Post Magazine

DECEMBER 09

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O nce again, it's time for Post's year-end outlook issue, which has us asking the exper ts about the Strengths, Weak- nesses, Oppor tunities and Threats related to dif- ferent aspects of our business. This year has a bit of a different tone from last. More of those interviewed are optimistic that the industry has already picked itself up and dusted it- self off. I have asked a few more industry pros, how they see 2010 shaping up. David Gater, from Soho Editors, with offices in NYC, London, Johannesburg and Dublin, be- lieves the worst is over. "From our perspective things seem to be on an upturn," he says. "Yes, ever yone went through some hard times, but I think it was something that the industry needed. Streamlining processes, trimming the fat, mini- mizing expenses while maintaining quality of ser- vice — all of these were essential for a business' survival through 2009." As we move forward, Gater sees diversification as the key. "The more you can bring to the table, whether you are a company or an individual, makes you an asset to any establishment." But he feels "the real barometer will be the attendance and the level of buzz at NAB out in Las Vegas in a few months." Harr y Skopas, director of engineering at The Mill, New York, weighs in:"It's no secret, most of us probably feel that 2010 will be a relatively flat year for the post world. It's still rough out there! Downturns eventually turn around and we need to deal with today's day-to-day business and pre- pare for tomorrow's changing world. "That said, it's also a very exciting time, as we need to re-evaluate business models, creative and technical workflow efficiencies. In my mind the current state of the global economy has 'acceler- ated' what was inevitably going to take place a few years down the road if everything was humming along. Do it better, do it faster, do more, with less. It's a great time to prepare for the future." Atlanta-based Edward Dye, director/CEO of Ar tistic Image, says, "With the economy having taken its toll on the industr y, I see many agency and corporate clients with smaller budgets now taking more risks, asking us for creative ways to still produce high-level creative. For us that means more compelling and creative work, and that's ex- citing. We're closing out '09 strong and are work- ing now to prepare for the new creative chal- lenges we'll face in the future." All in all, most of those interviewed this month agree that we have turned a corner in terms of the economy. And while no one is expecting 2010 to break any records, most agree that the long climb back has begun. Outlook 2010 E D I T O R ' S N O T E 2 Post • December 2009 www.postmagazine.com By RANDI ALTMAN E D I T O R - I N - C H I E F raltman@postmagazine.com P O S T S C R I P T Business SWOT preview F or several years now, our December issue has taken a SWOT focus, looking at the Strengths,Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of the different post markets. On our Website this month, we offer a "bonus" SWOT, where pros comment on the studio business itself. Here's a look at what some had to say… STRENGTHS: "A strength is our tried and proven methods that can be carried over to new workflows," says Terry Curren of Burbank's AlphaDogs. "We already know how to do storytelling by editing. We know how to make sound good. We know how to handle media management and do color correction. We have that skill set and can carry that to new workflows easily." WEAKNESSES: "Our weaknesses are the perception of our client base and our overall baggage," notes Richard Cormier of RingSide Creative in Oak Park, MI. "The challenge for current or past post production owners is to make sure those things are not in the way of going forward. [Another] thing that can get in the way is to not recognize that there is a new breed of players or entrants into the business. They are playing on the same playing field. Especially regarding the digital platforms." OPPORTUNITIES: "The Hispanic market is an area of great potential," says Nancy Shames of Crew Cuts in NYC. "One of our editors was recently brought in on some major campaigns for brands like Verizon, Home Depot and the NFL.Work like this helps post houses grow, not only financially, but also culturally and creatively. It's about understanding the subtleties of anoth- er culture, and letting that knowledge and inspi- ration translate through the work." THREATS: "The biggest threat is the pace at which technology is evolving," adds Richard Jastrow of Paramount Pictures, Post Facilities & Services in Hollywood. "Once we commit to something — and there is a capital expenditure involved — we're stuck with what it is that we committed to for at least a period of three years.That's been the biggest threat to all of my businesses to be honest. I can't always commit to the return on investment because every day there's a new workflow." By MARC LOFTUS S E N I O R E D I T O R mloftus@postmagazine.com A D V E R T I S I N G MERLE MODEL East Coast Sales Manager (781) 255-0625 cell: (516) 830-0631 mmodel@postmagazine.com MARI KOHN West Coast Sales Manager (818) 291-1153 cell: (818) 472-1491 mkohn@postmagazine.com LISA BLACK Education and Recruitment Sales (877) CGW-POST (249-7678) lisab@copcomm.com KEITH KNOPF Production Director (818) 291-1158 CHRIS SALCIDO Account Manager (818) 291-1144 csalcido@copprints.com CUSTOMER SERVICE 620 West Elk Ave, Glendale, CA 91204 csr@postmagazine.com (800) 280 6446 opt 2 (publishing), opt 1 (subscriptions) REPRINTS Reprints (781) 255-0625 • (818) 291-1153 LA SALES office: 620 West Elk Avenue, Glendale, California 91204 (800) 280-6446 Post Magazine is published by Post, LLC, a COP communications company. Post does not verify any claims or other information appearing in any of the ad- vertisements contained in the publication, and cannot take any responsibility for any losses or other damages incurred by readers in reliance on such content. Post cannot be held responsible for the safekeeping or return of unsolicited articles, manuscripts, photographs, illustrations or other materials. Subscriptions: Address all subscription correspondence to Post Magazine, 620 West Elk Ave, Glendale, CA 91204. Subscribers may also contact customer service at (800) 280 6446, opt 2 (publishing), opt 1 (subscriptions) or send an email to csr@postmagazine.com For change of address please include the old and new address information, and if possible, include an address label from a recent issue. Subscriptions are available free to qualified individuals within the United States. Non-qualified 1 year rates: USA $63.00. Canada & Mexico $94.00. All Other Countries $133.00. Airmail Delivery is available for an additional $75.00 annually. Postmaster: Send address changes to Post Magazine, P.O. Box 3551, Northbrook, IL 60065-3551. Please send customer ser vice inquiries to 620 W. Elk Ave., Glendale, CA 91204 E D I T O R I A L RANDI ALTMAN Editor-in-Chief (516) 797-0884 raltman@postmagazine.com MARC LOFTUS Senior Editor (516) 376-1087 mloftus@postmagazine.com KEN MCGORRY Consulting Editor mcgorry@optonline.net CHRISTINE BUNISH Film& Video RON DICESARE Audio BOB PANK European Correspondent bob.pank@virgin.net DAN RESTUCCIO West Coast Bureau dansweb451@aol.com IAIN BLAIR Film MICHAEL VIGGIANO Art Director mviggiano@postmagazine.com WILLIAM R. RITTWAGE President / CEO See us on

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