Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1189824
www.postmagazine.com 25 POST NOV/DEC 2019 PRODUCTION MUSIC OUTLOOK O OUTLOOK O OUTLOOK BUSINESS I n the last 40 years, the produc- tion music industry has under- gone extraordinary change. Every part of our industry is evolving faster than ever before. For FirstCom Music and many of the visionary music providers, the biggest challenge is being at the forefront of what's next. At one time, hard-drive delivery, CDs and online music access were considered forward thinking. Today, the focus has turned to the next generation of content creators and what their expectations are for their production music resources. For this new breed of music user, it will be critical to focus on two essentials: technology and the human connection. From a technology standpoint, music companies are increasingly partnering with relevant service providers to make music easily accessible to users. These technology partnerships benefit every- one, from the artist whose music is made more visible, to the content creators who have a need to work faster and smart- er. It is vital to leverage partnerships with music housing platforms and software providers such as Adobe, Spotify, Apple, Amazon and others, including artifi- cial intelligence software like Shazam. Embracing emerging technology in the music arena will continue to separate the innovators from the noise makers. Technology enables growth and con- venience, but we must not forget the power of the human connection. While AI is making great strides, it cannot replace the expert human touch given by experienced music supervisors and music directors. In some cases, the pinnacle customer service experience can be achieved via technology. For others, a true "white glove" experience with a caring and thoughtful human who can evaluate their specific needs and provide a custom solution is what will make them a customer for life. While technology has leveled the playing field when it comes to creating quality music, nothing can replace the beauty that the human experience brings to the pro- cess. FirstCom Music works with thou- sands of composers around the world to bring a unique musical experience to our labels, ultimately creating lasting emotional connections. Providing con- tent creators with an elegant balance of technology and human interaction is ab- solutely key to rising above and bringing true value to the industry. This is an exciting time to be in the production music space. While tradi- tional business models are shifting, advances in technology are creating an environment of boundless growth. Looking into the proverbial crystal ball, if the next 40 years are anything like the last 40, then we are all in for what is to be a spectacular future filled with new opportunities and limitless creative boundaries. These unleashed boundar- ies will no doubt be built on a founda- tion of technological advances that are intertwined with meaningful human connections. THE FUTURE OF PRODUCTION MUSIC IS IN MELDING TECHNOLOGY AND HUMAN CONNECTIONS BY BILLY STOVER VICE PRESIDENT SALES & MARKETING FIRSTCOM MUSIC DALLAS, TX WWW.FIRSTCOM.COM M TI Film, a post production service and software development company based in Hollywood, CA, specializes in episodic entertainment television and film restoration. Its software products include Cortex, a "swiss army knife" of software that boasts "set-to- screen" functionality used by companies worldwide, and DRS Nova, a software application for film restoration that has been used to restore thousands of films. Here, MTI CEO Larry Chernoff takes on Post's SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) topics. STRENGTHS: The strengths experienced by the post industry relates primarily to the abundance of content being gener- ated by the various studios vying for the attention of consumers. Whether this trend will continue indefinitely remains to be seen, but for the last several years and for the anticipated future, the volume of content produced appears unabated. WEAKNESSES: Weaknesses directly affecting post houses come as a result of the aforementioned strength of content creation. The sheer volume of media created for streaming content, which must remain online and readily accessible to content creators, puts tremendous pressure on storage and bandwidth in- frastructure. Capital requirements are as significant today as they ever were and those who do not modernize their infra- structure, place their customers' ability to create in jeopardy. OPPORTUNITIES: While the demise of the post house has been predicted for several decades, it is more ap- parent today than ever that the post house is a vital and integral part of the production community. Without the resources available to the producer that only high-end and well-capitalized facilities can offer, production would be burdened to create its own at great ex- pense and risk. Post houses can spread risk over several productions and plan for downside events by providing first- class service to repeat customers. THREATS: The threats we face in post related to content creation is the same the entire production community faces: saturation and content fatigue. There are just so many hours in a day that a viewer can commit to content and just so much money they will want to spend on it. Like so many events in the history of entertain- ment, the brave new world we are experi- encing today will have to find its rightful level in the marketplace, sending waves of repercussions throughout the industry. SWOT: MTI LOOKS AT INDUSTRY STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS BY LARRY CHERNOFF CEO MTI FILM HOLLYWOOD, CA WWW.MTIFILM.COM