Time Moves Pretty Fast
And right you were, Mr. Bueller! It has been almost 3 years since I graduated from my Media and Communications degree and, as recently discussed with a fellow media grad and friend, almost none of the trends and rules of the biz that we learned, played by and constructed our hopes and dreams around - apply anymore.
It has been quite the revolution, albeit a more subtle, unnoticeable one at first, but the way we, as inevitable consumers in the 2019 market, are bombarded with content from ALL possible directions. So much so that being able to make a selection of the movies and TV shows we actually want to see has become a sisyphean endeavour. With such an undeniable range or streaming services (Netflix, Amazon and HULU being the giants at the forefront) that deliver dozens of programmes every month, and hundreds, thousands of YouTube channel for every imaginable purpose, it is really not very difficult for an aspiring media creator to feel like the lost little fish swimming around with no purpose. What else is new? What could one do that hasn't been done before - or that the big money wouldn't take your place in line and have it materialise before you even have time to present what you thought was an innovative idea to anyone?
"Evolve or die", am I right?
If you started reading this expecting that by the end of it I will have come up with a big revelation, the magical solution to help me re-surface and put me on the safe track to it - you're dead wrong. I do not have the answer. There probably isn't one, anyway. Not a permanent one, in any case. As I have said in the beginning of this post, what's true and valid and do-able today - may already be obsolete tomorrow.
Only way forward is by continuous research of the market, trends and needs of consumers, and this is what I propose to do.
This article explores the current trends in video content consumerism, quite an interesting read and a lot to think about, for someone who wants to understand how to best cater for audiences in today's landscape.
Aaaaand it basically re-inforces what I was afraid of - animation is probably one of the best and most effective ways for both corporate needs and creative needs (for someone who wants to make their own work). So, there it is, friends - as my mom always says "You can't escape that which you're afraid of". I am going to have to learn how to do it. It is something I've been intrigued by for some time now, and now it's probably the right time to do so, finally.
In the following weeks, I expect to post something about my learning process - at least as I way to keep disciplined with the learning and document my progress.
Join me and we'll see what comes of it!
Ceau, ceau!