I have been traveling a fair bit over the last few weeks. I also moved house, and now wholeheartedly believe in the statement: The things you own, own you. Enough said. Anyway, back in the office now...
I recently attended the annual conference of the International Quorum of Motion Picture Producers. We are a group of filmmakers from every area of the industry, from feature producers to commercials, live events production to corporate.
Members are selected from all over the world, and the talent in the group is stunning. I was only able to be there for a couple of days, but being with old and new friends, and seeing and hearing how everyone has been getting on, gave me so much energy and ideas for the year to come.
I thought I’d take some time here to share some of my reflections on the conference:
1. Excellence is almost table stakes
The quality of work I saw was some of the best I’ve seen. I have been a member for six years, and the standard just keeps increasing. Admittedly, this is a particularly talented group, but it seems to me that excellence is almost becoming table stakes in our industry. If new tools are democratising production and making it accessible to more people than ever, then professionals with real ability are accelerated ahead of the pack.
What I draw from that is that for those looking to differentiate their offering, the difference must come from something additional to the quality of the work: strategy, workflow, reliability, or effectiveness.
2. Production businesses present a strange dichotomy
On the one hand, we celebrate the fantastic work that everyone has been doing, but we also reflect on the business success that has been driven. People running these companies are often pulled in different directions by those two forces.
No one completes an MBA and decides to set up a production company, that would be daft. You're choosing to play the game of business on hard mode.
And so, business owners generally entered the industry by being good at their craft, and then have to learn how to run a business as they go. This creates - as I have felt myself - a tension between the desire to build an effective company, and the desire to make the very best possible work. These naturally serve each other, but they do not map onto one another perfectly.
3. 2025 is a year of change
Our industry is in a state of flux. For many of us, 2025 has been a strange year. The post-COVID boom has subsided, and clients are looking hard at the investments they make. That is just in corporate. For those working in TV, independent cinema, and commercials, traditional funding models are breaking down; there just isn’t the same money available to get work done. It seems a paradox that at a time when there has never been more content consumed, some of the greatest purveyors of the art are struggling to find a working model. One thing is clear: change is essential.
4. The future is bright?
That is not a uniform experience; some of the group clearly have a model that is working and working well, but they are usually working within the new paradigm and not the old. Generally, there is positivity about the medium and long-term future of brand-funded content, particularly, but people are concerned about navigating the current changes in the market.
As attribution and data models improve, the proven commercial benefit of high-quality content will become undeniable.
As I have argued here before, this will lead to a hollowing out of the industry, where only boutique shops with a defensible niche, and businesses large enough to leverage the benefits of scale while remaining agile, will survive. It is up to businesses to pick a lane.
5. The future is brand-funded
Corporate and brand-funded content models seem to be ascendant. Each morning, we would have a breakout for different areas of the industry. The corporate group seems to grow each year as more filmmakers from other areas of the industry seek to understand how brand funding can work for their productions. Businesses can grow extremely valuable audiences with content, so it makes sense that this can be a model that works for many of the assembled businesses.
6. Split opinions on AI
While nearly everyone in the group is using AI to enhance and speed up their production and business processes, there is reticence about the power that is being surrendered to get us there.
Our GenAI overlords are building multibillion-dollar businesses from the wholesale theft of Intellectual Property.
It is the greatest corporate crime of our times, and yet no one wants to do anything about it for fear of not being emphatic enough about the Emperor’s new clothes. Many of our group have had their property copied to their commercial detriment and have received, and will receive, nothing in return.
One friend of mine, an experienced and truly fantastic filmmaker, told me that he believed that IP itself would cease to exist in the next five years, effectively destroying the whole industry. My gut reaction is that no one benefits from that, as even the mega-corps need the seed corn of original content to thrive, so surely it is too doomerist. In a world of continual AI slop, the way to differentiate is with compelling, emotive human stories.
Still, the fact that he believes that shows the deleterious impact that AI is having on sentiment in some sectors of the creative industry.
7. Lack of diversity is still a problem in the production industry
We've come a long way even in the last 40 years, but as an industry, more still needs to be done to make sure that we reflect the viewpoints and backgrounds of the people we serve. It is extremely hard for people to get into the industry without financial support. Something which closes the door to far too many people.
Being aware of the full range of injustices that still occur is the only way to recognise the problem and to begin addressing it.
8. Being in person is the best.
Nothing beats being in the room with friends. It’s great to be a member of a group that meets once a year in a different part of the world. One of the things which has always attracted me about filmmaking is the people who do it. Their worldview, creativity, and interest in things always give me such energy. No matter what is going on in the world around us, we always have a great time together and learn so much. Roll on Colombia!
9. Warsaw is pumping
I last visited Poland over 20 years ago. They really haven't wasted that time - the place is thriving. It's so great to see somewhere with such a rich and winding history doing so well. With so much declinism in the news, I loved being somewhere where the future is so bright. The bars and restaurants, the transport, the architecture, and the people all made the visit an absolute joy. I was sorry to have to leave so soon. I can't wait to be back.
10. Vodka needs to be tasted when cool but not frozen
Okay – not a production reflection, but on our visit to a Vodka Museum (of course), we learned all about Poland’s famous booze and got to do a tasting. It was fascinating to learn about this important, historic part of Polish culture. Tasting when freezing masks the taste, a tiny bit warmer, and you can taste the nuance - maybe not something to try with the convenience store vodka you have at the back of the cupboard though. And yes, you can taste the difference between different vodkas!
I am sure I have missed a huge amount, and everyone will have their own takeaways.
For members of IQ - what have I missed? For those of you who weren't there, what are your reflections on 2025, 2026+, and where the 'puck is going' in our industry?
Massive thank you to Julia Bidakowska Andrén, Gosia Zatorska Trojanowska, and also Aura Solis, Charles Drouin, Maureen (Mo) Tusty, Rosa del Carmen Torres Nava and all the team who worked so hard to make the week so memorable.
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