity, there'sco-production, there's
pre-sales, there's debtfinancing, there's tax
intensives and rebates, there'scrowdfunding, there's grants and
(09:57):
film funds, there's studiofinancing, and even more, the
the most uh the most popular isself-financing.
And product placement isactually, you know, just one of
the one of the 10, right?
I wouldn't tell the filmmaker toabandon their grant applications
or equity rounds, but brandedcontent is non-dilutive.
(10:17):
You're not giving up a piece ofyour film, you're not monetize,
you're monetizing the momentsthat already exist in your
script.
When a character drinks coffeein scene four, that's already
there.
If we can match the right coffeebrand in that moment, the
filmmaker gets funding and keepsfull ownership.
So it complements everythingelse.
And for indie filmmakers whostruggle to access traditional
(10:38):
money, it's it's often the onlybridge they have.
SPEAKER_01 (10:41):
Well, are you working mostly with
documentaries or features?
SPEAKER_02 (10:47):
I'm mainly working with features and documentaries
for both.
So any filmmaker that has eithera feature or documentary, we're
all there.
We're all in.
SPEAKER_01 (10:56):
That's great to know because documentaries sometimes
uh don't have anyone to helpthem with uh branding.
So this is good to know thatyou're available.
So you what you do work with theindependent documentary
filmmaker, right?
SPEAKER_02 (11:12):
Yes, yes, exactly.
Exactly.
We work with feature films,shorts, documentaries,
television shows, TV series, andnow more than ever, vertical
content.
SPEAKER_01 (11:24):
Vertical?
Oh, that's going crazy.
So you're helping them?
Oh my gosh, that should be goodmoney for vertical.
SPEAKER_02 (11:32):
Yes, and it's a lot lower price point than trying to
get into a feature.
And at the same time, youactually can get uh uh exposure
faster from if a brand decidesto sponsor you.
The brand can get exposurefaster because features, when
you basically sponsor a feature,it takes at least a year or two
before a feature could release,while verticals it could release
within the same within sixmonths.
SPEAKER_01 (11:53):
Within six months, yes, they're gonna see eyeballs,
uh, eyes on the prize quicker.
SPEAKER_02 (11:59):
Yes, exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (12:00):
Exactly.
And I was talking to a woman inwho works in the vertical
industry, and she's a creator,and she says that 50 million
views is low.
Can you imagine?
So for a branding company or fora product, that's incredible,
(12:20):
the number of views that theywould get in a vertical product.
SPEAKER_02 (12:24):
Yeah, it really depends on the platform, but
yes, 50 million views is low.
SPEAKER_01 (12:29):
So it's hard for us to get our heads around.
Okay, well, let me ask you whatkind of film projects are the
most attractive to the brandsright now?
SPEAKER_02 (12:41):
Uh, stories with real people doing real things.
So brands love authenticity.
Documentaries are huge rightnow, but because they're
credible.
A product in a documentarydoesn't feel like an ad.
It feels like an endorsement.
Narrative features with groundedcontemporary settings also work
very well.
Everyday life scenes, familymoments, urban environments.
(13:01):
Short form vertical content,like I just mentioned, is
exploding for youngerdemographics.
Music videos still drive massiveplacement, a revenue for fashion
and uh beverage brands.
The format matters less than thestory feeling real and the
audience being clearly defined.
SPEAKER_01 (13:18):
Wonderful.
Well, what's the biggestmisconception that filmmakers
have when approaching brands forfunding?
SPEAKER_02 (13:25):
They think that they have they need a finished film.
They really don't.
Most filmmakers wait until theyhave a cut, or worse, until
they're at a festival.
And then they try to backfillbrand deals.
But by then it's too late tomake natural placements.
The real opportunity is at thescript stage.
A brand can influence what's onscreen in a way that's authentic
to the story before theproduction locks everything in.
(13:48):
The other misconception is thatbrands want control, want to
control the narrative and thecreative.
The brands we work with don'twant to rewrite your script,
they want to be in the story andthey that that already makes
sense to them.
SPEAKER_01 (14:03):
Right.
They just want to make sure thisis a story they want to be in.
That's exactly.
SPEAKER_02 (14:08):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (14:09):
They you pass that test, then it's probably a very
easy sell.
SPEAKER_02 (14:14):
Yes, we hope so.
We believe it is.
SPEAKER_01 (14:17):
And so your job is people hire you, and then you
what do you read the script andsay, here's it, here are the
places I find you can usebrands.
So we do both.
SPEAKER_02 (14:29):
We actually read the script ourselves, but we also
what we do is we built an AI, aproprietary AI technology where
we have the AI read the scriptas well.
And it and and we can extractproduct-based and opportunities
in every single scene.
SPEAKER_01 (14:44):
Wow, this is marvelous.
Okay, well, tell us how peoplefind you, Johan.
SPEAKER_02 (14:51):
So you can go to my website, it's
brandedstreams.com, and youcould basically click on to the
contact page contact us page andreach out to us, and then we'll
we'll get back to you at ASAP.
SPEAKER_01 (15:01):
Okay, perfect.
So let's talk about howfilmmakers can position
themselves.
So, how should a filmmaker beginthinking differently if they
want to attract brandpartnerships?
