December: Forecasting
Another year has ended, and with it, we welcome a new one. No one knows what 2024 has in store, but these friends and clients of Syzygy have a pretty good idea of where we’re heading. Reflecting on all that 2023 had tucked up its sleeve and looking towards the future, leaders and producers from Epoch, Hey Wonderful, CANADA, Ruckus, Curfew, and Doomsday all weigh in on what’s coming soon for all of us.
How do you foresee the director’s and producer’s jobs evolving in the future?
Ask Chat GPT. They might have the best response about what to expect. I would ask, but I am too superstitious. - Melissa Culligan, Epoch
In many ways, I feel very talented, strong directors will become even more valuable because they bring something to the table that other people can’t offer. Even more so than in the past, people are looking to directors for their expertise, leadership, experience, and vision. There are many people out there right now who can execute, but really talented directors aren’t just executing - they’re honing their skill set and rising to the top. I think that producers, moving forward, have to stay on top of the tech integration and advancement that’s going on. Ultimately, I think a producer’s job will remain mostly the same - there will always be puzzles to solve, and producers will always be fitting the pieces together. - Sarah McMurray, Hey Wonderful
It’s only the beginning. I mean, the stuff that’s out now is already mind-blowing. I can’t imagine what it looks like one year on. Hopefully in 2024, AI will be way more embedded in our workflow. - JJ Adler, Ruckus
There will always be a need for both. And I think just like any time in the creative industry or film industry, it's always about adapting to innovations, but there's always going to be a need for human minds to organize and create. - Kathryn Berk, Curfew
I think we are becoming more of a producer-lead industry, and producers will need to wear more hats and evolve into more rounded creative beings (probably not a very popular answer… with directors). - Charlotte Woodhead, CANADA
What would you like to leave behind in 2023?
2023 brought on a lot of turbulence and change, which can often be good. It can shake things up and force an evolution in both business and our personal lives. But with that comes the need to let go, move on from the confines we were once comfortable with, and explore new possibilities. Personally, I am leaving behind material things (you don’t need that fancy couch in the office lobby to be creative and successful!) and the notion that we have no true control in this industry. You have to bob and weave through it all and stay in the game while keeping your values intact. - Danielle Hinde, Doomsday
I’d like to leave behind some of the uncertainty and hesitancy that we all have been under the thumb of since COVID-19, and I’d like for us all to be able to go forward more confidently. - Sarah McMurray, Hey Wonderful
I want to leave behind questioning my value as a creative person. I know that’s such a universal impulse for creative people. We’re always trying to make our projects our own and then worrying whether we did it exactly right. But the whole point of making stuff is to do it your way. I just want to be a little more conscious of that in the next year. - JJ Adler, Ruckus
Recession fears and hesitation. - Kathryn Berk, Curfew
Stress and tight shoulders. It’s very overrated. - Charlotte Woodhead, CANADA
What industry-wide change would you like to see implemented in 2024?
This may be controversial, but I feel like directors / production companies should get a nominal fee for treatments. For a bunch of reasons. Not the least of which is: in this day and age, we shouldn’t accept unpaid labor full stop. It’s a barrier to entry for a lot of new directors starting out who can’t take three days without pay to put something together. But more specifically, treatments have gotten more expensive and time-consuming than ever before. And you never know whether you’re a real contender or whether the teams have their minds made up going in, and you never really had a shot. Inviting people to invest loads of time, money, and creativity in that context doesn’t seem super ethical to me. At Ruckus, we always try to be strategic about what we bid on, and we’re usually pretty good with our instincts. But I think a little financial investment on the client side would incentivize everyone to be more intentional about who they’re inviting to bid. And more thoughtful about what that process means for everyone. - JJ Adler, Ruckus
I think there's currently a lot of siloing of directors, and I wish more clients would have a broader view of what creatives can do - allow more creative freedom. - Kathryn Berk, Curfew
Blind treatment pitches. This would allow people to bid and win based on real merit, talent, and thoughts they have brought to the job and allow us to blow past the same top 10 directors who always win. - Charlotte Woodhead, CANADA
What are your reasons to be optimistic in 2024?
The last few years have been unusual in the industry. I feel that certain types of work that had been on the back burner during COVID are returning. Primarily, documentary work with real people or anything that involves going out into the world and getting honest reactions. I'm super happy to see that coming back. - Sarah McMurray, Hey Wonderful
There’s so much cool tech coming our way. I’m excited for change. I’m also hopeful that with the strikes ending, things will head back to where they ought to be in terms of employment. And that rising tides will mean lots more opportunities for exciting new talent to break in. - JJ Adler, Ruckus