ENSIDER:NEWS
Never-ending to-do lists? The feeling in the evening that you haven't achieved enough? A tight, self-disciplined organization, even in your private life? Does this sound familiar? Do you disdain the "work ethic" of younger generations and the topic of "work-life balance"? Do you define the meaning of your life and the appreciation of it through your work? Do you stylize overwork and overtime as a lifestyle? Then you belong to the "Burn On" target group - known from the book of the same name by Bert de Wildt and Timo Schiele - and you may exhibit the occupational disease symptoms of chronic burnout, if this does not erupt acutely in a final event. Following Richard David Precht's philosophical consideration of the topic of work, this medical perspective complements the picture of our performance-oriented society, its effects and the logical consequences that generations Y and Z must inevitably draw from it. The good news is: with simple solutions we can reduce our stressors and increase our well-being.
The global competition between streaming wasteland and group cinema experiences, between series and individual pieces, was constantly present at the trade show in the USA and also at the German cinema fair. Just as forms of use have undergone disruptive developments in the course of digitalization, creatives also fear similar tendencies for their own work. The strike by the authors of the WGA is justified in particular by a lack of profit sharing and the dangers posed by AI. Since last Wednesday, directors have also entered the negotiations with similar demands. A strike is also an issue there. So far, the effects have only been felt by the shows directly affected. However, history has shown that, of course, a production stop is also foreseeable for series and fictional productions in general, with a corresponding time delay. A risk for all companies whose focus is on large international projects. At this year's Cannes Film Festival, numerous formats are dedicated to these topics and are being closely followed by the international press.
Anyone who makes films puts their current project at the centre of attention. The immediate goal is to defy the challenges together with colleagues and ultimately complete the filming successfully. Typical project work, in other words. Anyone who prepares for festivals or works towards release dates and premieres knows the feeling too. Project work is intensive, exhausting, fulfilling and takes up everything for the moment. There is hardly any space or time for personal reflection. There is no room for the appreciation of current skills and experience, perhaps even an academic degree or simply personal development. Yet current offers offer an optimal combination of professional activity with a recognised title. The magic word is a master's degree - part-time, sometimes with low entry barriers, always flexible and respectful of filmmakers. We present three variants.
The good intentions at the beginning of the year have long been factored into everyday life. A final moral rebellion during Lent has also been ticked off. The tracks for the current year must be laid by Easter at the latest. Project-dependent employees already have a good idea of the films to be made this year. Production companies are already juggling crews and checking locations and funding. Service providers are planning their resources and adjusting to the new cost reality. Only broadcasters and streamers seem to be changing plans at short notice. Projects that were already believed to be certain are being canceled, others are being commissioned - green and gender-fair. Short-term changes are hardly manageable under the general organizational burden. Successful companies define themselves through technological solutions, long-term partnerships and flexible structures.
Entertainment technology is being hotly debated due to the new AI offerings. In the digital space, the laws from the analog world no longer seem to apply. "Who actually owns what?" is much more difficult to answer. Perhaps this is why defensive behavior and caution are being delayed. After all, no one wants to be the one who blocks things, the one stuck in the past. On some topics, there is still no social consensus on which legislation could be based. Data management by service providers and content creation by creatives are the two main topics that are currently being hotly debated on panels and workshops. We provide a brief overview.
The period between Ash Wednesday and Good Friday is Lent for Christians. For Bavarians, it is also the strong beer season, but that is not the topic. Fasting means giving up what you are used to. Similar to New Year's resolutions, alcohol, fatty or sweet foods are often on the list of things to do without. In recent years, crisis reports and omnipresent news tickers have taken up so much space that I had prescribed myself a good mood. This year I wanted to smile away bad news and disaster reports, ignore them or at least not immediately fall into a doomsday mood. A status report from week four of stress fasting.