SPEAKER_02 (15:15):
Good question.
So, start seeing your script asan inventory of moments.
Every scene has objects,locations, behaviors.
That's all potential placementinventory.
A filmmaker who wants to attractbrands needs to look at their
story and ask what brandsnaturally live in this world?
Who are my characters and whatdo they consume?
What locations are they in?
(15:36):
When you start seeing your storythat way, you start speaking a
language brands understand.
You're not selling out, you'remonetizing authenticity that was
already baked in.
SPEAKER_01 (15:46):
Wow.
So, what does a filmmaker needto show a brand beyond just a
good story?
Are they looking at what's youraudience?
They want to understand thetotal message, or what is the
reach, or what else are theydoing?
SPEAKER_02 (16:00):
Yeah, three things.
They actually look for audience,alignment, and authenticity.
So with audience, uh, who'swatching it?
And what does it and does itmatch the brand's customer?
For alignment, does the world ofthe film feel right for the
brand's identity andauthenticity?
Does the placement feel earnedor forced?
Brands also increasingly careabout brand safety.
(16:23):
They want to know is thereanything is there anything in
the film that could embarrassus?
At brand extremes, we actuallypre-screen content for brand fit
and brand safety before we evenreach out to the brand.
That matters to brands the most,brand safety.
SPEAKER_01 (16:37):
Yes, and you make sure that the script has that in
it before you send it out.
That's great.
I remember Lily Tomlin was doinga film, and she walked in from
the store with a big TraderJoe's bag, set it on the table
right in front of the camera.
So it was a great brandingmoment for Trader Joe's.
(17:03):
And it's, you know, what'd youget at the store?
Oh, I got this and that.
She started taking things out ofthe sack.
And it was uh natural and um andit was fun to think, oh, she's
shopping at Trader Joe's becauseshe really fit that type of
person that loves to shop there.
SPEAKER_02 (17:22):
Yeah, and that's where authenticity comes in.
SPEAKER_01 (17:25):
Oh, yeah, because we believed it, you know, it felt
right.
Well, um tell me, do you have asuccess story you could share
with us?
Somebody that came to you forhelp and you were able to find
them money and branding.
SPEAKER_02 (17:42):
Yeah, I actually do.
So, like one situation where Ihad an independent film project
that we worked on, the thefilmmakers was out in in Texas,
and they had a reallyinteresting film project that
dealt with some A-list actors,and we were able to get them a
uh so in that uh film project,the actor was driving a vintage
uh um automobile.
(18:04):
But because of the brand, whenwe sent reached out to the
brands, we reached out to allautomobile automobile automobile
manufacturers that that hadsports cars, and we got uh a
brand that was interested inbeing part of the film project,
and we got that uh that thatbrand.
Actually, we actually got thecurrent model brand instead of
the vintage car into the filmproject.
(18:25):
So the the the character is nowdriving a new uh automobile
instead of an old one, and so wemade that work.
SPEAKER_01 (18:32):
Yes, that's wonderful.
So um, and and do they sometimesthese brands, do they give you
money or is it just product?
SPEAKER_02 (18:41):
They uh both.
So in this situation, theyactually gave um uh uh money to
the film project.
So the interesting thing is thatwe take brand of streams does
not take any kind of upfrontcost to the filmmaker.
We understand that independentfilmmakers don't have the
resources or the bandwidth tolook for brands and products and
to pay us to do that.
What we do is we take a certainpercentage off of any brand
(19:03):
dollars we get you.
So we take the percentage off ofthe brand dollars, the film, the
the the brand sends uh wellactually sent two vehicles to
the film location, one stuntvehicle and one uh display
vehicle, and they paid for thatuh uh uh transport, and they
also paid for the opportunity tobe placed in four scenes in the
(19:24):
film project.
SPEAKER_01 (19:25):
Wonderful.
Oh, this is this is great.
I know filmmakers would be happyto hear this.
So now the pitch turning thestory into value.
So, what does a successfulbranded content pitch look like
today?
And what elements must youinclude?
SPEAKER_02 (19:45):
Um, so it's a package, it's not a
conversation.
A strong pitch has a scriptoverview, a log line, a
synopsis, the tone, the genre, aclear demographic breakdown.
Who it who who is this for, andwhy we and why will they why
would they care?
A map of a specific placementopportunities, what we call PPOs
(20:06):
or product basementopportunities, categorized by
type.
So when we take a look at thefilm project, we can scan it by
visual, verbal, plot, location,and ambient product basement.
And then providing a pricingframework, brands are used to
buying uh media in standardizedad units.
So when you show up with astructured, professionalized
offer, you're speaking theirlanguage.
(20:28):
That that's what brands brandextremes is all has been built.
We're trying to standardizeproduct basement in films, and
uh and and then when when thefilmmaker shows up when they're
uh ready, the brands are reallyimpressed.
SPEAKER_01 (20:40):
Okay, because uh this see before they were
advertising in magazines andnewspapers where the content um
was uh mirrored, they knew howmany eyes they had on the prize
because they could add up thedistribution, uh, the number of
people reading that magazine ornewspaper.
(21:02):
So you have to really be able togive them an idea of the number
of views, right?
That this exactly.
