Christian's Answer

For now, the top three things I see affecting the industry are:

1.) STORY
2.) Digital distribution
3.) Production workflows

With all the buzz about new technology, from datacameras to new media outlets, to digital projection and more, it is all too easy to forget the one constant; story. A good story gets made, and a good story gets watched. A great story gets watched twenty years from now. In my film school, as you walk through the front doors of the main building, a huge frame contains an image with all the creative aspects of production orbiting around the word "Story", in order to remind us what comes first.

The next area that will be a real turning point in the biz is digital distribution. Specifically, how it will be standardized, what new revenue can be generated, and how will content be watched? Soon, rather than have a computer, a telephone, a television, and DVD player / etc, nearly every household in America will simply have one central server, that can handle all of these responsibilities and more.

The iPhone is a step in the right direction, but it will not be a comprehensive media library until it can wirelessly transmit an HD signal to any flatscreen television it recognizes, sort of like a universal remote. When something like that happens, users have a better reason to download a large volume of titles.

Technology is allowing for better production workflows. Forget the digital intermediate; Datacinematography offers just as much artistic value as 35mm, and more flexibility. I love film, but it's time. Shooting with data cams allows for "concurrent post" and when the editors and director are on the same page, normally costly mistakes are an easy fix. It's all about efficiency without sacrificing quality. And soon, movies can and will be made FASTER, cheaper, and better than they are now.