Article title: Ten Really Good Things in Film Biz 2014
Top 10 Good Things in Film in 2014
By Ted Hope
Source: film comment (http://www.filmcomment.com/entry/10-really-good-things-2014)
Translator: xcchlp
Proofreader: Lesan
Ted Hope has had a profound impact in the film industry, and for countless filmmakers, he has been like a leader and a person who inspires you to move forward in the background. In 1990, Hope and writer and producer James Schamus teamed up to form a filmmaking and sales company called Good Machine, which produced critically acclaimed award-winning films such as American Splendor, American Splendor, In the Bedroom and In the Bedroom. Loving Me Makes Me Happy (In the Bedroom). He is now the president of Fandor, a movie site.
There are necessary procedures that allow us to stay focused throughout the year. This article is my fourth review of all the good things that have happened in the film industry in the past year, but it is the first time it has been published in Film Review. Through a year of tracking, we will find that these good aspects can not give up the pursuit of film art, film culture and film career. Sometimes these things are just a silver edge next to the clouds, but they keep me going and make me believe that together we are making the movie better. I hope these good things make you think like I do. It's been a good year and I have a lot to share with you guys. Of course, this year is not over, and maybe you have something to add. Let's take a look at the 10 articles I've compiled!
1. We finally have the ability to consider rebuilding an overall system in order to create a better film ecology.
Production has always been the work of dealing with all kinds of complex matters. Not so long ago, how to create a better environment for film was too big a topic to delve into, because there are so many stakeholders in the industry, and there are all kinds of intricate relationships in between. We're not talking about making the industry smaller or less challenging, but we're trying to make it more and more connected to each other and to some extent document what a better future will look like. We can now think holistically and deeply about the production industry and work together to build it better. Now the question that remains is "Can we?" "But what is clear is that as long as we do it, it will be an activity that everyone will participate in, and it will be the general mobilization of the entire film industry." We may never reach perfection, but we can approach it, and the truth is there. I've written more than 125 methods, and I think all of them work. Although this process needs to be implemented in an organized manner. Maybe someone needs to start taking the first step, and I can't wait to get ready to start this feast.
2. Audiences are starting to get bored with the single menu that Hollywood offers.
Late in the summer, the New York Times declared: "This summer, the clear message from American moviegoers to Hollywood is that we are fed up with tedious repetition. "Just as people wish the telegram had come to an end, further on, we'll be back in a time when there was a wide supply of films, including a lot of movies made for adults." Well, even if we look at this year's box office decline with optimism, people always have dreams, don't they? Still, this year's box office best movies (Lego Movies and Guardians of the Galaxy) are mocking our comic book movie culture (even if they're one of them themselves), which shows that audiences have agreed with the irony. If that's the case, audiences will never lack genres to be discarded, such as Disney's upcoming 11 MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) movies, while Warner has 9 superheroes, Sony and Fox have enough themes to continue digging into their Spider-Man and X-Men, and Universal is about to open their monster world. Oh my god, I can't wait...
3. Now is the best time to make a movie.
The barriers to employment are gone, technology is becoming more sophisticated, and there are more access to capital than ever before. This line is full of opportunities. The freedom to experiment is expanding, and we can control more of the course of the film than before. For me, if filmmaking is a curved ball, then I'm the hockey bat part. We are now entering a whole new era with rockets. Now as long as we can find a completely new business model... But wait, what the hell is that?
4. A better business model has been created — about the production and promotion of content— and has been widely replicated.
"Will Netflix be HBO or will HBO be Netflix?" This was last year's question. The answer we came up with this year is that they both have the best qualities of each other. About a week ago, Netflix made a big stride into filmmaking and HBO cut the ropes that bound it. At the same time, a large number of enterprises have entered the new field of SVOD (Customer Video on Demand), which is all the rage. (These companies include HBO, CBS, LIONGATE/TRIBECA, UNIVISION, RLJ, and even Youtube) While some companies realize that it's hard to build a basic customer base (like Verizon's Redbox Instant), companies like VIMEO, STARZ, SONY, SHOWTIME, AND DIRECT TV are also coming soon to follow. SVOD (Customer Video on Demand)/OTT (Internet Television) is now considered a great business model. Like I've said before, a large group of viewers, with the same tastes, attracted to the same content, showing their preferences and desires, and adventurous, means for a company the expected returns and self-evident results. HBO also recognizes that when a company can transform these new humans who have grown up digitally into data, nothing can beat it, and it's time to break the shackles and face the fans directly. Users can not only bring predictable circulating cash flow, these new human experiences in the digital age can also bring better data themselves, allowing companies to know the needs of users, as well as the time and space of needs. The public has actually gained a lot, and they are no longer forced to accept stupid high-priced cable TV. Some will argue that this is not really a new business model, but that these content creators and their investors are also trying to adapt to the new situation, after all, it is still those who invest in creators who are making a lot of money...
