Post Magazine

December 2014

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www.postmagazine.com 37 POST DECEMBER 2014 and treating their audiences with respect. I don't think [that means] the death of the movie-going experience — that's still a unique and social experience, and it's go- ing to stay strong for some time to come." THREATS: "I think the key threat is the oversupply of facilities for the work avail- able. This leads to aggressive bidding to try and win market share, which drives down client expectations of the cost of the work and sets a new 'normal.' This has been happening for years, and we've seen this result in business closures and high-profi le collapses around the world. "The really big [threat] for me is what happens to our audience — if we don't continue to tell interesting stories in innovative ways, we run the risk of losing them. A night out at the movies is not a cheap experience for a family. If they don't perceive it as good value — from the fi lm- makers and exhibitors — then why would they continue to see movies instead of staying home and watching something on 4K television on Pay Per View?" OUTLOOK FOR 2015: "For RSP, 2015 feels remarkably positive — factors that have caused production to slow in the past few years appear to be changing in our favor, and we've got a solid slate [of projects] until the middle of 2015. We've also got some great support from regular clients, and we're starting to build out the future past the next wave of summer releases. Beyond RSP, I think we'll continue to see continued movement of projects and facil- ities around the world, pulled by [off ers of] the next, most-aggressive rebate." ALBERTO SCIROCCO President/ Creative Director Leftchannel Columbus, OH www.leftchannel.com Leftchannel is a motion and design studio delivering motion graphics, commercials, music videos, broadcast IDs, program titles and opens, animation and graphic design. Clients include ABC, Absolut, Nike, Discov- ery Channel, and Men's Health. STRENGTHS: "Graphics have the great ability to make a project look high end with budgets that are limited. With live ac- tion, you get what you pay for: If you want something to look better it will cost more. But the right design can make a small bud- get look like a really big production: You can get more mileage from the budget. "Design has a very immediate brand- ing function that you don't get with live-action storytelling — that instant reading of the brand. If you see a Target commercial in a bar with the sound off , you immediately recognize the brand. "We all have the ability to work with clients anywhere today — Europe, Asia, America. Our work is not based on that sense of being the local facility in a certain geographical location. The only boundaries are our imaginations." WEAKNESSES: "Because design can make the most of small budgets, it's some- times seen as a low-budget option. As soon as clients have a good budget they'll gravitate toward live action. But a good investment in design will really stand out. We help bring brands to life." OPPORTUNITIES: "Print and media are being transformed. We're moving away from the traditional :30 spot to projects without such well-defi ned structures. Design has the extra potential to work well with interactivity, with rich media. "We helped Verizon do a lot of thinking for its new destination stores nationwide — a lot of 'think-tanking' with animation and design for the complex media and environmental applications they need. It was exciting for us. We had hundreds of deliverables every month." THREATS: "I think the proliferation of smaller groups of designers and freelanc- ers tends to dilute the market. They may be able to win an occasional job, but when it's all said and done, they don't really deliver the goods. They're able to get the bid even if they couldn't produce the work. Clients look at the top sheet — not their body of work — and that's all. We've seen plenty of companies start up and burn out just as quickly; but we've always operated under the assumption that if you do great work, you'll always have work to do." OUTLOOK FOR 2015: "The consumer fear that kept the fi rst two quarters of 2014 paralyzed has subsided, and the middle of the third quarter and the fourth quarter Graphics have the great ability to MAKE A PROJECT LOOK HIGH END WITH BUDGETS THAT ARE LIMITED." OUTLOOK VFX, ANIMATION & GRAPHICS O OUTLOOK O OUTLOOK What were bleeding-edge techniques only years ago ARE NOW WITHIN REACH OF MORE FILMMAKERS as they fi nd their way into the standard toolsets in use at all facilities." CONTINUED ON PG 40

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