ENSIDER:NEWS
ChatGPT's artificially intelligent results are also fascinating more and more filmmakers. The various providers spit out short answers, detailed texts or even images on their platforms, some of which are chargeable. The quality of the results and of course the verification of the veracity are determined by the user's competence. Like any other tool, it has to be practiced. US universities are therefore already requiring students to use these systems. China is leading the world in various AI applications, such as image analysis. "The quality of the input and the iteration skills are crucial," say experts. What does that mean?
Almost everything is back to how it used to be: films, stars, filmmakers and events are back, almost like before. Admittedly, many events are a little smaller and fewer stars are in the spotlight. The market is also being experienced more soberly. Nevertheless, promising projects are being announced. This applies to films, but also to new studios and platforms. The major crises do not seem to scare anyone this year. ARD and ZDF have already brought forward decisions on program reform. Even the impending strike by American creatives is by no means seen as a given by the negotiators there. The production volume seems to be leveling off at the pre-Corona year of 2019, although the focus is more on the second half of the year. The forces of television, cinema and streamers are also increasingly balancing each other out.
Despite the booming global entertainment industry, German production companies are facing significant challenges. Public broadcasters are sorting themselves out and re-prioritizing their own program portfolio. This is leading to cancellations of orders that were believed to be secure or the reduction of established series. The reawakening cinema market also offers almost forgotten opportunities, but requires a well-considered balance in development. Targeted precision and a healthy balance were also required at the 25th "Filmszene Bayern auf Eis" at the end of the Munich Film Week - a great start to the 2023 production year, despite the emergency services being deployed.
Uncertainty, unpredictability, uncontrollability - we humans are increasingly having difficulty with this. Digitalization constantly suggests to us that we can control all factors and thus reduce our stressors. This is precisely why the crises of recent years have been such a big psychological problem for many: the individual himself can actually have little influence. Perhaps this primal fear was also the reason for the development of humans, away from success-dependent hunting and towards predictable harvests. If we have to realize after just a few weeks that our annual plan will probably not be implemented in this way, it is up to us to accept it. Accompaniment can be helpful here - but it can also look very different.
The new year promises exciting developments. Cinema is experiencing a successful renaissance. Long since declared dead during the pandemic, extra-long films in particular are generating box office results, as in the heyday of the big screen. With FAST (Free ad-supported TV, quasi advertising-financed streaming), specialty TV content is offered free of charge with advertising and complements the VOD world. In addition to tried-and-tested subscription models, AVOD (advertising-financed on-demand content) is to be enriched with a lot of current streaming content. Despite the impending strikes by American unions, especially those of the authors (WGA), and the reform of public broadcasting in Germany - which is painfully noticeable for the production landscape - further growth of the overall market can be expected. Comprehensive sustainability will have a significant impact on organization and training. Smart solutions will change everyday production. At the same time, the industry is rediscovering the value of personal encounters at industry events.
Solutions to the major challenges of sustainability and the shortage of skilled workers, the stabilization of personal networks and growing crisis resilience have shaped 2022. The vast majority of industry participants have recognized sustainability in particular as an opportunity and joined the respective initiatives. With the EU's new CSRD directive, we will see a legal framework for the mandatory implementation of ESG guidelines from 2023. Every link in the supply chain will have to be involved so that broadcasters, streamers and distributors can fulfill their sustainability reporting obligations. The training initiatives are slowly but steadily becoming effective, despite all the other crises. Despite the sobering election manifestos, the new federal government has its sights firmly set on culture with its impact on society as a whole and the economic power of the media. 2022 was not the hoped-for, comprehensive recovery for the economy and society, but the bottom line is that important steps in the right direction have been taken in many areas.