By Han West
From my very first step onto the Croisette this year, the general attitude of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity was incredibly productive. Attendees were clearly looking to connect–they were easy to engage and many were quick to commiserate (versus posture) about the industry-wide changes and challenges over the past few years. No venue, from cocktail hours to main stage presentations to late-night haunts, had vibes of cynicism or dread. And I found this to be pleasantly surprising.
I also expected more spirited debate and contention amongst our ranks about the ever-ubiquitous subject of AI, but almost everyone seemed to be aligned towards a positive future shared between human talent and machine learning, and in many cases, including a Terminator-themed beach party, there was a playful irreverence towards the doomsday narratives.
As I said, there was a real air of camaraderie, everyone felt approachable and supportive, even while dressed to the nines and holding court in posh venues. We’re not totally out of the woods yet, but there seems to be solidarity and respect for one another as survivors and thrivers in truly existential moments for many of us over the past few years. That was inspiring to see. Even former advertising naysayers like Elon Musk made an appearance, extending a hand (or at least a nod) to the industry he had choice words about last year!
I made the most of my trip, cramming my schedule full with talks, brunches, sports beaches, and saw the sun come up after a night out at least twice. Now I’ve suffered the same fate as a few of my other colleagues: I came down with a nasty cold immediately after touching down in NYC. Still, and especially after hearing reports from past years when I was unable to attend, I’m left inspired by the high-energy atmosphere and overarching zeal for the future all the attendees shared. Even after decades in this business through lots of ups and downs, everything seems new, everything seems possible again, and I cannot wait to attack the day. Well, right after I get over this cold.
Han West is EVP of production/executive producer at Washington Square Films
Josh C. Kline joins Scripto as CEO
Josh C. Kline has been named the new CEO of Scripto, the innovative real-time, cloud-native platform designed for remote collaborative scriptwriting and production. Kline will steer Scripto into its next phase of growth. Plans call for Scripto to further transform collaboration throughout the writing and production stages, enabling creative teams to accelerate their workflow and enhance teamwork.
Emmy®-winning programs such as “Late Night with Stephen Colbert,” “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” “The Daily Show,” and the Weekend Update on “Saturday Night Live” rely on Scripto’s advanced workflow tools to allow show writers and production teams to work together seamlessly from any location.
“Late Night” host Colbert, co-founder of Scripto, said of Kline, “His deep background in entertainment technology will help take our groundbreaking platform to new heights, and also ensure we are on the winning side when the AIs finally make their move, which we all know is coming. I can’t wait to see what we’ll achieve together.
Kline brings a wealth of experience in technology and media. He previously served as head of media & entertainment at Box. Kline co-founded Sample Digital, where he developed Digital Dailies™, revolutionizing the review and approval process for film and TV production and earning him a Primetime Engineering Emmy Award. His entrepreneurial spirit continued with the launch of Secure Path Technology, a cloud-based content ID and metadata services company. Kline was chief strategy officer at Final Draft before joining Box as head of media & entertainment, and has consulted for major global clients including Microsoft, Avid, and Motion Picture Domain Registry.
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