SPEAKER_02 (21:10):
Well, so at least you could tell them.
I understand that there's notnot a lot of there's not a lot
of meaningful ways or accurateways to count um feature films
that go out in theatrical orglobal release, but at least you
could tell them the number oftheaters or what the just or the
distribution type.
SPEAKER_01 (21:27):
Oh, your disk you go to distribution.
Say we're doing uh verticals, uhvertical screenings, community
screenings, schools andcolleges, that kind of thing.
SPEAKER_02 (21:38):
Yeah, exactly.
So like for vertical, like forvertical content, you could go
you you you give the um thebrand uh the understanding of
which vertical content platformyou're gonna go on.
Are you gonna go are you gonnago into real shorts or in good
shorts or in candy jar?
So there's a lot of filmproduction uh app uh
application, uh, sorry, uh filmum uh film app uh vertical film
(22:01):
apps today that you couldbasically distribute your film
project.
SPEAKER_01 (22:04):
Okay, I got it.
So you really have to then theyknow when you say which one it's
going on, they know the contentand how many eyes are going to
see it.
SPEAKER_02 (22:14):
Yes, most of the time, a lot of the vertical
streaming apps they provide someof the um average users, and
then based on that, you coulddetermine the audience count.
SPEAKER_01 (22:24):
Great.
So let's talk about distributionand revenue.
So, how does branded contentchange the distribution model
for filmmakers?
Are brands becoming the newdistributors?
SPEAKER_02 (22:38):
Well, not exactly, uh, but they're becoming new
financiers with distributioninterest.
What what we're seeing brands,um, we're seeing brands fund
content specifically to owndistribution rights or control
where it's placed.
Think brand studios like RedBull Media House.
For indie filmmakers, it's morenuanced.
A brand partnership doesn'treplace Netflix or a
(22:59):
distributor, but it can fundproduction in a way that gives
the film the production qualityto attract this distribution.
And some brands actively want tofilm uh the film to reach
certain platforms because.
Their uh the that's where theiraudience is.
So there's an emerging alignmentthere.
So the brand might tell youwhere to screen it.
(23:20):
Yes, and some in and and in somesenses too, some brands are open
to uh you know releasing it onif it's a vertical, putting it
on to their social media and youknow, and and on their channels
or or or or you know or theirdistribution network.
So, you know, it really depends.
SPEAKER_01 (23:37):
But the brands are helping you, the brands would
only expand your distribution.
SPEAKER_02 (23:43):
That's why it's such a right time right now for
branded content because brandsare actually getting into the
fold and are really helpingthat.
SPEAKER_01 (23:50):
Wow, this is wonderful.
So um, where do you see brandedstorytelling going in the next
three to five years, especiallynow with AI changing our viewing
habits?
SPEAKER_02 (24:03):
I I believe it's gonna go in programmatic.
So, programmatic to us is likethe holy grail where you can
basically uh, you know,programmatic, AI maxed, and much
bigger than it is today in thenext three to five years.
The product-based market is a$36billion opportunity globally.
Right now, it's mostlytransacted manually,
relationship by relationshipwith major brand studios and
(24:26):
major brand and with major branddeals.
Oh, sorry, major film studios.
So we're trying to open thatspace up.
We're building an infrastructureto change that.
AI that reads scripts andservices, uh, placement
opportunities at scale,standardized ad units, the
products that brands can buy,like they buy display ads today,
(24:46):
and measurement that closes theloop after the film releases in
three to five years.
I think we'll see brandintegration become a line item
in every indie film filmmaker'sbudget, not just an
afterthought, but but a primaryfunding source structured from
day one.
SPEAKER_01 (25:01):
Fabulous, fabulous.
Okay.
If you could give independentfilmmakers one piece of advice
about working with brands, whatwould that be?
SPEAKER_02 (25:10):
Leave the story not to ask.
Don't walk into a brandconversation saying, I would
need your money to for my film.
Walk in saying, I have a I havea story that puts your product
in a for in front of the exactpeople uh you want to reach in a
moment that will make them feelsomething.
Brands don't fund films, theyinvest in audiences and emotion.
(25:32):
When you flip the framing,everything changes.
You're not asking for a favor,you're offering something
valuable.
SPEAKER_01 (25:39):
Offering something valuable.
That's great.
But do you help them?
Do you go into uh and make thatpitch yourself, or do you send
them, help them get to wherethey make the pitch?
SPEAKER_02 (25:52):
We help them get to a point where they make the
pitch.
We work in there, we walk inthere with them, we take the
notes, we generate the offeragreement that the brand and the
filmmaker signs up for.
SPEAKER_01 (26:04):
Great.
Okay, so how can filmmakersbegin today?
And what is one simple firststep they can take to move
towards brand partnerships?
SPEAKER_02 (26:15):
Really, it's just reading your script like a brand
would.
Go through your script andhighlight every product,
location, piece of clothing,technology, or food that
appears.
That's that's that list is yourplacement history, uh, your
placement inventory.
Then ask yourself, what realbrands live in that space?
And do their consumer customerslook like my audience?
(26:35):
That exercise, which costs younothing, is the foundation of
everything.
Once you see your story asinventory, you're ready.
