I suspect that some of you may be surprised that a camera or cameras are not our game changers. Don’t get me wrong, cameras are important, but we need to put things in perspective given the electronic and multi-media world we live in. Imaging is big business and it all comes down to two words: Content and Programming. These are the backbone of the entertainment and media business and are what fuels both advertising revenue and consumer viewing, and ultimately results in consumer spending. Advertisers and consumers rarely ask “What camera was this show shot with?” How much revenue and spending are we talking about? It’s huge! In 2011, in the US alone, nearly $1.12 trillion and it is projected to reach $1.4 trillion by 2015.* And how is the content and programming being delivered? It is being delivered via television, movie theaters, computers, laptops, tablets, and the critically important third screen or mobile phone. 227 million people in the US own a mobile phone; and 79 % use them for more than basic calling**. Mobile phones have given and continue to give an unparalleled number of people worldwide, access to the Internet. As a result, content and programming are king.
The Internet has created opportunities for independent filmmakers and product marketers to bypass the traditional distribution and marketing models and promote and distribute their own products often direct to consumer without the need for elaborate infrastructure. With increasing competition and bottom line concerns— concerns for large studios, independents, and upstarts— there is a need to deliver quality content and programming faster, and as economically as possible. HDSLRs, with their larger sensors, have given filmmakers a viable, although often less than optimal tool, with which to economically develop content often with a look and depth of field which could only be achieved with cameras and lenses costing significantly more.
Camera performance, look, file flexibility, workflow and associated costs (including ownership or rental) as well as project budgets are indeed an integral part of the production of content and programming. Interest and use of HDSLRs by content and programming creators have had a significant influence in the development of new dedicated larger sensor, motion capture products that offer the interchangeable lens flexibility offered by traditional SLR and DSLRs and a form factor and features including monitoring controls and connectors missing from HDSLRs. The sub-$20,000 price-point seems to be the new battle ground among motion camera manufacturers. Red Digital Cinema, Panasonic, Sony, and most recently Canon are all players in this developing and critical market segment.
The bottom line is that imagers, both stillmotographers and filmmakers, have an unprecedented numbers of options. Access to competent equipment is no longer a barrier to entry and Internet sites— Youtube and Vimeo among them— are among many cost effective distribution solutions.
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*www.plunkettresearch.com
**www.experian.com
