SURVEY
COMMERCIALS 30 INTRODUCTION
Gorillaz Skinny Ape Live by Nexus Studios
Trainline I Came by Train by Stink
fierce than ever,” says Agile. “We are often surprised at the caliber of director we are competing against on certain projects.” Rattling Stick also says, “the market is competitively fierce at the moment, with every script that is released it feels a little bit like the Hunger Games.” Partizan points to “the oversaturation of directors in the market offering low end solutions that are inferior to the quality we strive to produce.” Blink says there’s “steep competition amongst production companies, with big directors fishing for smaller jobs.”
HOUSE RULES
But there are not just fellow production companies to compete with. Agencies are increasingly vying to keep production in-house. Unit 9 picks out “in-house production companies at agencies and brands” as a worry particularly with “better freelance talent being available to them.” Blink says, “agency in-house production is quietly getting stronger, much higher profile.” And that effects companies’ new talent. “In house has become a big threat to production companies – young directors are really struggling to learn their craft as smaller budget jobs are being undertaken by agency in house,” says Hunkydory. Academy also argues that it’s “taking potential opportunities away from our emerging talent.” And, says Chief, those directors are “being tempted to take more work directly with agencies, rather through their production
FEELS A LITTLE BIT LIKE THE HUNGER GAMES”
SCRIPT THAT IS RELEASED IT
“WITH EVERY
26
The average number of directors on a commercials
production company’s roster
company representative.” DIRECT ACTION 70 The average percentage of a
company’s turnover derived from commercials
But while agencies take on production themselves, there is more opportunity for producers to work directly with clients. Believe is one of many seeing opportunity in “a greater degree of clients working directly to production companies.” Jelly also says, “there has been pressure and an oversubscription on the traditional Client-Agency-Prod Co structure, but going direct to the client has circumvented that and led to a much healthier landscape for us as a business.” Dirty Films says, “our revenue streams have been diversified in the last 12 months with new lines of work from outside of the traditional agency model including direct to brand, and direct to brands in house creative. Or teaming up with agencies as a partnership with the brand to produce a campaign. The industry is continuing to de-centralise.” RSA adds that “the main changes we are seeing is that more brands are contacting us directly. Plus, the fact that the work is also arriving from an ever-widening global source. We all know agencies have in house production, as do clients. Post houses have in house production. This can be seen as a definite threat. Everyone is at it, so you have to look for work in the most unusual places.”
NEW FACES
Who’s delivering that work is also undergoing some welcome change
Spring 2023 C05 Commercials 30
according to many. “It feels like the move towards a more diverse and inclusive industry is actually becoming a reality rather than something companies pay lip service to,” says Knucklehead. “There has been a welcome push towards a greater focus on inclusiveness and sustainability,” argues MJZ. Somesuch says that “diversity, equity and inclusion remain paramount. Whilst there remains a long way to go, it has been exciting and rewarding to see a new generation of talent make their mark on all aspects of the industry.” Canada says there is now “more desire to level the playing field with diversity for directors. Companies with majority white men on their roster will face increasing challenges unless they modernise.” However, says Prettybird, “it feels like the industry has been slow to deliver on the mission statements made over covid and that we are forgetting what climate change and inclusivity of underrepresented groups means.” As for the year ahead? Predictions
have proven to be a difficult game over recent years. As Nice Shirt says, “who saw Covid coming? And who really saw that Brexit/ Covid/political chaos in the UK would precipitate a boom in US service work in London due to Sterling’s collapse? So, I make no predictions. There is no armour against fate and, on the other hand, if life gives you walnuts make walnut cake. We just try to be ready to make great stuff for whoever wants it.”
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