That's where branded streamstarts, and that's where we
could help you with uh, we couldhelp any filmmaker.
SPEAKER_01 (26:47):
My gosh, thank you so much, Johan.
This is terrific information.
And I think in the nowadays,with funding being cut so much,
this is like opening a new doorto a whole new world out there,
right?
SPEAKER_02 (27:04):
Yeah, we believe so.
We believe so.
We're really trying to help uhup-and-coming filmmakers get
their stories told.
And because of this, with brandwith branded content and brand
sponsors going into trying tofund film projects, trying to be
part of the story, it reallyhelps.
SPEAKER_01 (27:19):
Well, tell us again how to find you.
SPEAKER_02 (27:21):
Go to brandedstreams.com,
www.brandedstreams.com, and youcan find us.
SPEAKER_01 (27:27):
Okay, great.
I really thank you for joiningus today.
And what I hope you all takefrom the conversation is that
there are more ways than ever tofind your film, but they require
you to think differently.
You're not just a filmmaker, youare a creator of value, a
storyteller with the ability toconnect ideas, audiences, and
(27:51):
opportunities.
Branding your film is not aboutgiving something up, it's about
expanding what is possible.
And when you understand how toalign your story with the right
partners, when you learn how tocommunicate the value of what
you're creating, then you stepinto a new level of
(28:12):
independence.
You no longer wait, you start tobuild.
And so I want to encourage youto trust that ability within
yourself because you haveeverything you need to move
forward, to raise the funding,to find your audience, to create
a film that matters.
Take one step today, move yourfilm forward, reach out, start
(28:34):
the conversation, and share yourvision because your film is not
just a project, it's a bridgebetween you and the people who
are meant to experience it.
And when you believe in that,others will too.
So I'm Carol Dean.
This is the Art of Film Funding.
Keep creating, keep connecting,and keep moving forward.
(28:56):
Thank you.
Thank you, Claire, for yourkindness and Johan for your
information.
SPEAKER_02 (29:03):
Thanks, Carol.
What if your film isn't just a story but a
valuable asset that brands areactively looking for?
SPEAKER_00 (01:28):
Hello, I'm Claire Papan, co-pro co-producer with
Carol Dean, president of Fromthe Heart Productions.
We're so glad you could join usfor the Art of Film Funding
podcast, where we explore boththe creative and practical paths
to making your films.
Today's conversation isespecially important for
(01:51):
filmmakers navigating a rapidlychanging industry.
Traditional funding is becomingmore uncertain.
Distribution models areshifting, and filmmakers are
being asked to think beyond theold systems.
In this episode, we're divinginto one of the most powerful
(02:14):
opportunities emerging rightnow: branded content.
What if your film could befunded not by waiting for a
studio or investor, but byaligning your story with a brand
that shares your message andyour audience?
What if branding wasn't acompromise, but a creative
(02:37):
partnership?
Our guest, Johan Garcia, founderof Branded Streams, is at the
forefront of this movement.
He works with filmmakers andcreators to help them understand
how to position their projectsas valuable storytelling
opportunities for brands,opening new doors for financing,
(03:02):
marketing, and distribution.
If you've ever wondered how tofund your film in today's
landscape, if you've struggledwith raising money or reaching
your audience, or if you'reready to think differently about
your career as a filmmaker, thisepisode will give you both
insight and practical direction.
(03:25):
Because the future of filmmakingis not just about creating
stories, it's about connectingthem to the world in new and
meaningful ways.
Let's begin.
Our special guest, Johan Garcia,is the founder of Branded
Streams, a platform and strategycompany focused on helping
(03:48):
filmmakers and content creatorsfinance, produce, and distribute
projects through brandpartnerships and integrated
storytelling.
With a background at theintersection of media,
marketing, and digitaldistribution, Johan specializes
(04:09):
in connecting filmmakers withbrands in a way that aligns
creative vision with commercialopportunity.
His work explores how brandedcontent can serve as both a
funding model and a distributionpathway, allowing filmmakers to
(04:30):
bypass traditional gatekeeperswhile building sustainable,
audience-driven careers.
Johan is particularly focused onhelping independent creators
understand how to position theirprojects as valuable
storytelling assets for brandsrather than simply seeking
(04:51):
sponsorship.
Transforming the filmmaker intoa strategic partner in today's
evolving content ecosystem.
And Carol, I think your brandingfilm is important for all
filmmakers, right?
SPEAKER_01 (05:07):
Yes, because we need to know all we can about
branding.
And we thank you, Johan, forjoining us.
SPEAKER_02 (05:15):
Nice to be here, Claire and um uh and Carol.
Thanks very much for having me.
SPEAKER_01 (05:20):
Certainly.
What we're going to do is getinto the big picture.
What is branded content today?
So, for filmmakers who are newto this concept, how do you
define branded content and howis it different from traditional
film financing or sponsorship?
SPEAKER_02 (05:40):
Think of it this way
puts a logo on something, whilebranded content puts a brand
inside the story.
Traditional filmmaking meansgiving up equity or creative
control.
You take investor money and theywant and they want a say.
Old school sponsorship is a logoon a poster or a credit at the
end.
Branded content is different.
(06:02):
It is it's a it's what a productor a brand actually live inside
the world of the film.
