The platform belongs to the people who make the films.
Upstream is a worker-owned co-operative. The workers are the makers: writers, directors, actors, cinematographers, grips, drivers, craft-service workers, background performers, and everyone else whose labour brings a film to life.
Membership comes from the work.
If a film comes to Upstream, the people whose labour made that film are offered membership in the co-op. They do not buy their way in, and membership does not replace production pay.
Makers receive Points based on the projects they worked on and the categories they are credited in. Each film brings 100 Points into the co-op, divided across nine credit categories, with a hard ceiling of 15 Points to any one person from any one film. One Point per film is held back and awarded to the credited Maker with the best story about why someone should watch it — any role, from the director to the driver. Points are the measure used for the maker payout system; membership is the right to participate in the co-op.
Owners make the big decisions.
Join through the work
Your film arrives on Upstream. The makers whose labour made it are offered co-op membership.
Earn Points
Your credited categories on the project determine your proportionate Points. Each film carries 100, and one of them goes to whoever tells us best why to watch it.
Vote and share
Makers vote on fundamental decisions, including the resources available for annual payouts. Points can then be exchanged for payouts.
Makers own and govern the co-op.
Membership, voting, and Points belong to the people whose labour makes the films.
Rights holders are compensated commercially.
Companies and individuals who finance films or own their rights are treated as they would be in a normal industry transaction. Their agreement defines the rights window and the revenue share that compensates their investment.
Build the platform that can eventually make more work.
As Upstream grows, the co-op can become more than a place to distribute finished films. Eventually, it can finance and make original projects, creating more revenue streams for the makers who own it.