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The crises of 2020 have revealed the entertainment industry’s vulnerabilities to the world. At #mthcon we want to explore how MediaTech can help to overcome existing challenges and create a better future for film. How will media technology such as AI and virtual production disrupt the practice of filmmaking — creatively and economically? And what new opportunities does MediaTech create for storytelling?

How to co-create better film futures?

As a Professor of Screen Media at King's College London and co-editor of “Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies”, Sarah Atkinson has published widely on the impacts of digital technologies on film production practices. Her latest publication “The Future of Film Report 2020” examines the current transformation of the film industry and illustrates how virtual production, AI tools and Realtime Game Engines disrupt the practice of filmmaking. In an introductory vision statement, Sarah Atkinson and her co-authors, summarise their hope for the film industry:

“The future of film is inclusive, sustainable and rewards innovation and creativity.” 

The Future of Film Report 2020

But what does “being inclusive” in film actually mean?

If we truly want to live and work in a more inclusive way, there is a wide spectrum of issues to keep in mind. The Future of Film Report 2020 raises three dimensions in particular: 

First: a more open definition of film itself. The increasing variety of technologies, formats and channels opens up new possibilities and challenges the old understanding of film as a singular entity. According to the authors, it is time to adopt a “story first, format second” approach. Film – and here the report refers to the new definition of the British Film Institute – can be “anything that tells a story, expresses an idea or evokes an emotion through the art of the moving image, whilst honouring the platform for which the work was intended” (BFI 2022). The film of the future knows no barriers.

Secondly: more interdisciplinarity. The authors are convinced that virtual production will disrupt the silos amongst traditional film teams and, instead, enables a greater interdisciplinary creative exchange and new workflows. Hence, by working together, pioneers in film, games and immersive experience will set new best practices for workflows, from which all industries can benefit.

Last but not least: diverse perspectives. The report states that the film industry needs to become more inclusive by including diverse perspectives and world views. In particular the practice of storytelling will greatly benefit from more diversity.

The discussion at #mthcon2020

What are challenges on the way to a more inclusive film industry and how can we overcome them? And how do inclusion and sustainability go together? In their session “Inclusive, sustainable, innovative: Co-creating better film futures” Sarah Atkinson and Zena Harris (President of Green Spark Group, the leading sustainability consultancy in the film and entertainment industry) will explore the report’s findings and talk about necessary changes the film industry has to go through — in order to not just survive, but to thrive. We are looking forward to an intense and enriching discussion with Sarah Atkinson and Zena Harris! Make sure to join us on November 11-12, 2020 and please stay tuned — we will publish the full conference programme soon!

The Future of Film Report 2020 can be downloaded here.