A character uses it, mentionsit, makes a decision because of
it.
It feels real because it isreal.
The brand isn't interrupting thestory, it's part of it.
That's the decision we built atBranded Streams.
SPEAKER_01 (06:20):
So you might have a computer, and um, because let's
say it's a filmmaker, um,they're doing a documentary, and
uh they need to buy uh the thecontent of the documentary, the
one we're following decides tobuy that they need a computer,
so they would then buy thecomputer that is the brand you
(06:43):
want to because it would be anecessary thing in the film,
correct?
SPEAKER_02 (06:49):
Yes, uh some brands actually even provide the
computer for you.
If they like the the documentaryuh well enough, they'll send you
the computer, you could use it,and then you just send it back.
SPEAKER_01 (06:59):
All right.
So that could be Dell or somemostly I would think American
manufactured items would bereally special for content.
SPEAKER_02 (07:10):
Yes, exactly.
And Dell does do that type of umuh in-kind product placement,
you might call.
SPEAKER_01 (07:16):
Great.
So it's a matter of having avery good ask and contacting
them.
SPEAKER_02 (07:22):
Yes, exactly.
Having the right package, youmight say.
SPEAKER_01 (07:25):
The right package.
Okay.
So why are brands becoming sucha powerful force in content
creation right now?
And what are they looking forthat filmmakers can provide?
SPEAKER_02 (07:38):
Well, ad skipping changed everything.
Audiences are skippingpre-rolls, fast-forwarding
through commercials, usingad-free tiers.
Traditional advertising isgetting harder to land.
Meanwhile, when a character onscreen picks up a brand, you
can't skip that.
You're emotionally engaged inthe story, and the brand rides
that engagement with you.
(07:58):
Brands have figured this out.
They want to be they want to bein the story, not between the
stories.
And with streaming exploding andmore content being made more
than ever, the inventory of uhplacement opportunities is
massive.
The timing isn't couldn't be betany better.
SPEAKER_01 (08:13):
Okay.
Well, the point that people haveto understand is you don't just
put a brand in your film, youhave to have someone to help you
get the approval to do that,right?
SPEAKER_02 (08:26):
Yes, you do.
SPEAKER_01 (08:28):
Every every manufacturer has an approval
process, and I've read that mostof the time they want to read
your script to see how you'repositioning the product and what
is the content of your script.
So, because they spent millionsprobably marketing their product
(08:50):
and they want it to have aspecial place in people's
hearts.
So they first want to make surehow you're uh showing their
brand and what the rest of thecontent is, right?
SPEAKER_02 (09:02):
Uh you're absolutely right, Carol.
The one thing that we found isthat when the brand does want to
sponsor your film project, theywant to read your script, they
want to make sure that it'sexactly uh the product, the the
story that they want to be partof.
SPEAKER_01 (09:16):
They want to be part of that story, right?
SPEAKER_02 (09:18):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (09:19):
Okay.
So um opportunities forfilmmakers uh abound here.
Do you see branded content as areplacement for traditional
financing, or is it acomplementary strategy?
SPEAKER_02 (09:36):
Uh it's complementary, but uh it can
fill the gaps that traditionalfinancing never could.
So there's we I found thatthere's 10 different ways to
fund a film project.
There's private equity, there'sco-production, there's
pre-sales, there's debtfinancing, there's tax
intensives and rebates, there'scrowdfunding, there's grants and
(09:57):
film funds, there's studiofinancing, and even more, the
the most uh the most popular isself-financing.
And product placement isactually, you know, just one of
the one of the 10, right?
I wouldn't tell the filmmaker toabandon their grant applications
or equity rounds, but brandedcontent is non-dilutive.
(10:17):
You're not giving up a piece ofyour film, you're not monetize,
you're monetizing the momentsthat already exist in your
script.
When a character drinks coffeein scene four, that's already
there.
If we can match the right coffeebrand in that moment, the
filmmaker gets funding and keepsfull ownership.
So it complements everythingelse.
And for indie filmmakers whostruggle to access traditional
(10:38):
money, it's it's often the onlybridge they have.
SPEAKER_01 (10:41):
Well, are you working mostly with
documentaries or features?
SPEAKER_02 (10:47):
I'm mainly working with features and documentaries
for both.
So any filmmaker that has eithera feature or documentary, we're
all there.
We're all in.
SPEAKER_01 (10:56):
That's great to know because documentaries sometimes
uh don't have anyone to helpthem with uh branding.
So this is good to know thatyou're available.
So you what you do work with theindependent documentary
filmmaker, right?
SPEAKER_02 (11:12):
Yes, yes, exactly.
Exactly.
We work with feature films,shorts, documentaries,
television shows, TV series, andnow more than ever, vertical
content.
SPEAKER_01 (11:24):
Vertical?
Oh, that's going crazy.
So you're helping them?
Oh my gosh, that should be goodmoney for vertical.
SPEAKER_02 (11:32):
Yes, and it's a lot lower price point than trying to
get into a feature.
And at the same time, youactually can get uh uh exposure
faster from if a brand decidesto sponsor you.
The brand can get exposurefaster because features, when
you basically sponsor a feature,it takes at least a year or two
before a feature could release,while verticals it could release
within the same within sixmonths.
