1) One of this year’s most impactful developments in our business has been the move by Technicolor to open a large visual effects entity offshore to support its multiple companies with production of low-cost VFX. In effect, this move has reduced their reliance on the more costly talents of experienced and local VFX artists. The resulting layoffs of CG, Flame, and motion graphics artists, along with numerous production staff, may actually provide smaller, privately-owned companies with the opportunity to engage these now freelance artists and bring their own–potentially more nimble services–into the space.
4) An exciting opportunity is becoming increasingly more apparent in the market as we see more intentional crossover between marketing and entertainment. There are now films advertising products and services in their narratives, TV commercials with cinematic production values, and marketing campaigns being delivered in episodic installments. Following the launch of BMW Films in 2002, creative video/film work from non-production companies has continued to grow and we’re now ushering in a new golden age of branded content…Marriott’s short film series “Two Bellmen” and Apple’s short film “Underdog” are only a couple of examples.
The many accolades heaped upon crossover projects during this recent awards season highlight the growing creative collaborations between marketers, sports and entertainment entities. This opens up enormously exciting–and meaningful–consumer engagement going forward.
Major brands such as Nike, Jordan, NFL, NBA and hundreds more will look to their creative partners to take them to that next level – even in the coming short term. This is an exciting time for thinking well beyond the :30 spot or the short social burst and jump into the next level of brand engagement–not only marketing/films, but fully-integrated AR + VR experiences are being funded by smart and savvy clients who are developing creative technologies to take their brands to the next level.
The possibilities are amazing. Content is king again!
