This slide deck serves as the companion presentation to the Creative Edge: A Handbook for Trainers and Mentors to Support Creative Success Through Evidence-Based Methods, developed as part of the CresCine project. Together, the slides and handbook form an integrated training resource designed for use in both group workshop and one-on-one mentoring settings with independent and early-stage film producers. The slides were piloted with film producers as part of the CresCine project's task 5.3 and cover the following five-step programme: Step 1: Film Planning Framework. An adaptation of the Business Model Canvas tailored for film production, helping producers map the core components of their project in a single visual tool. Step 2: Strategy Mapping. A backcasting approach that helps producers define success clearly and work backwards through key milestones, surfacing the assumptions that each project depends on. Step 3: Assumption Prioritisation. A structured process for streamlining the strategy map and identifying the most critical and uncertain assumptions that require validation. Step 4: Validation Planning. Guidance on selecting and planning appropriate research methods, including interviews, desk research, A/B testing, and proof-of-concept testing, to test key assumptions before committing resources. Step 5: Research Methods. A detailed overview of research and validation approaches tailored to the realities of independent film production. These materials are grounded in evidence-based entrepreneurship research and were developed through four years of collaborative work by an international team of academics and advisors. They are designed to be adaptable across film labs, training programmes, and mentoring initiatives.
O’Leary et al. (2026) studied this question.