SPEAKER_01 (11:53):
Within six months, yes, they're gonna see eyeballs,
uh, eyes on the prize quicker.
SPEAKER_02 (11:59):
Yes, exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (12:00):
Exactly.
And I was talking to a woman inwho works in the vertical
industry, and she's a creator,and she says that 50 million
views is low.
Can you imagine?
So for a branding company or fora product, that's incredible,
(12:20):
the number of views that theywould get in a vertical product.
SPEAKER_02 (12:24):
Yeah, it really depends on the platform, but
yes, 50 million views is low.
SPEAKER_01 (12:29):
So it's hard for us to get our heads around.
Okay, well, let me ask you whatkind of film projects are the
most attractive to the brandsright now?
SPEAKER_02 (12:41):
Uh, stories with real people doing real things.
So brands love authenticity.
Documentaries are huge rightnow, but because they're
credible.
A product in a documentarydoesn't feel like an ad.
It feels like an endorsement.
Narrative features with groundedcontemporary settings also work
very well.
Everyday life scenes, familymoments, urban environments.
(13:01):
Short form vertical content,like I just mentioned, is
exploding for youngerdemographics.
Music videos still drive massiveplacement, a revenue for fashion
and uh beverage brands.
The format matters less than thestory feeling real and the
audience being clearly defined.
SPEAKER_01 (13:18):
Wonderful.
Well, what's the biggestmisconception that filmmakers
have when approaching brands forfunding?
SPEAKER_02 (13:25):
They think that they have they need a finished film.
They really don't.
Most filmmakers wait until theyhave a cut, or worse, until
they're at a festival.
And then they try to backfillbrand deals.
But by then it's too late tomake natural placements.
The real opportunity is at thescript stage.
A brand can influence what's onscreen in a way that's authentic
to the story before theproduction locks everything in.
(13:48):
The other misconception is thatbrands want control, want to
control the narrative and thecreative.
The brands we work with don'twant to rewrite your script,
they want to be in the story andthey that that already makes
sense to them.
SPEAKER_01 (14:03):
Right.
They just want to make sure thisis a story they want to be in.
That's exactly.
SPEAKER_02 (14:08):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (14:09):
They you pass that test, then it's probably a very
easy sell.
SPEAKER_02 (14:14):
Yes, we hope so.
We believe it is.
SPEAKER_01 (14:17):
And so your job is people hire you, and then you
what do you read the script andsay, here's it, here are the
places I find you can usebrands.
So we do both.
SPEAKER_02 (14:29):
We actually read the script ourselves, but we also
what we do is we built an AI, aproprietary AI technology where
we have the AI read the scriptas well.
And it and and we can extractproduct-based and opportunities
in every single scene.
SPEAKER_01 (14:44):
Wow, this is marvelous.
Okay, well, tell us how peoplefind you, Johan.
SPEAKER_02 (14:51):
So you can go to my website, it's
brandedstreams.com, and youcould basically click on to the
contact page contact us page andreach out to us, and then we'll
we'll get back to you at ASAP.
SPEAKER_01 (15:01):
Okay, perfect.
So let's talk about howfilmmakers can position
themselves.
So, how should a filmmaker beginthinking differently if they
want to attract brandpartnerships?
SPEAKER_02 (15:15):
Good question.
So, start seeing your script asan inventory of moments.
Every scene has objects,locations, behaviors.
That's all potential placementinventory.
A filmmaker who wants to attractbrands needs to look at their
story and ask what brandsnaturally live in this world?
Who are my characters and whatdo they consume?
What locations are they in?
(15:36):
When you start seeing your storythat way, you start speaking a
language brands understand.
You're not selling out, you'remonetizing authenticity that was
already baked in.
SPEAKER_01 (15:46):
Wow.
So, what does a filmmaker needto show a brand beyond just a
good story?
Are they looking at what's youraudience?
They want to understand thetotal message, or what is the
reach, or what else are theydoing?
SPEAKER_02 (16:00):
Yeah, three things.
They actually look for audience,alignment, and authenticity.
So with audience, uh, who'swatching it?
And what does it and does itmatch the brand's customer?
For alignment, does the world ofthe film feel right for the
brand's identity andauthenticity?
Does the placement feel earnedor forced?
Brands also increasingly careabout brand safety.
(16:23):
They want to know is thereanything is there anything in
the film that could embarrassus?
At brand extremes, we actuallypre-screen content for brand fit
and brand safety before we evenreach out to the brand.
That matters to brands the most,brand safety.
SPEAKER_01 (16:37):
Yes, and you make sure that the script has that in
it before you send it out.
That's great.
I remember Lily Tomlin was doinga film, and she walked in from
the store with a big TraderJoe's bag, set it on the table
right in front of the camera.
So it was a great brandingmoment for Trader Joe's.
(17:03):
And it's, you know, what'd youget at the store?
Oh, I got this and that.
She started taking things out ofthe sack.
And it was uh natural and um andit was fun to think, oh, she's
shopping at Trader Joe's becauseshe really fit that type of
person that loves to shop there.
SPEAKER_02 (17:22):
Yeah, and that's where authenticity comes in.
