69. Niels Juul on Authentic Storytelling, Algorithms and Decentralising Hollywood

Future of Film Podcast with Alex Stolz

"You're only as good as the creative you surround yourself with." Niels Juul Niels Juul is a producer with expertise in financing and packaging major features, with a track record of working with top directors including Martin Scorsese and Michael Mann. More recently, Niels has become a strong advocate of Web3 and NFTs in the film space, founding NFT Studios as a way to stimulate more original, audience-focused storytelling In this episode, Niels shares how he broke into the industry from fashion and the life changing moment he dropped everything to fly across the country to meet with Martin Scorsese. He also discusses the 'tyranny of the algorithm' and why originality is essential to the future of screen content. And we deep dive into Web3, DAOs and NFTS, as Niels reveals why realising his vision of a decentralised Hollywood has been harder than imagined. Some of the topics covered include: - Niall's career journey and insights from working with Scorsese - The process of bringing Martin Scorsese's film "Silence" to life - NFTs as a financing model and its potential to democratise film financing - The impact of decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs) on the film industry - Authentic storytelling and the importance of artists, writers, and directors in content creation - Tips on succeeding in the industry, storytelling and NFTs - The future of film and its impact on culture About Niels Juul Niels Juul is an executive producer with expertise in financing and packaging features and a history of working with the top directors in the industry. Before starting his career in film, Niels co-founded and ran the world-renowned fashion & lifestyle brand Von Dutch and was responsible for bringing it to prominence. After excelling in the fashion world, in 2008, Niels was tapped as the CEO of Italian-American film company Cecchi Gori Pictures, with a mandate to restructure its operations and business. During the span of 5 years, Juul was instrumental in winning an 18 million USD judgment from previous management, securing a lucrative multi-million dollar global distribution deal for its film library, and bringing the company to profitability for the first time in 20 years while financing its first major film production: Martin Scorsese’s “SILENCE”. Since then, he has worked on numerous films of prestige including, “THE IRISHMAN”, “KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON”, and “FERRARI” which is currently filming in Italy. Juul currently runs No Fat Ego (based in Los Angeles), a multi-functioning production company with the aim to produce meaningful content made by exceptional writers, producers, and directors.