The Future is Here
As little as 7-10 short years ago, no one had heard of the i-Phone or i-Pod. Blu-Ray? What was that? DVD players were still fairly new technology. Television was mostly broadcast or cable, and satellite television was in its infancy.
Major changes in many aspects of the film industry have occurred in the last decade as well.
- Filming in high definition
- Major studios like Fox (Thr3e, The Last Sin Eater, etc.) and Sony (Facing the Giants) developing a faith vertical and releasing independent Christian films into theaters
- Renting films online
- YouTube
- A film produced by a church finding box-office success (Facing the Giants)
- Digital downloads
Pardon me while I replicate a Diet Pepsi & some chocolate!
What used to be available only in Star Trek episodes has become part of our everyday culture. As we ponder the future of filmmaking (see Reece’s great comments on that), I wonder what technology we’ll see in 5-10 years that we couldn’t even imagine today? Will we be driving our hover-cars on autopilot while watching homemade films from Tunisia on our sunglasses?
What will the relationship between studios, filmmakers, writers, actors, independents, etc., look like? With increased technology and increased availability of inexpensive entertainment (download, rental, streaming, etc.), will we see an increase of advertising? Are movies on their way to looking more and more like TV?
Some interesting questions you pose. A couple thoughts:
1. The future changes radically, but usually in ways we don’t expect. The technologies we expect oftentimes don’t materialize. For example, the self-driven car is still a ways in the future (but inevitable). On the other hand, watching tv on our bahh.
2. What do I see happening? TV moves massively online. The distinction between TV and the internet blurs. Many people don’t even know anything has changed, but the traditional air broadcasts disappear, instead being utilize for cellular and data projection.
3. Concerning movies becoming more like TV - sure in some ways. But one issue that TV has that movies usually don’t is a lack of closure. Sure, sure, some movies leave mystery open but TV shows always offer another mystery or problem to solve (at least the kind I enjoy). Lost is a perfect example of this problem. Prison Break (in its first season, not so much in the second) mastered a hybrid technique that offers the best of both worlds. Note in the episodes how the problems of the last episode are resolved in the current, but new issues are raised. I think we will see a shift toward more definitive timelines for TV shows that run a predetermined arc rather than never-ending series that peter out. This will help people feel satisfaction - this is something the Lost producers are doing and I think is a great move.
January 31st, 2008 at 8:08 pm
It’s amazing how the technology is changing. It’s hard for even the Industry to keep up. There’s great opportunity for visionaries out there, though. Look at what happened with YouTube just a few years ago. We need to be watching and continuing to learn and praying for guidance and wisdom.
I think the future of filmmaking is that there will be more Independent filmmakers doing self-distribution through companies like Createspace and Amazon.com. There is no inventory necessary because they make copies of the DVD when somebody orders it. It is more cost-efficient. The thing with Amazon.com though — is because they are such a huge presence on the internet — they get a large percentage of the profits –s o if someone is selling a DVD say for 18 dollars — the filmmaker might only make like 6 bucks on that DVD — but if you go with Createspace directly you can make more of a profit.
DVD region codes will probably go away - as more relases will be done on DVD-R - and most people who have computers will be able to play on it.
More people will probably rent their films through Red Box — which is in my grocery store — $1 dollar rental for one night or just watch the film on the computer through netflix or Blockbuster online. Rentals will probably be watched online or downloaded onto the computer for a short time period.
I think people will always buy DVDS (or whatever the format is) - but less of them - just like people buy CDS of their favorite artist — because people like to have something fancy or shiny in their hands that they can touch. That’s why certain newspapers and magazines are surviving today (although because of the post office rate increase — some are in trouble) and people still buy books at the book store.
Internet and other media outlets will probably merge more — where the computer is connected to the television (which also sounds like the plot of an end times movie about big brother
The film theater will probably go all digital (which it is already is headed that way) and then studios will save a lot more money not having to pay for prints — perhaps they will email the new release to a theater — this will open the flood gates for independent filmmakers to make deals with movie theaters directly and have more opportunities to get their film exhibited in a movie theater.
But with digital prints — there will probably be more theft and copyright infringements all over the board. The studios might be looking at this now as they determine what will cost more — having cheap prints or having their film easily stolen and copies distributed in some black market overseas.
February 7th, 2008 at 9:24 am