As we bid farewell to an unusual year and embrace 2024’s promising horizon, our team at Cast & Crew has once again looked into entertainment’s crystal ball to see what’s coming down the pike. (Psst. Here’s one thing right off the bat: we’ve folded this annual piece into our ‘Master Your Craft’ series to streamline our thought leadership.) Every year, we ask our experts to predict the entertainment industry’s next moves in our continued effort to provide help and insight to our clients at every juncture. In anticipation of 2024, we've once again tapped into our team’s collective expertise to better understand what might be in store. Here's what they had to say:
Briana Rodriguez, Editor-in-Chief, Backstage:
Consider Amelia Dimoldenberg, the mastermind behind Chicken Shop Date, hosting guests like Oscar winners Jennifer Lawrence and Daniel Kaluuya, as well as Shania Twain and Keke Palmer. Her unique interview style has made it to the red carpets of esteemed events like the Golden Globes and Brit Awards, resulting in viral interviews with A-listers like Andrew Garfield and Paul Mescal. These interviews, refreshingly unfiltered compared to typical press tour Q&As, echo the younger generation's insistence on genuine interactions—a value not only embraced by them but also by brands catering to younger audiences.
Likewise, TikTok personality Drew Afualo, known for her incisive critiques of online misogynists, was appointed an Academy Ambassador, conducting interviews on the Oscars’ 'champagne' carpet. Tefi Pessoa, another TikToker, was spotted interviewing celebrities on the AMAs red carpet.
The integration of the 'social media famous' into the industry isn't a passing trend; it's a deliberate strategy by brands aiming to tap into the expansive and engaged audiences these personalities nurture. In Backstage’s own job market, we've witnessed a rise in brands seeking social-media-savvy performers to helm their User Generated Content (UGC) campaigns. Looking ahead, this trend is poised to endure, with influencers progressively becoming integral to the industry's ever-evolving landscape."
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Ivana Malcolm, SVP, Client Services & Customer Success, Cast & Crew:
"I anticipate that 2024 will usher in a transition from digitization to a broader landscape of opportunities in automation, concurrently emphasizing the rising expectations for an enhanced customer experience.
Throughout my tenure in our industry, the primary focus has predominantly revolved around advocating the transformative potential of digital tools to optimize our clients' workflows. In recent years, a significant shift has occurred where remote work and our suite of digital products seamlessly integrate into daily operations. While we’ve made considerable progress, our goal for 2024, is to propel usage of our digital timecard solution to new heights, overcoming this final hurdle.
Beyond the realm of digitalization lies a vast landscape of opportunities through automation. Many of our existing products mirror traditional workflows— PDFs are filled, submitted, and await multiple approvals. Despite being executed digitally, the underlying processes remain unchanged. For accounting processes, data entry for invoices and purchase orders, and then matching these costs continues to be a manual and time-consuming effort. In the upcoming year, the focus will shift towards leveraging automation to streamline operations, replacing repetitive tasks, and initiating a paradigm shift. This not only promises a smoother work experience for our clients but also expedites time-consuming processes.
As automation takes precedence, work becomes increasingly hands-off, elevating the significance of human interaction, particularly in customer service. With streamlined workflows, individuals seek avenues to bridge the gaps, utilizing saved time for meaningful connections, inquiries, and hands-on guidance. This parallels the surge in significance of personal connections in remote work. Despite its normalization, our clients will continue to yearn for and deeply appreciate the in-person moments that foster genuine connection."
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Jeremy Young, Sr. Director, Live Entertainment Sales, Cast & Crew Live Entertainment:
However, we've reached a point where acts will face challenges in delivering value to their fans without becoming even more creative with their (Support & Co Headline) packages. In larger shows (arenas, amphitheaters, stadiums), co-headline shows have typically involved one of the two artists who may be on the cusp of playing that size venue but not quite there yet. In 2024, I anticipate seeing two artists, who might have sold out the same size building just a year ago, teaming up to extend their time on the road.
As for smaller shows, I believe that headliners of clubs, theaters, and the like will have to broaden their reach to add sufficient value, and because some traditional support acts from the past are now capable of headlining these same-sized rooms. I think we’ll see some non traditional and multi genre packages, even if it may not seem to make complete sense on paper. All these changes should culminate in a scenario where 1+1 equals 3 for both the artists and live entertainment fans worldwide”
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Luke Crowe, VP, Casting, Backstage:
The economic uncertainties of 2023, marked in part by budget constraints and strikes, have ignited a hunger for renewal within the entertainment industry. The anticipated economic revival of 2024 will not only restore confidence in significant studio projects and advertising budgets, but also embolden independent creators to resume casting and shooting their own works as well. While the continued improvements and democratization of filmmaking tools, including advancements in casting and production technologies, will empower even low-budget projects to achieve a production quality that continuously inches closer to that of their mainstream counterparts, further inspiring others to make new projects in a virtuous cycle of productivity.