SPEAKER_01 (17:25):
Oh, yeah, because we believed it, you know, it felt
right.
Well, um tell me, do you have asuccess story you could share
with us?
Somebody that came to you forhelp and you were able to find
them money and branding.
SPEAKER_02 (17:42):
Yeah, I actually do.
So, like one situation where Ihad an independent film project
that we worked on, the thefilmmakers was out in in Texas,
and they had a reallyinteresting film project that
dealt with some A-list actors,and we were able to get them a
uh so in that uh film project,the actor was driving a vintage
uh um automobile.
(18:04):
But because of the brand, whenwe sent reached out to the
brands, we reached out to allautomobile automobile automobile
manufacturers that that hadsports cars, and we got uh a
brand that was interested inbeing part of the film project,
and we got that uh that thatbrand.
Actually, we actually got thecurrent model brand instead of
the vintage car into the filmproject.
(18:25):
So the the the character is nowdriving a new uh automobile
instead of an old one, and so wemade that work.
SPEAKER_01 (18:32):
Yes, that's wonderful.
So um, and and do they sometimesthese brands, do they give you
money or is it just product?
SPEAKER_02 (18:41):
They uh both.
So in this situation, theyactually gave um uh uh money to
the film project.
So the interesting thing is thatwe take brand of streams does
not take any kind of upfrontcost to the filmmaker.
We understand that independentfilmmakers don't have the
resources or the bandwidth tolook for brands and products and
to pay us to do that.
What we do is we take a certainpercentage off of any brand
(19:03):
dollars we get you.
So we take the percentage off ofthe brand dollars, the film, the
the the brand sends uh wellactually sent two vehicles to
the film location, one stuntvehicle and one uh display
vehicle, and they paid for thatuh uh uh transport, and they
also paid for the opportunity tobe placed in four scenes in the
(19:24):
film project.
SPEAKER_01 (19:25):
Wonderful.
Oh, this is this is great.
I know filmmakers would be happyto hear this.
So now the pitch turning thestory into value.
So, what does a successfulbranded content pitch look like
today?
And what elements must youinclude?
SPEAKER_02 (19:45):
Um, so it's a package, it's not a
conversation.
A strong pitch has a scriptoverview, a log line, a
synopsis, the tone, the genre, aclear demographic breakdown.
Who it who who is this for, andwhy we and why will they why
would they care?
A map of a specific placementopportunities, what we call PPOs
(20:06):
or product basementopportunities, categorized by
type.
So when we take a look at thefilm project, we can scan it by
visual, verbal, plot, location,and ambient product basement.
And then providing a pricingframework, brands are used to
buying uh media in standardizedad units.
So when you show up with astructured, professionalized
offer, you're speaking theirlanguage.
(20:28):
That that's what brands brandextremes is all has been built.
We're trying to standardizeproduct basement in films, and
uh and and then when when thefilmmaker shows up when they're
uh ready, the brands are reallyimpressed.
SPEAKER_01 (20:40):
Okay, because uh this see before they were
advertising in magazines andnewspapers where the content um
was uh mirrored, they knew howmany eyes they had on the prize
because they could add up thedistribution, uh, the number of
people reading that magazine ornewspaper.
(21:02):
So you have to really be able togive them an idea of the number
of views, right?
That this exactly.
SPEAKER_02 (21:10):
Well, so at least you could tell them.
I understand that there's notnot a lot of there's not a lot
of meaningful ways or accurateways to count um feature films
that go out in theatrical orglobal release, but at least you
could tell them the number oftheaters or what the just or the
distribution type.
SPEAKER_01 (21:27):
Oh, your disk you go to distribution.
Say we're doing uh verticals, uhvertical screenings, community
screenings, schools andcolleges, that kind of thing.
SPEAKER_02 (21:38):
Yeah, exactly.
So like for vertical, like forvertical content, you could go
you you you give the um thebrand uh the understanding of
which vertical content platformyou're gonna go on.
Are you gonna go are you gonnago into real shorts or in good
shorts or in candy jar?
So there's a lot of filmproduction uh app uh
application, uh, sorry, uh filmum uh film app uh vertical film
(22:01):
apps today that you couldbasically distribute your film
project.
SPEAKER_01 (22:04):
Okay, I got it.
So you really have to then theyknow when you say which one it's
going on, they know the contentand how many eyes are going to
see it.
SPEAKER_02 (22:14):
Yes, most of the time, a lot of the vertical
streaming apps they provide someof the um average users, and
then based on that, you coulddetermine the audience count.
SPEAKER_01 (22:24):
Great.
So let's talk about distributionand revenue.
So, how does branded contentchange the distribution model
for filmmakers?
Are brands becoming the newdistributors?
SPEAKER_02 (22:38):
Well, not exactly, uh, but they're becoming new
financiers with distributioninterest.
What what we're seeing brands,um, we're seeing brands fund
content specifically to owndistribution rights or control
where it's placed.
Think brand studios like RedBull Media House.
For indie filmmakers, it's morenuanced.
A brand partnership doesn'treplace Netflix or a
(22:59):
distributor, but it can fundproduction in a way that gives
the film the production qualityto attract this distribution.
And some brands actively want tofilm uh the film to reach
certain platforms because.
