Why You Should Run Your Organization Like Angel Studios

Michael Brown

In late 2017 a hit new TV series crashed into the cultural zeitgeist. It was met with rave reviews, strong audience response, and general widespread acclaim. That TV series was “The Chosen” a live-action TV series about the apostles of Jesus Christ.

If that’s surprising to you, you’d be in good company. Christian television programming is notoriously sub-par, to the point of being a running joke. But “The Chosen” is good- like really good. What’s more is that it was made by Angel studios, a hitherto obscure production house. So, the question arises: just what was so different about Angel studios? What is the secret sauce that brought them success where so many others tend to fail? The answer: the way they do business.

Most film and media organizations tend to be run behind closed doors. Generally, a board of directors and other industry insiders are left to divine what they think should and shouldn’t get made with little to no outside input. Even in mainstream media, this methodology tends to work out poorly: a lot of what gets made, 18.6%, ends up being a flop.

The tragedy of this huge waste of effort gets even worse when you consider the fact that the successful completion and release of a film or tv show is basically a small miracle. For example, look at what happened to WB’s Batgirl film: a complete and finished film product was simply annihilated from existence, because of the decision of the studio’s new owners. They didn’t release it, because these industry insiders thought that the film wouldn’t do well, for whatever reason, and so that they could claim it as a multi-million-dollar loss. I’m sure that money won’t be fettered away on some ill-conceived reboot of yet another ’80s franchise.

Angel studios do things differently. Every project that gets green-lit is approved, not by a cabal of elites, but by the normal people who commit to the work at Angel. Investors, basically their term for donors, show a 10–15-minute clip of proposed work and then vote on whether or not they think that project should exist. How has this worked out? In the words of Angel studios co-founder, Jeff Harmon, “when you get all these people with really different perspectives…you get really great decisions,”. This crowdsourced decision-making is the key to Angel’s success.

This unique way of making decisions has a whole series of benefits. For one, it results in works being made only if they already have a committed and excited audience. This means that almost none of their work is dead on arrival. So, in a world where Netflix seems to cancel every other show they put out, programs are actually given a sense of security. For example, the upcoming show The Wingfeather Saga, releasing this December, already has a script written for season 2 and which will get made.

But the main benefit of this model is that it results in really great projects. Because the number of people who have to approve of each project is so great, and their experiences are so diverse, only the best of the best projects get released. “95% of what gets shown doesn’t pass the jury,” says Harmon. When no one narrow consideration can get a project held up or moved up unjustly, there is only one thing that will assure success: quality.

In short, when organizations lead with their team and customers, they can accomplish truly astonishing things. By creating a large, inclusive, and diverse pool of decision-makers, organizations can find the narrow gate to success and prosperity. May Angel Studio’s tribe increase!

Sources: