Co-Founder of Lean Filmmaking
Kylie Eddy has an impressive track record in the filmmaking industry. As the Co-founder of Lean Filmmaking, Kylie has spent 10+ years producing, writing and directing films which have screened at festivals all around the planet. On a more personal level, you could say that Kylie experiments in minimalism and creativity!
Kylie on Instagram:
@kylieeddy
Lean Filmmaking Website:
leanfilmmaking.com
Lean Filmmaking Instagram:
@LeanFilmmaking
Verbatim from the transcripts — each quote links to the moment.
“I'm just going to say you're not asking money per se. You're selling a product.”
“Yeah. And I guess this is part of the idea as creators now in this new world. And even like when I was raising money in this way. So it was before the cusp of actually of crowdfunding. So crowdfunding platforms didn't exist. They kind of came about maybe 18 months to 2 years later in the very first instance, but still were not recognized. You know, they were still brand new. And so I think just this idea as a creator, if you want to have control of your future and if you want to have control of what you're producing, it's time to get really fucking comfortable with asking for support, whether that's financial, audience, attention. And ultimately, people are happy to do that if you take them on the journey. So for example, the film that I made is one of the few lesbian feature films that has ever been made in this country. It is very obscure. You will not be able to find it.”
“It's actually— we're so lucky that actually now the cameras are so great... you just don't actually need that if you're really clear about I don't have to do everything right in the first go.”
“People think that that's where films are made, on set, but actually films are just really executed on set, and it's the least creative place ever.”
“I don't really care about titles or status or even money in that kind of way. But I do care deeply about am I doing something with integrity?”
“Cutting out categories is awesome.”
“I would recommend every single person in this country going and seeing The Australian Dream.”
How should creators approach asking people for money/investment?
Get comfortable with asking for support (financial, audience, attention) by framing it as selling a product/experience rather than just asking for cash, and take people on the journey with you.
How can creators/filmmakers sustainably monetise their work?
Diversify income streams beyond ads/grants — sell merch, tour tickets, live experiences, online courses, and books — because audiences increasingly expect free content and won't pay for everything.
What are the core principles of lean filmmaking?
Start with a small collaborative squad using everyone's skills; invest in story before production value; be fan-first by treating the audience as the real boss; and prioritise doing over planning, then repeat a make-screen-adjust cycle.
Kylie Eddy describes raising money from individual investors via the 10BA tax scheme, treating investors as patrons given set visits and sausage-roll lunches, shooting on tape in regional Victoria, and selling the finished film to a US distributor who then folded before paying her.
After finishing her feature in 2007, Kylie describes being emotionally and financially burnt out, her relationship struggling, and being unable to get hired for directing work afterward, which she attributes partly to industry sexism and homophobia.
Kylie recounts her software-developer brother telling her she made her film 'a dumb way' and should use agile methodology instead, which she initially dismissed as bullshit before later fully embracing it.
After a relationship breakup around six years prior, Kylie gave away 90% of her possessions and lived in the Blackman art-series hotel for five months, having the minibar removed and relying on weekly housekeeping, as part of embracing minimalism.
Drawn from the episode transcripts.
A methodology developed by Kylie Eddy and her brother that applies agile/lean startup principles to filmmaking, prioritising collaboration, story before production values, fan-focus, and an iterative 'make-screen-adjust' cycle over the traditional linear film production process.
From episode 425→She raised money from individual investors at a $5,000 level using the Australian 10BA tax scheme, which gave investors a 100% tax deduction in exchange for being 'patrons' who could visit set and experience the production, rather than expecting their investment back.
From episode 425→The Agile Manifesto was written by around 12 software developers roughly in 2001 as a set of principles for building software better — emphasising people over process, customer testing, and iterative small releases. It later expanded into agile project management and other industries, including Kylie Eddy's lean filmmaking approach.
From episode 425→Mentioned on 2 episodes Kyliewasn’t on.
Every episode featuring Kylie Eddy on The Daily Talk Show.
