Expect Storytelling and Integrated Campaigns to Be Big This Year

Expect Storytelling and Integrated Campaigns to Be Big This Year

Was 2009 as dismal for commercial production as
everyone made it seem?  And will this year be any better?  
Aardman Animations' Executive Producer weighs in with her predictions.

By Heather Wright

Last year was a tough year for producers around the world, and here in the UK we fared no better.  So will 2010 be better, and if so, in what ways?

In terms of workflow it seems the global recession didnullt really hit the agencies here until the summer, when there were layoffs; that slowdown only recently hit UK production companies, mainly in the last half of 2009.   Yet we know that London agencies are hiring again and are busy pitching, so we're hoping that things will pick up as we get farther into the first quarter of this year.

Budgets were tight as ever, but schedules were even tighter.  Seems like people waited until absolutely the last minute before making decisions about whether or not to go into production, whilst they spent ever increasing amounts of time on research.

Here at Aardman Animations we were lucky, as we had a couple of large pieces of repeat business which saw us through 2009 and will see us through 2010 too, but new work has been harder to come by.  Although there are now some good pitches coming through, we're not expecting any sharp increase in new work early in 2010 and are planning for a long slow recovery.

A time of great uncertainty seems like the perfect time for me to get out my crystal ball, pose some questions about the year to come and offer up a few predictions as well.  Here goes:

--Will the animation business change next year from a business perspective, or creative standpoint?

We've seen a massive resurgence in stop frame animation, also known as stop-motion.  It seems that in the last 18 months to two years, the feature film market was flooded with computer-generated B movies which just made everyone tired of the technique.  There’s a definite return to a more handcrafted feel, centered around creating original bespoke artwork.

We’ve found that as people tighten their belts, scripts are becoming more focused around great storytelling rather than overblown production techniques - which is exactly as it should be.  The opportunity to be creative is greater as a result.  At one point our commercials output was almost half stop frame and half CGI, but now we’re back to doing three-quarters of our work in stop frame.

--Will multiplatform storytelling and 360 degree marketing continue to be important pillars for big brands; are there any specific ways in which these marketing approaches will shift or change in 2010?

Multiplatform storytelling and 360 marketing are buzzwords on every project right now and will continue to grow in strength.  It's become common knowledge that online isnullt replacing TV, you just need to do both, and finally we're starting to see more joined-up campaigns.  For example, the list of deliverables from an agency used be two thirty-second spots with fifteen-second lifts; now there's an order for stills for press and print, mute versions for DEPs (digital escalator panels) and interactive assets for online—plus we're starting to get orders for a website or microsite and games, too.

This is a trend that’s definitely set to continue and grow as people need to find ways of harnessing social networking to work for their brands.  It’s about giving gifts to people, rather than shouting at them.

All this is great news for production companies, provided you have your business model sorted and are flexible enough to be able to work in all formats.  It adds up to more work, not less.

There's talk of a huge boost in online video content.  To us, it's all just content; the eventual distribution platform makes no difference to the quality of the creative work.  In fact, the need for great creative to cut through the huge and continual noise online makes it even more important to do great work. And for great work you need great people.  There's still a common misconception that online work should cost less than "on air" work. I think that in 2010 there will start to be a realization from clients and agencies that it's the people who create the work you're paying for, not the distribution platform.

--What new aesthetic looks or creative styles will be on the forefront in 2010?

A unique hand crafted feel is still big, as people look to find ways of setting their work apart from their competitors. Anything that feels generic or in any way derivative has no place.  For us, that includes how whole characters are created—it’s not just about the way they look, it’s about the way they move, speak, emote and interact with other characters.

--Are there any areas of specifically animation, or more generally advertising, that one might expect to languish next year?

Traditional 2D hand drawn cell animation is almost never used now.  That’s not to say creatively it’s not loved, it’s just that production schedules hardly ever afford the time and 2D computer programs are much faster (and therefore cheaper). The result is not the same, but the aesthetic has changed to make it loved in its own right. 

--Seems directors with multiple skill sets—i.e., they can work seamlessly in live action, VFX and animation—are in more demand than ever.  Will this change next year?  If so, in what ways?

This trend is set to continue, but there is a massive shortage of these guys.  There is a need for directors who are technique agnostic, who can focus on getting the idea working well and looking beautiful first, and worrying about how to achieve it second.  This doesn’t mean that a lesser knowledge of filmmaking is required; in fact, it’s the opposite.  As budgets and schedules are constantly trimmed, the director’s wide knowledge of all filmmaking crafts becomes essential, so they know when and when not to cut corners.

--What's the state of UK advertising, and more specifically, UK animation/design? How do they compare to their counterparts in the States?

Animation is still on a massive roll.  The industry as a whole seems to have moved away somewhat from the “lo-fi, embarrassing-observations type of comedy” and has once again fallen in love with design. In terms of the differences between UK and US advertising briefs, despite researching every aspect of a spot before committing to it, UK agency creatives still have the opportunity (although admittedly less often) to be more adventurous in the way that they realize their work, whereas although the US agency creatives have a massive desire to “do something different,” the US clients are still much more nervous about trying something new. I guess the size of the market means that the risks are that much greater, and most big brands are not about taking risks at the moment.

Heather Wright is Executive Producer of Bristol-based Aardman Animations.