It has been a while since my last post, and I have no idea of the direction this blog will take. If you’re up for surprises (hopefully pleasant ones), stay tuned!
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I was recently asked about my industry outlook into the next 12 months, and it sent me off thinking about huge scale trends affecting animation and digital content. For now, my list looks like this:
Continued growth of mobile leads to further shifts in viewing habits. This will have a huge effect on the types and amount of content produced as ‘mobile first’. Just as TV did not kill cinema, mobile (or any digital) distribution will not kill TV. But it will no longer be enough to just edit and reposition your content from the small screen to the tiny screen.
The growing playing fields of digital distribution will open up still more space for new players. The proliferation of channels means that these need to differentiate themselves. Thus premiums will be paid for brands, second rate content will have to settle for free platforms like Youtube. Smaller producers can survive by building their brands and, most importantly, building their online fan base.
All of the above means that competition gets ever tighter, which shifts more and more power to the viewers and fans. Content is a necessity, brands are king, but fans are the emperors, if you will.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
