2013 has been a vibrant year: this summer was one of the most merciless ones for movies in years, crowdfunding reached its all time high with “Veronica Mars”, Netflix original series became the first ever to receive Primetime Emmy nominations, and the list goes on. That does trigger curiosity – what’s gonna happen next year?
Here’s a list of 14 Trends for Filmmakers to Look Out for in 2014:
1. The Mini Content Marketing
Over the past couple of years brands have been carefully steering their marketing efforts towards short-form social media like Twitter, Instagram and more recently – Snapchat. Ditching the one-size-fits all model and actually engaging with their potential customers in a more personal, down-to-earth manner has proved itself as an immensely beneficial strategy. According to a report by Bain & Company, people who get more involved with brands via social media display a deeper emotional commitment to those brands and spend 20 to 40 percent more than other customers. 2014 is out to establish the mini content marketing as the new norm for marketing.
2. The Death of Film
In April 2013 Fujifilm announced the discontinuation of Motion Picture Film production. The notion of such prospect was around for quite some time, but nothing was definite and some were still hoping that it was just another claim of digital revolution entusiasts. It all ended last
spring. The cost-effectiveness of shooting films digitally makes it a tempting option for majors and indies alike. Similarly, small independent theaters and corporate-owned multiplexes are shutting down their 35mm projectors and installing digital projection systems. The DCDC (Digital Cinema Distribution Coallition) fuelled up this conversion and is aiming to have most of the major theatre chains under its wing over the course of next year.
However, there‘s something I‘d like to add to this point. The producer of the digital vs. film documentary “Side by Side” Keanu Reeves insists that it is not about “whether digital is better than celluloid. It’s about giving an artist the choice … about the individual’s style.” So, perhaps, there is no need to write off film just yet.
3. Investment by Advertisers
Everyone is trying to get rid of advertisers. Thanks to DVRs and VOD it actually seems possible. Not so fast! Since they are being pushed out of television, advertisers are trying to get into film. An example of that could be the Hasbro toy company that got so captivated by the success of “Transformers” franchise ( based on Hasbro’s toy line) that they invested in the film “Battleship” (based on a Hasbro board game) and even opened its own studio on a lot at Universal. Other companies are sure to follow and we should expect substantial increase in direct ownership and funding from advertisers in 2014.
4. Investment by ‘Retailers’
Removing the middleman has been an ongoing challenge for many years now. The time has come when technologies are allowing this to happen. Creation of content by companies that have a direct link to consumers (let’s call them ‘retailers’) seems to be the new threat for film studios, cinemas and other middlemen out there. Netflix with its production of “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black” proved that such endeavour can not only work, but be very successful as well. Consequently, the trend is likely to hasten in 2014 which will put the studios in an uncomfortable position of being superseded.
5. International Reach of VOD
Something of particular interest for the indies. VOD companies like Netflix have been working on a mighty goal – take over the world. In other words, people all over the globe will have the opportunity to become their customers and choose what language they want to watch the film in. More importantly, this will change the way independent film get financed. Now the common practice is to raise funds by selling films through “presales” on a country-by-country basis to local distributors. Worldwide VOD reach will mean that independent film will be financed by presales to VOD companies as the value of DVDs and pay TV to local distributors will get diminished.
Netflix is very likely reach its world domination goal next year as they have already surged to 40m members worldwide.
6. Collapsing Windows
The collapse of traditional release windows is the present-day reality of content creators and distributors in the film industry. Netflix’s Ted Sarandos made it even more obvious at this year‘s Film Independent Forum with his statement that films should have a day-and-date release on Netflix together with cinemas. There were loads of speculations regarding the matter, but it is unlikely to happen in the nearest future. Nevertheless, the sharp increase of VOD users over the past year shows that consumers are no longer willing to wait three-four months for a film to reach their home. It might not get to a full day-and-date release in 2014, but the delay from the theatrical release to the video/VOD release will get significantly shorter.
