Tip of the Spear

Last week, I polled our Buzztown community to see where everyone stands in the Auteur 2.0 journey (see more here).

The results?

• Phase 1 - Ideation: Ideas but haven't started testing (58%)

• Phase 2 - Experimentation: Testing content, learning what works (42%)

• Phase 3 - Traction: Hitting viral moments, adapting formats (0%)

• Phase 4 - Monetization:  Converting strangers into subscribers (0%).

At first, this felt discouraging. Then I remembered something my previous mentor Pace Morby (a real estate billionaire) used to say: "We're the tip of the spear."

I helped take Pace from 10K to 100K to well over 500K subscribers, and he'd constantly remind me that being first means being uncomfortable. There's no roadmap when you're pioneering a path.

This is why it's hard. We're literally creating the Auteur 2.0 movement from scratch.

Traditional filmmaking has a century of proven paths. Film school curricula. Industry mentors. Clear hierarchies. You know the steps, even if they take decades (but those steps are no longer working).

But Auteur 2.0? We're writing the playbook as we go.

The good news: Being early means unlimited upside. When everyone else figures this out in 5 years, we'll already have the audience, the leverage, and the track record.

The reality check: Most of us are still in the "having ideas" phase because turning film concepts into viral content requires a completely different skill set. It's not just about great storytelling anymore — it's about hooks, algorithms, and retention rates.

Here's what I'm learning from being in Phase 2 myself:

The transition from ideation to experimentation isn't about having better ideas. It's about shipping imperfect content consistently. My Brad Pitt video wasn't genius — it was me following a proven viral formula and hitting publish.

Phase 1 people think they need the perfect concept. Phase 2 people know they need volume to find what works.

If you're stuck in Phase 1: Pick one film idea and turn it into 10 different pieces of content this week. Test hooks, not perfection.

If you're in Phase 2 with me: Focus on hit rate. One viral video is luck. Five is a pattern. Ten is a system.

The phases that matter (3 and 4) are still empty because this movement is brand new. But that's exactly why we'll be the ones filling them first.

Talk soon,

- Brock Swinson

P.S. My filmmaking mentor Brooks Elms created the free AUTEUR 2.0 Playbook that shows exactly how to bypass Hollywood entirely. Get it here.