Go interactive. I’ve made it my mantra these days, and it should be yours, too. I really took notice several years ago when full-motion video infiltrated rich media banners. It was pretty amazing — ad units were expanding like mini TVs with endless possibilities of games, functionality and multi-use display areas. Then it hit me, like a pop-up window in the face: Everything we do as a traditional post company can be applied to interactive as well!
I learned from agency creatives that the companies doing a lot of this work were being challenged by requests for more sophisticated techniques to enrich the media. Often it wasn’t these companies’ forte to do editing, visual effects and graphic design. They had capable programmers but not the creative muscle. A gap existed, and it marked a perfect opportunity for a company like ours, a traditional editorial and post-production company, to take on interactive work and merge traditional content creation methods with the new media outlets.
I’m sure you’ve noticed, too, that advertising campaigns are integrating more interactive components than ever before. Here’s a fun forecasting tidbit for you: According to estimates by eMarketer, U.S. online advertising spending will reach $25.1 billion in 2010, representing 10.8% growth over last year. Furthermore, eMarketer predicts worldwide online advertising growth will be double digit each year through 2014! As this trend continues, I think we will see a role reversal, with the leading elements of a campaign residing online and television and radio playing a supporting role. This is just the nature of advertising — adapt to the newly available marketing opportunities or risk your message fading into the background. The same holds true for post-production companies drinking from the agency’s well — adapt to the needs of the integrated marketplace or fade away.
While it’s clear that whatever goes online is no longer an afterthought, agencies are not yet spending millions of dollars to shoot and do visual effects for banner ads or other online media. Nevertheless, clients want quality entertaining content and are willing to spend more money for these online marketing efforts. By aligning traditional broadcast techniques with interactive development, we can utilize the talents of our editors and designers for a price that fits within the agency’s interactive budget. Agencies can expect the same slick, high-level result that they would for a broadcast commercial. For example, a handful of funny videos we recently created for a Carl’s Jr. iPhone app required us to bring humor and retro design to the table while understanding the requirements of the format.
As agencies look for vendors to provide interactive services, we’ve positioned ourselves to be on their list of companies that have a strong understanding of the technical components while excelling at the creative editorial, design and VFX work, too. We also want to serve as a source of reliable information for integrated production. Recently, we hosted an Interactive Digital Roundtable to educate agency- and production-company producers on current interactive, mobile and digital production processes. (Download our interactive and digital production glossary from our Facebook page here.)
The future is clear. Whether we view content on our TV screen, computer monitor or phone, one day soon it all will come through an Internet-connected, computer-like device. We’ll constantly be taking advantage of interactive capabilities and creating unparalleled multi-dimensional experiences for consumers. And, as virtual reality continues to evolve, we may eventually be living the majority of our lives online — I can only imagine what advertising will look like then! Go interactive, my friends, and I’ll see you there.
Joe DiSanto is cofounder and executive producer of creative post house Therapy in West Los Angeles.
DGA Feature Nominees: Audiard, Baker, Berger, Corbet and Mangold
The field of feature nominees for the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards spanning two categories is set. Nominated for the DGA honor for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2024 are: Jacques Audiard for Emilia Pérez, Sean Baker for Anora, Edward Berger for Conclave, Brady Corbet for The Brutalist, and James Mangold for A Complete Unknown.
The DGA also revealed the nominees for the Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Feature Film. The first-time narrative feature directors are: Payal Kapadia for All We Imagine as Light, Megan Park for My Old Ass, RaMell Ross for Nickel Boys, Halfdan Ullman Tondel for Armand, and Sean Wang for Diddy.
“2024 has been a truly extraordinary year for storytelling--and today’s nominees have created audacious and unique films that expand the possibilities of cinematic excellence,” said DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter. “I am thrilled to congratulate all our nominated directors for their brilliant work, which is visionary, inspirational and speaks to the depth of the human experience. To be chosen by one’s peers is the true marker of outstanding directorial achievement and what makes these nominations so very special.”
The winners will be announced at the 77th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, February 8.
Here’s a fuller rundown of the nominees in both DGA Award categories:
THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2024 (in alphabetical order):
JACQUES AUDIARD
Emilia Pérez
(Netflix)
SEAN... Read More