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Forum

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Better clients. Bigger budgets. Greater creative work.

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Join the private network. Build your Studio On Purpose™.
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Who It's For

Ambitious studio and prodco founders in motion, animation, VFX, live action, experiential, and sound.

What You’ll Gain

Run a business that wins better clients with bigger budgets, thrives amid change, and produces its greatest work.

How It Works

Two lanes: Live 🅛 for real-time collaboration and accountability. On-Demand 🅞 for self-paced, DIY progress.

It's a board of directors made up of the brightest minds in the industry. Truly a priceless resource.
Eric Singer, Partner at Coupe Studios
A support system and playground for ideas—unfiltered, unbiased camaraderie.
Ricardo Roberts, Co-Founder and EP at BIEN
Forum isn’t just a community — it’s a lifeline for founders who are serious about growing.
Ronny Young, Founder at OddBeast
If you have not done Jumpstart… it is the single most beneficial program I have ever done for my business.
Ed Rhine, Founder & ECD at Spillt
Applying Derail the Pitch, we doubled the client’s production budget… and completely flipped the relationship.
Christian Darais, Co-Founder at The Fold
We landed a $275K campaign by applying the language we gained in Brand Direct. The client literally told us that’s why we won.
Danny Robashkin, Founder at MAKE
This is your cheat code for being just as exceptional at the business side as you are at the creative side.
Garus Booth, Founder & ECD at The Booth
What Is Forum

Not another class. Not another Slack group.

Forum brings together the industry’s most ambitious studios and production companies — names like Versus, Polyester, MAKE, Spillt, Nocaut, Cream, and many more — winning bigger clients, commanding higher fees, and building stronger businesses together.

Quarterly Accelerator Courses
Jumpstart®

Make the jump. For more than 200 alumni, the journey from order-taker to expert starts here.

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Brand Direct™

Skip the middleman and claim your seat at the table with brands.

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Lead Flow Generator™

Generate high-quality leads, without losing the human touch.

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Derail the Pitch™

Regain control of the competitive pitch (RFP/RFQ) process. Never again be the dreaded third bid.

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Saleskeeping®

Replace the feast-or-famine cycle with steady sales.

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Studio Flight Deck™

Get out of the weeds and pilot your studio—profitably.

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On-Demand 🅞
$1.5K per quarter
DIY • Self-paced • Async

Best fit for studios under $1M/year or producing five-figure projects.
Includes:
Jumpstart® (previously $5K)
All accelerators (self-paced)
Replay Library & Playbooks
Async discussion & DMs
Apply Now
Live 🅛
$2.5K per quarter
Real-time collaboration with Joel & peers

Best fit for founders at $1M+/year or producing six- and seven-figure projects.
Includes On-Demand plus:
Live accelerators (including Jumpstart)
Weekly Roundtables with Joel, peers, and special guests
Office Hours with Joel
Circles peer-led small groups
Forum AI™ Copilots
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Reserve 🅡
$12K per quarter
Invite-only • Joel’s private incubator

For founders who need an elite, non-equity partner to rapidly reach the next level.
Includes Live plus:
Direct 1:1 with Joel
Partner seats included
Priority access
Apply Now
Apply to Join

Investment: about 1% of your annual revenue, designed to unlock the other 99%. After you apply, join Joel's next Initiation Session to begin a 14-day free trial. Upgrade or downgrade quarterly as your needs change.

Roundtables
Nov 20
Use Custom GPTs to Convert Projects Into Accounts

Members-Only Roundtable

Nov 13
Maintaining Mental Health Amidst the Madness

Members-Only Roundtable

Oct 30
The Changing Commercial Directing Landscape

Members-Only Roundtable

FAQ
Who is Forum for?

Ambitious founders of studios & production companies in motion, animation, VFX, live action, experiential, and sound—typically 2–40+ people, ~$300K–$20M+ revenue. (Members include names like BIEN, Cream, MAKE, Panoply, Polyester, Spillt, VERSUS, and many more.)

How do I join Forum?

1. Apply to join
2. Attend an upcoming Initiation Session
3. Complete the Quick Win Sprint to unlock your 14-day trial in Forum Live
4. Choose your lane: On-Demand 🅞 or Live 🅛

What are the membership options?

Forum On-Demand 🅞, Forum Live 🅛, and Forum Reserve 🅡.

What is the return on investment?

For hungry creative leaders, the ROI is exceptional. A quick scan of the testimonials in the accelerators alone reveals that Jumpstart helps studios double their prices, Lead Flow Generator helps shops forge relationships with their dream clients, Derail the Pitch helps prodcos greatly increase their competitive pitching win ratio, Studio Flight Deck helps companies stop breaking even and become consistently profitable, and on it goes.

Do you offer annual pricing?

Yes. Forum membership runs on a quarterly rhythm to match our accelerators. But for founders interested in annual participation, reduced rates are available. Just ask about this benefit during your application.

Can I switch tiers?

Yes—upgrade or downgrade between On-Demand 🅞 and Live 🅛 at any time (changes start next billing cycle).

Note: joining Circles require a brief application; waitlists may occur.

Is there a free tier?

The free Lite tier has been retired. Unpaid accounts have ongoing access to our Free Resources, Fabulist podcast, and email bulletins.

Do you offer discounts?

Yes, three. We offer annual pricing, discounted additional partner seats, and international adjustments for founders outside the US, Canada, UK, EU, and Australia.

What is Forum Reserve?

Reserve 🅡 is Joel’s invite-only incubator for founders ready to go beyond work-for-hire and co-create ventures—IP, products, influence plays—often with Joel participating as an investor, advisor, or partner. It includes Forum Live benefits for you and your partners.

Can my leadership team join?

Yes. Reserve 🅡 includes seats for partners. To give your team acces to Live 🅛, purchase additional seats as needed (discounts apply).

What if I need to cancel?

Cancel any time; your access continues through the end of your current term.