2023 Outlook: Cast & Crew’s End-of-Year Predictions

Once again, a new year is right around the corner! As the entertainment industry continues to recover from the pandemic, we find ourselves handling a plethora of changes and adjustments. For a better view of what the industry could look like in 2023, we reached out to a few of our friendly faces (and experts) across the Cast & Crew organization. Here’s what they had to say: 

 Andrew Patterson | Chief Technology Officer 

“I expect 2023 to be a year of excitement with an increased focus on data and automation in our industry. Cast & Crew is making widespread use of cloud technologies, which are evolving rapidly. The future of leveraging these technologies is being envisioned and implemented at a much greater rate than ever before. The underlying platforms are now so capable, it excites everyone involved about the future possibilities. 

Collaborations with teams across Cast & Crew and our many clients have allowed us to come up with a vision for these technologies, both internally and externally. So, internal efficiencies may not be known to clients, but their benefits are felt with increased response times and service. 

While these have been themes for a while, the implementation of these cloud capabilities is happening across all products, and we are seeing tangible benefits. This comes in the form of cross-platform communication, data ingestions, real-time updates across all systems, and scalability of service. What makes me most excited is that while clients may be seeing the efficiencies and results of these increased capacities, the bulk of the benefits is just around the corner in 2023. 

The future holds the promise of data analysis at so many levels, with years of data at your fingertips, tools that allow many permutations of the same data, and the seamless input of data without the manual input and automation of manual tasks. A few quick clicks of confirmation and whole processes are streamlined. 

 Truly an exciting time to be in the industry, with cloud technologies transforming the way we add value to our customers.” 

 Bishop Porter | Manager, Production Accountant Relations  

“I think the production accounting community will continue to grow as more people enter the field in 2023. The industry has recognized the need to provide students with proper training. In the public sector, this was addressed just this year with the California Film Commission’s inaugural class of production accounting graduates. Some studios are establishing their own in-house training courses as well. These are great solutions that will address demand and ensure that employees are equipped with the knowledge they need to do the job (and do it well). After all, the demand for content is greater than ever; not only do we want more, we also want it as soon as we can get it. How long did I have to wait for season five of The Crown? Too long! 

In 2023, I believe that production accountants will use digital products more and more in their processes. Since we now have the option to work remotely, the need for this new software is greater than ever. As expected, we’ve all felt some growing pains, but I think most accountants understand that going digital is the way of the future. Due to the pandemic, we’ve experienced a rapid shift in the industry. Some things changed overnight. Now that some of the urgency has passed, we can fine tune products and work to make them more responsive, reliable, and effective. The collaboration between the accountants, studios, and payroll companies is invaluable to our collective success and growth. I’m excited to see how the industry adapts in 2023!” 

 Jim Gomez | Product Manager 

“As the primary streaming services begin to limit the sharing of account passwords with different households, in 2023 I predict that subscribers may begin to pay closer attention to movie and series drop dates. This may lead to the release of more 'single episodes,’ and perhaps even seeing platforms known for distributing content all at once under the binge model reverting to a weekly episodic schedule. For feature films on streaming platforms, my guess is releases will also become more strategically timed. Platforms may release features (or other non-episodic projects) throughout the month instead of at once or separate highly anticipated projects in their release schedule to keep their audience excited about what's coming next.” 

 Samson Scheller | Sr. Customer Success Manager, Independents 

“2023 will be the year that digital workflows are fully embraced in a way that will benefit both productions and payroll companies. In 2021, productions needed to adapt and adjust to a digital workflow in order to maintain normalcy in a world that was turning upside down. Digital processes were explored but weren’t exactly embraced or welcomed. In 2022, the industry started to understand the benefits of having its payroll done completely digitally. Gone were the days of chasing down a single paper timecard on a 300-person crew (only to write in all the information with a red pen after everything was filled out incorrectly). Now, one could just scan the timecard and email it, or better yet use a fully digital timecard. Today, everything is available in one portal, separated by just a few clicks, and productions are starting to move faster and more efficiently because of it. Entire crews are avoiding paper completely, and information is available in a much more concise and organized fashion (so long, red pens). In 2023, as the industry fully embraces a digital world, productions are going to start taking ownership in these products and will want to tailor the experience for their crew members so that a manual process is a complete afterthought. Digital product adoption for this fiscal year is already up over last year, and I expect to
see the numbers continue to rise.”  

 Steven Fishman | VP of Sales, Media Services

“In 2023, I predict that innovators will figure out a way to use social media and new technologies to build audiences for film and TV productions; think of all those people searching for Pokémon GO monsters on their phones. It isn’t much of a leap to imagine Apple's future AR glasses giving people the same experience. Imagine people following “Thing” from the Addams Family as it takes you to clues that pair you with Wednesday to help her solve a mystery that runs parallel to her Netflix series. Not hard to imagine product tie-ins along your search route. The success of TikTok, both in terms of sheer numbers and that 60 percent of its users are Gen Z, has created a challenge for Google’s YouTube. There are an increasing number of people who use TikTok as a search engine. Google is rolling out new features which they hope will appeal to young users and draw them back. They are trying to make Google more entertaining. YouTube is challenging TikTok by sharing advertising revenue with its short-term creators. 
 
We will see more TikTok personalities gain traction within more traditional media, parlaying their “brand” into longer-form content for streaming (and even film). Producers have tried using YouTube celebrities, expecting their followers to promote and increase box office. This will probably continue and expand to streaming series content that originated with TikTok videos. 

In 2023, further consolidation of traditional entertainment production companies with video game producers will take place.  Acquisitions in the video game market are hot right now; companies like Sweden-based Embracer Group are buying lots of IP. I expect there will be an increase in the number of video games being made into everything from movies to streaming series. Netflix’s Arcane, based on the Riot Games video game property League of Legends, had a second season greenlit almost immediately based on viewership numbers. It took six years to develop but won Emmys in the Animation category."
 

We'll have to just wait and see if these predictions come to life. We very well think with what we're already seeing that 2023 will shape up to be an exciting year with more content, more ways to use data, and more industry innovation ... and we can't wait!