04 July, 2025

How can we better prepare Europe’s film producers for success in an increasingly complex, competitive industry? That question lies at the heart of a new episode of the ScreenME Podcast, featuring Dr. Niall O’Leary from the Hincks Centre for Entrepreneurship Excellence at Munster Technological University (MTU).

In the episode—titled "Beyond the Pitch: Rethinking Training for Film Producer Success"—Dr. O’Leary challenges traditional assumptions around producer development and offers an alternative model grounded in entrepreneurial thinking. Drawing on recent work from the CresCine project, he argues that film producer training often overlooks a crucial step: strategic self-assessment before execution.

"We’re discussing with producers not just what to do, but also what not to do. That’s a cognitive shift that training rarely addresses."” O’Leary explains.

Rethinking the Foundations

While many training programmes focus on pitching, financing, or production logistics, CresCine’s approach brings in field-tested entrepreneurial methods that help producers define clear success criteria, identify risky assumptions, and stress-test project plans early on. These tools—common in business, tech, and agriculture—have proven surprisingly effective when adapted for the creative industries.

As O’Leary notes in the podcast, entrepreneurship research highlights the value of deliberate goal-setting, iterative learning, and structured feedback loops. When applied to film, these methods not only sharpen creative strategy but also provide producers with the confidence to make informed decisions—especially in high-stakes, resource-constrained environments.

“I"It's not about replacing creativity with business logic—it's about giving creators the strategic clarity to thrive."

A Collaborative Effort:

The work featured in the episode is the result of ongoing collaboration between MTU’s Hincks Centre, the CresCine consortium, and industry professionals across Europe. Special thanks are due to Fiacre Muller, Nic Flanagan, Anneli Ahven, and Pádraig Trehy, who have each played key roles in shaping and piloting this innovative approach.

The episode is hosted by Ulrike Rohn, Professor at the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School at Tallinn University and lead on the ScreenME project, which explores entrepreneurial ecosystems in the media sector.

Listen & Learn

The full episode is available now on Spotify and other major platforms  https://open.spotify.com/episode/1J4T1TfPa4y64jPWkBI4UP

To learn more about the CresCine project and upcoming opportunities for producer training and engagement, visit www.crescine.eu.

Fiacre Muller 

Researcher, Hincks Centre for Entrepreneurship Excellence