Patrick Nebout’s Post

After a relatively torrid couple of years, US content commissioning will begin to rebound in 2025, with the recently announced interest-rate cut helping to ease some of the financial pressures being felt by American studios and streamers. That's according to Vania Schlogel, founder and managing partner of entertainment-focused private equity firm Atwater Capital, which is an investor in companies including Wiip and Mediawan. Schlogel, who also played a key role in Mediawan's majority acquisition of Brad Pitt's Plan B, says she expects to see a greater volume of content being commissioned in the US in 2025. “The market is going to defrost now that the [Federal Reserve] has just started cutting interest rates this year, which will slowly work its way through and have a knock-on effect that impacts Hollywood,” she tells C21. “Because what has happened is: when the Fed held rates at 23-year highs, it seized up Wall Street, which seizes up capital, and when capital is not flowing, it has a trickle-down effect all the way to the operating facets of content creation. And so, I think 2025 is going to be a much more positive year once the impact of the Fed cuts to interest rates flows through.” Also discussed: the types of companies Atwater Capital is looking to invest in next; the need for more consolidation among producers and indie studios so that they have the scale to extract the terms they want when doing business with giant platforms; and what is the next frontier of content monetisation? “It was subscription streaming. Now advertising-supported streaming. What’s the third wave? Is it ushered in by greater interactivity with content?” Full story below.

People often ask me what I do, and the answer is not always straightforward because I wear many hats in the creative and business space. Simply put, I help businesses and artists grow through creativity and strategy. Whether it's guiding them on marketing, social media management, content creation, or producing music and live events, I take them through the process step by step. As an A&R consultant and project manager, I bring creative projects from concept to completion, ensuring everything flows seamlessly. On top of that, I co-own a multimedia ventures startup focused on music, digital content, media, marketing, and creative culture, constantly working at the intersection of creativity and business.

🚨 New Insight: How the Focus on Profit Impacts Content Strategies at Studio/Channel Groups with D2C #D2C has remained a major priority for all players in the content ecosystem in recent years, and continues to make up a substantial portion of the market for Studios when it comes to their content distribution. But with doubts over whether they can achieve good enough scale to fight with the likes of #Netflix for subscribers, Studios are more focused on reaching profitability, and that includes finding ways to sell more content to third parties. In this insight, Jack Davison takes a look at how US Studios are evolving their approach to third-party content sales and D2C distribution in a market that demands a focus on reaching D2C profitability and controlling spend. Read now ➡️ https://hubs.la/Q02qph7K0 #TVInsights #TVTrends

Unveiling the Prestige of Big Screen Stacks [We analysed the website and social media and crafted content based on everything we had learned about the business that would attract anyone looking for prop money for the tv and movie industry.] Imagine a film scene – a dimly lit room, a tension-filled negotiation, the table stacked with piles of cash. Every note perfectly detailed, the texture so real that you feel its weight through your screen. This isn’t just any cash; it’s prop money from Big Screen Stacks. Since our inception in 2016, Big Screen Stacks has carved a niche in the UK film and television industry, becoming the most reliable supplier of legal, high-quality prop money. Here’s why top-tier production companies and entertainment professionals turn to us for their needs. https://lnkd.in/emikt6s2 Big Screen Stacks #propmoney #propgold #movieprops

As much as US$250 billion will be spent on content production around the world this year. It still won't be enough to keep up with demand, even as the Media Majors throttle distribution of new content. What are professional investors and media entrepreneurs doing about it? Be in the Know. Read the Media C-Suite. #media #entertainment #innovation #investing #networking #management https://lnkd.in/ePBJ2v8s

Creators - support = goodbye management 👋🏻 What happens when creators feel their management isn’t providing the promised services? They dip out 👀 We’ve heard agencies offer: 💼 To help creators with business ventures. 💻 Support on content strategy and production. 🫱🏻🫲🏼 Help with commercial opportunities above and beyond brand deals. The reality? They’re acting as a booking agent and fielding inbound enquiries. The kicker is hearing agencies suggest new directions for creators to take their content. Then they offer sweet FA. No suggestions or support. There’s a huge demand for solo creators who want to build their own businesses, but few UK agencies can do all this… And now they’re coming to us 🏆 To play the long game and win. Our vision is as big (sometimes even bigger) than our creators’. Drop me a DM, and we can get you sorted.