7. Optical Fiber
In a modern bandwidth-reliant society need for faster transmissions speed is of substantial importance. The constantly growing number of users sharing a network, using advanced applications, faster computers and network servers contribute to traffic congestion – slow speed and possible disruptions. However, the technology of lightweight, hair-thin fibers may leave all of this behind by providing its users with fastest transmission speed ever. For example, it put film industry on the same page as the music industry because movies could be downloaded just as fast as audio tracks. This relatively new optical fiber system is predicted to reveal its full potential next year.
8. Cameo
Yes, another video app. We have Instagram Video, Vine, Cute CUT and plenty of other tools that can make pretty much anyone into a filmmaker. That‘s great! The more the merrier. So, why Cameo?
One great feature that really distinguishes it from other applications is the ability to create content of up to 2 minutes. Although not shot can be longer than 6 seconds, you can easily edit and reorder them, add soundtrack, titles, professional-grade effects and fonts. And it‘s all in great quality – 720p HD. You can actually be a director of a short film! Besides, you can collaborate with your friends in real time and use their footage if in need of variety. However, the best part about Cameo is the cloud storage. This means that your videos do not eat up storage on your phone and it lets you render your short films without consuming processing power and battery life of your device. Sounds like bed of roses, but we‘re sure to hear more about it in 2014.
9. Tweet-TV Alliance
The TV experience has been closely linked to tweeting for some time now. So, it is no surprise that NBCUniversal decided to team up with media and technology companies like Comcast and Twitter to allow viewers share even more content. In other words, you’ll be able to access the movies, TV shows, sports and all the other content through the tweet. Comcast engineered a “See It” feature which will enable you to tune into live TV or online streaming, set DVRs, reminders and even buy tickets through Fandango.
10. Online Video
Since their introduction in 2005, video-sharing sites like YouTube have shown an immense increase in the percentage of online adult users – from 33% to 72%. The statistics show that there is a tendency of growth every year and considering the fact that some of the You Tube videos have passed the mark of couple of billions, it’s definitely a platform to keep an eye for.
11. Crowdfunding
The successful “Veronica Mars” campaign on Kickstarter earlier this year, spawned a new trend in funding. In 2013 individuals have raised $5.1 billion on crowdfunding sites, which is nearly twice as much as in 2012. According to the Crowdfunding Industry Report from MassSolution, this amount should double in the next year.
12. Lytro Promises
Two years ago this camera manufacturer introduced us to the groundbreaking Light Field camera which allows users to adjust the photo in various ways after it’s been shot, such as shifting the focus from foreground to background. In a recent interview with SFGate Lytro’s CEO Jason Rosenthal announced that they „have a packed product roadmap for next year“. The company has already raised a total of $90 million from investors such as North Bridge Venture Partners and Andreessen Horowitz, so it does look promising. The company will unveil a successor to its current harmonica-box-shaped digital camera in the first half of 2014.
13. Customised Ratings
Let‘s face it – film ratings don‘t really tell us much. And they are usually negative, indicating things that we prefer to avoid (drugs, violence, nudity, etc.). But this year Sweden has introduced something that could lead to a more customised ratings system. Swedish Film Institute supported an incentive for Swedish cinemas to incorporate the Bechdel Test into some of their ratings. It‘s a simple test with three main criteria: film has to have at least two women in it who talk to each other about something besides a man. The initiative has received some mixed reviews, but it also raised some questions that may result in a whole new perspective of film ratings. Something we could anticipate developing over the following year.
14. Enhanced Cinema Experience
With the technologies allowing people set up their own cinemas at home and films reaching your playlist sooner (and cheaper), what would be the reason to leave the house and buy a ticket? How about the chance to completely immerse yourself in the movie experience? Cinemas like Korona World in Japan are already offering 3D sound (makes the sound come from different angles at different times around you) and 4D chairs (move in accordance to the film) to their audiences. It might take longer for other countries to get on this train, but let’s not forget a more theatrical approach to cinema experience like Secret Cinema in London. More and more of these projects reach the daylight and with the popularity they’ve gained so far, we are sure to see some more spectacles in 2014.