5. The start of 2014 showed a better momentum than the previous year.
Do whatever it takes to win, right? The initial sales standard was simply not to drop. When they announced that sales of home entertainment facilities had not declined in 2013 and could remain at the same level as before, it felt like champagne could be celebrated. In fact, retail sales of electronics and digital products rose significantly in 2013. Electronics sales jumped nearly 39 percent to $1.3 billion in 2013, easily crossing the 1 billion mark for the first time. Consumption of digital products, including rentals and subscriber subscriptions, such as Fandor and VOD, rose 24.8 percent to $6.5 billion. Oh, my God!
6. Hollywood has completely abandoned making movies for adults.
If it weren't for Megan Allison and Fox Searchlight, the once-bustling movie capital would have been a place where in-depth films could not be made (see Article 2). Thankfully, this fertile land is still able to produce some individual enterprises. Competition is gone. Many people gave up this battlefield. Now is the perfect time to create a new brand by producing thoughtful and varied good work. Good Machines Company Second? You know someone will always do it.
7. Research shows that watching movies and talking about topics brought about by movies can reduce divorces and separations.
I've long thought that film could change the world; it's great to see that it can improve couple relationships. The February New York Times study supported my thinking. If you want to try it for yourself, the tool is there.
8. More and more companies are investing in "content".
Almost every day, participants announce that they want to invest in a series — and it would be nice if that were the case for the movie. This is an increase in job opportunities for those who make up stories for a living, and it is a thing worth cheering. This year we saw microsoft and Yahoo join their technology partners — Amazon and Netfix ( of course, Microsoft was quick to back down, as always ) — and Crackle joined the game. AOL, although ready to put a long line, is only a short-term solution. Only Google resisted the temptation. Some former publishing groups like Condé Nast and The New York Times are also running countless "shows." Who will be next? Which of these players will stand out? Will these companies regret it later? Whatever happens in the future, there are at least a lot more job opportunities for now.
9. Efforts to build a sustainable investment class for independent films are already paying off.
Without a doubt, this is the best of all the acts that break through the original spirit of Hollywood. In the past, Hollywood just used "dumb money" to spend on target customers as quickly as possible, running out of money, and not a single bone was left. Sundance is struggling to do a fourth leg on the table of independent films – with such a strong support, some new companies can rise. Entering its second year of the Catalist project at Sundance College (something I announced last year with a number of other startups), this project is actually a bootcamp for investors, giving the best training for ambitious and wanting to diversify their films. This year, I will have the privilege of witnessing the Catalyst project directly. I think, as a film support agency, that's the best way we can get involved, and there's plenty of room for other participants. If our film industry can abandon the "stupid money" and replace it with money that flows through thin water and meets diverse needs, then we may really build a film ecosystem based on current realities, needs and individual differences.
10. A new storytelling medium is here, and it could change everything.
As Carina Chocano (Los Angeles Times film critic) analyzed in California Sunday Magazine, virtual reality and head-mounted installations are folding time and space, bringing us a different narrative experience. In this immersive virtual reality, we constantly remind ourselves not to believe, rather than seeing is believing. Of course, not everyone is optimistic about virtual reality cinematography. And it's a long time since they originally promised "rocket speed", but it may eventually come (I really didn't get a chance to try it, which is a hint)
In the days to come, I will continue to write such a list, 10 pros at a time, first published on Keyframe, and then the full version published on HopeForFilm. We have a lot to be thankful for and a lot to look forward to. We are trying to dig it out, and the future will eventually get better and better.