I got a special announcement <3

Hi incredible human beans, it’s Thanh here.

Today’s newsletter is going to be a little different.

Moving forward, The Produced will shift to a fee-based subscription model at $1 CAD per month. If you opt for an annual plan, it’s $10 for the whole year (a steal, if I do say so myself).

The content you’ve come to know and love will remain the same—one Reel Talk interview per week featuring a filmmaker, cinematographer, photographer, or other creative, plus a monthly curated newsletter with film lists, readings, and must-watch recommendations.

But I also want to continue bringing high-quality, valuable content, so there are additional features for paid subscribers:

• Early access to upcoming guests—plus the chance to submit questions for them.

• The opportunity to publish your writing with The Produced, Thinking—a sub-community that tracks our evolving relationship with art. Writings can take the form of film reviews, book reviews, cultural critiques, opinion pieces, or essays, all responding to our weekly prompt (which will be posted on Instagram!).

I’ve grappled with this decision for a long time—how to keep the content as accessible as possible without paywalls and nourish a community at a low to no cost.

But the truth is, as a one-person newsletter, this process is long and labor-intensive. To keep The Produced alive and sustainable, your support would mean the world to me, to the creatives featured here, and to the community we’re building together.

I also recognize that affordability can be a barrier, and that’s something I’ve thought about deeply. My current solution is to share a condensed, shorter version of each interview article on Instagram for free, so the conversation can continue there.

As of right now, all previously published content remains FREE, but starting next week, new content will be paywalled.

What to Expect Leading Up to Our Official Launch:

• Saturday, March 1: The final free curated newsletter featuring film lists, essential readings, watch recommendations, and writing prompts. Plus:

  • Announcement of the next Reel Talk line-up for March.

  • Official details on the new subscription format.

• Wednesday, March 5: Final reminder about the subscription update.

• Saturday, March 8 – A new Reel Talk interview drops, and we return to our regular schedule of one interview per week!

If there’s anything on your mind or anything you'd like to discuss, feel free to shoot me a DM on The Produced or email me—I’m always open to feedback and any questions!

Thank you so much for being here. Your presence and support, in any form, genuinely matter.

With so much love and gratitude,

Thanh Lieu

For collaboration inquiries, please shoot me email at [email protected] or my Instagram @the.produced | Community Instagram: @thinkingtheproduced