The heart of this prediction lies in the synergy between hoped-for economic recovery and the passion of creators eager to share their stories, including the concepts that have been simmering in their minds for the past few years. With a stabilized industry and more reliable income from day jobs and freelance work, filmmakers, production professionals, film students, and aspiring artists will channel their creativity into more major productions and independent ventures at an increased rate.”
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Roza Mason, Customer Support Program Manager, Cast & Crew:
At Cast & Crew, we empower customers with fingertip accessibility. For instance, our production employee portal facilitates instant updates without cumbersome approvals. Why wait for anything? Technology streamlines our efficiency, so we must continually harness its power. Simplifying tasks benefits everyone, and technology plays a crucial role. In our bustling industry, time is precious. I believe technology and automation will spotlight efficiency's value, breathing life into innovative ideas.
In the expansive realm of entertainment, I anticipate everything to be one-click away—self-service and seamless accessibility seamlessly integrated into every workflow."
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Ryan Lympus, Product Services Manager, Checks & Balances:
Another pivotal aspect, particularly pertinent to the Cast & Crew organization, is the integral role that both film and television play in promoting Broadway shows. Surprisingly, these shows operate on meager advertising budgets; you won’t catch a commercial for a resolutions Broadway show outside the metro New York area. Instead, we rely on long-form commercials during morning and late-night television slots, along with annual appearances during events like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Additionally, the adaptation of Broadway shows into live televised events (Hairspray Live! and The Sound of Music Live!) or streamed recordings (Hamilton and Come From Away) enhances the Broadway brand, especially with major movie musicals like The Color Purple, Wicked, and Mean Girls set for release in 2024, providing invaluable free promotion for all Broadway productions.
However, nothing compares to the experience of witnessing a show live on Broadway, in the heart of Times Square. Yet, with tickets priced between $200 and $250 at full rates, the show must be truly exceptional for audiences to invest. Fortunately, the Great White Way boasts stellar shows such as Wicked, Chicago, and The Lion King, anchoring its reputation. Moreover, 2024 should see new blockbuster musicals like The Who’s Tommy, The Wiz, and The Notebook. Given the high production costs and ticket prices, we anticipate a trend towards larger shows, featuring more star power, established brands, and spectacle to enthrall audiences and sell out the limited number of seats.
It's going to be a great 2024! To our friends from Cast & Crew visiting New York City, we hope you’ll seek Broadway recommendations from our team, who are passionate aficionados themselves. Looking way down the road to 2028, I predict the integration of augmented reality into Broadway shows … but you'll have to stay tuned for more on that."
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Stevland Turner, Director, Payroll Operations, Cast & Crew:
The slowdown during the strike period unexpectedly provided our teams with a rare opportunity for introspection. With reduced production volumes, we dedicated time to scrutinize internal processes, our products, and the payroll tools employed internally and externally. This period of reflection has yielded substantial improvements in efficiency, streamlining both production workflows and resource management. This optimization of internal processes will distinctly manifest itself externally. Clients can anticipate an enriched payroll experience, from our digital onboarding process to the release of their payroll using our Digital Edits platform. They'll notice faster payroll turnaround times and an overall enhanced customer experience. At Cast & Crew, our unwavering dedication to efficiency and effectiveness will be evident at every stage.
The lessons gleaned from these slowdowns have not only positioned the industry for sustained success but have also fortified Cast & Crew for the long haul. We, alongside everyone at the company, take immense pride in being an integral part of this remarkable industry. Our commitment remains unwavering: to deliver customer excellence across every facet of the company, streamlining processes for small independent productions and major production houses alike. With enthusiasm, we eagerly anticipate an incredible journey through 2024, 2025, and beyond!"
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Tom Dever, Sr. Director, Business Development, Industry Arts:
After the trials of the strike, writers emerged with historic wins, including wage increases, room minimums, second step payments for feature writers, better residuals for career sustainability, and protections against artificial intelligence. While the gap between the ending of the dual WGA and SAG strikes delayed a full-fledged return to work, the industry now seems poised to hit the ground running in 2024’s new frontier.
And with the staggering success of the Barbenheimer phenomenon, audiences continue to show a desire for eventized “new” content, even if it’s based on existing IP. The residual economics for writers and producers alike has already fostered a market for bigger-budget independent films seeking a theatrical release. New terms on room staffing and episode credits should help create more opportunities for upcoming writers to break in. There is most certainly cause for optimism.
The film and television industry is rapidly changing. Undoubtedly, these strikes will have unforeseen consequences that must be handled as they arise. Reality television and live sports programming aren’t going anywhere, but neither are original stories told by and for human beings. Final Draft and Industry Arts will remain responsive and adaptive to the evolving needs of creators of all stripes—the professionals, the novices, and everyone in between—not eliminating obstacles, but providing the tools, resources, and services creatives need to navigate them.”
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Our experts believe 2024 is looking bright from top to bottom, with the entertainment industry looking forward to a hopeful production boom and our clients primed to see things like automation enhancing customer experiences, a surge in independent productions, and the growing influence of social media personalities. The upcoming year holds great promise for entertainment, with the convergence of creativity and tech leading to a transformative time and a new era of production.