I generally agree with "Fun is King" about a lot of games (including most of the ones that I play), as well as the sentiment that all those extra systems things won't actually make a game fun by themselves. But sometimes a video game isn't *supposed* to be fun. Sometimes you want your game to be moody and atmospheric, or scary and tense, or somber and contemplative. Or even intentionally frustrating. And that means you have to put the player through things that just *aren't* fun, but do add up to make for a more compelling experience. Among other Reggie Fils-Aime's quotes, I regularly think about "If it's not fun, why bother?" First, because it pretty succinctly describes Nintendo's design philosophy (and Nintendo or Nintendo-related developers have made most of my favorite games ever). But second, because it's a sentiment that I think is a little reductive when applied to the medium as a whole. Don't get me wrong, fun games should be fun ("eloquently putted, Kenechukwu."). This isn't me saying fun is less artful than angst--that's a sentiment that I personally find really tiring. But video games don't have to be *only* fun. Being "not fun" doesn't have to mean "not engaging or compelling."

👩🏽🎨 Creative industry people, I have a question: Is the middle falling out? I’ve been having this conversation a lot with many people over the past few months. It feels like it is in the documentary/factual space and it seems to be a real conversation in all parts of the creative industries whether amongst writers, game designers, marketers. The creative industries are having a time - and for many its not a great one! 🫠 🎬 When I started, budding directors would be encouraged to make cheap, but high quality calling card first films - if you were making a feature it might mean that you would make little (to no) money from it but you could expect to sell it to a broadcaster or streamer down the line - if your project for TV you’d get commissioned to do a small scale esoteric single that a production company or commissioner felt that you were right for. The formula for the middle was that you made something that didn’t cost too much but was made to a high standard and there would be someone there to buy it. The formula, though its had its ups and downs, for the most part worked. What people are saying now is that it maybe doesn’t. 🤷🏿♂️ 𑗊 I, however, think that the middle is being reshaped. I don’t know if the process is complete - or even how long it will take for it to be completed - but I think that two trends that have been observable for at least a half decade are becoming more pronounced: - People making creative work on their own or in small teams will continue to grow and continue to make money. - These Creators will become even better at leveraging their fanbases to actually make a living: i.e. ancillary products/services, things like Patreon, innovating on their own methods of streaming independent creative work (targeted at their *fans*). - AI tools will aid small, tiny and individual creative teams to do the work that would have required many more people and much more money. Many will lament what that will mean for the teams that they used to be part of but I think more need to think of what that might mean for the teams that they are able to create! (it is already being used to help speed up pitching and in post production for e.g.) (I see this technology playing a big role in allowing those committed to the middle in being able to punch above their weights). It does seem that the reality for bigger companies are fleeing the middle and aiming for the high and the low…Creators, independents and small creative companies, however, might be able to do something great in this middle if they think creatively about how to navigate this new environment! What are your thoughts on navigating this reconfigured middle? As always, none of this written by AI 😉

As we reflect on the content market's evolution in 2023 and Q1`24, a standout trend was the strategic pivot by U.S. studios back towards third-party sales, following a period intensely focused on Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) services. This shift, driven by a renewed emphasis on profitability, marks a significant departure from recent years when studios prioritized retaining content for their platforms, aiming to bolster their streaming services. This change in strategy is not a mere adjustment but a response to the broader industry's demands for profitability over expansion, initially focusing on non-core content and libraries for third-party sales. Yet, the consensus among executives suggests a broader willingness to explore this route more extensively, with a notable majority acknowledging the need for improved rights management for secondary windows and a more aggressive stance on content sales to third parties. Despite the studios' pivot towards third-party sales in 2023, there was no immediate significant decline in vertically integrated premieres. This outcome likely reflects the strategic use of non-core content in these sales and a continued focus on library content, hinting at a measured approach to this transition. I foresee studios leaning more towards third-party sales rather than limiting premieres to their services, challenging the initial focus on non-core content. This strategic realignment is poised to influence the industry's trajectory profoundly. As studios navigate this transition, the emphasis on third-party sales, improved rights management, and strategic content distribution is expected to reshape how content is monetized and distributed. Looking ahead to the rest of 2024, I anticipate these trends will become more pronounced, potentially setting a new paradigm for content distribution and monetization strategies.

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