Their uh the that's where theiraudience is.
So there's an emerging alignmentthere.
So the brand might tell youwhere to screen it.
(23:20):
Yes, and some in and and in somesenses too, some brands are open
to uh you know releasing it onif it's a vertical, putting it
on to their social media and youknow, and and on their channels
or or or or you know or theirdistribution network.
So, you know, it really depends.
SPEAKER_01 (23:37):
But the brands are helping you, the brands would
only expand your distribution.
SPEAKER_02 (23:43):
That's why it's such a right time right now for
branded content because brandsare actually getting into the
fold and are really helpingthat.
SPEAKER_01 (23:50):
Wow, this is wonderful.
So um, where do you see brandedstorytelling going in the next
three to five years, especiallynow with AI changing our viewing
habits?
SPEAKER_02 (24:03):
I I believe it's gonna go in programmatic.
So, programmatic to us is likethe holy grail where you can
basically uh, you know,programmatic, AI maxed, and much
bigger than it is today in thenext three to five years.
The product-based market is a$36billion opportunity globally.
Right now, it's mostlytransacted manually,
relationship by relationshipwith major brand studios and
(24:26):
major brand and with major branddeals.
Oh, sorry, major film studios.
So we're trying to open thatspace up.
We're building an infrastructureto change that.
AI that reads scripts andservices, uh, placement
opportunities at scale,standardized ad units, the
products that brands can buy,like they buy display ads today,
(24:46):
and measurement that closes theloop after the film releases in
three to five years.
I think we'll see brandintegration become a line item
in every indie film filmmaker'sbudget, not just an
afterthought, but but a primaryfunding source structured from
day one.
SPEAKER_01 (25:01):
Fabulous, fabulous.
Okay.
If you could give independentfilmmakers one piece of advice
about working with brands, whatwould that be?
SPEAKER_02 (25:10):
Leave the story not to ask.
Don't walk into a brandconversation saying, I would
need your money to for my film.
Walk in saying, I have a I havea story that puts your product
in a for in front of the exactpeople uh you want to reach in a
moment that will make them feelsomething.
Brands don't fund films, theyinvest in audiences and emotion.
(25:32):
When you flip the framing,everything changes.
You're not asking for a favor,you're offering something
valuable.
SPEAKER_01 (25:39):
Offering something valuable.
That's great.
But do you help them?
Do you go into uh and make thatpitch yourself, or do you send
them, help them get to wherethey make the pitch?
SPEAKER_02 (25:52):
We help them get to a point where they make the
pitch.
We work in there, we walk inthere with them, we take the
notes, we generate the offeragreement that the brand and the
filmmaker signs up for.
SPEAKER_01 (26:04):
Great.
Okay, so how can filmmakersbegin today?
And what is one simple firststep they can take to move
towards brand partnerships?
SPEAKER_02 (26:15):
Really, it's just reading your script like a brand
would.
Go through your script andhighlight every product,
location, piece of clothing,technology, or food that
appears.
That's that's that list is yourplacement history, uh, your
placement inventory.
Then ask yourself, what realbrands live in that space?
And do their consumer customerslook like my audience?
(26:35):
That exercise, which costs younothing, is the foundation of
everything.
Once you see your story asinventory, you're ready.
That's where branded streamstarts, and that's where we
could help you with uh, we couldhelp any filmmaker.
SPEAKER_01 (26:47):
My gosh, thank you so much, Johan.
This is terrific information.
And I think in the nowadays,with funding being cut so much,
this is like opening a new doorto a whole new world out there,
right?
SPEAKER_02 (27:04):
Yeah, we believe so.
We believe so.
We're really trying to help uhup-and-coming filmmakers get
their stories told.
And because of this, with brandwith branded content and brand
sponsors going into trying tofund film projects, trying to be
part of the story, it reallyhelps.
SPEAKER_01 (27:19):
Well, tell us again how to find you.
SPEAKER_02 (27:21):
Go to brandedstreams.com,
www.brandedstreams.com, and youcan find us.
SPEAKER_01 (27:27):
Okay, great.
I really thank you for joiningus today.
And what I hope you all takefrom the conversation is that
there are more ways than ever tofind your film, but they require
you to think differently.
You're not just a filmmaker, youare a creator of value, a
storyteller with the ability toconnect ideas, audiences, and
(27:51):
opportunities.
Branding your film is not aboutgiving something up, it's about
expanding what is possible.
And when you understand how toalign your story with the right
partners, when you learn how tocommunicate the value of what
you're creating, then you stepinto a new level of
(28:12):
independence.
You no longer wait, you start tobuild.
And so I want to encourage youto trust that ability within
yourself because you haveeverything you need to move
forward, to raise the funding,to find your audience, to create
a film that matters.
Take one step today, move yourfilm forward, reach out, start
(28:34):
the conversation, and share yourvision because your film is not
just a project, it's a bridgebetween you and the people who
are meant to experience it.
And when you believe in that,others will too.
So I'm Carol Dean.
This is the Art of Film Funding.
Keep creating, keep connecting,and keep moving forward.
(28:56):
Thank you.
Thank you, Claire, for yourkindness and Johan for your
information.
SPEAKER_02 (29:03):
Thanks, Carol.
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