The more things change...; what the future can learn from the past
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Despite evolving industry practices, death-knell predictions for traditional approaches, and fears of technological upheaval, Washington Square Films Founder Joshua Blum, and EVP of Production/Producer Han West, believe that advertising's key tenets remain its core power.
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The production landscape has always been shaped by disruption. Over the 30 years we’ve been in the business, we’ve heard countless predictions about the decline of traditional approaches and the rise of new technologies and paradigms.
One thing hasn’t changed: good storytelling matters and good storytelling sells.
Yet, through it all, one thing hasn’t changed: good storytelling matters and good storytelling sells.
As we navigate shifts in demand, technology and client expectations, our approach has been to blend adaptability with continued agency for human craft and creativity in all storytelling mediums.
Above: The death of the 30-second spot has been greatly exaggerated.
Let's take the so-called 'death of the 30-second spot,' as an example. For a long time we’ve been hearing that traditional commercials are nearing extinction but, as far as we can tell, that day has yet to come.
There is still significant demand for 30-second spots; they’re a tight unit of storytelling and marketing that we understand and which continue to be effective. And now, with the streamers pivoting us more and more to ad-supported subscriptions, the 30-second spot is back on the rise.
For a long time we’ve been hearing that traditional commercials are nearing extinction.
Another commonly discussed industry concern, especially among traditional production companies, are agencies forming their own production arms. This phenomenon is very real, of course, but lately we have been hearing more about its limitations: “they don’t have the right director for the project” or “the client wants more options and has asked them to bid this out.”
These cycles and oscillations are not new, and while these crises’ can feel existential, we believe there is still considerable life in the legacy model – even signs that the tide may be turning back.
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Above: Diversity of output is key for production companies in the current climate.
That said, the need to adapt and expand is constant. As a multidisciplinary company, we’ve always embraced diverse pursuits — producing feature films and TV, managing talent, and even developing a stage musical set to debut in London in 2025 (with plans for more theatre projects). These ventures not only create varied revenue streams but also provide access to talent and opportunities we might not otherwise encounter, keeping us connected to different cultural spheres and demographics.
The need to adapt and expand is constant.
Within the commercial production space, there is an increasing demand for long-form content creation and the consolidation of multiple campaign phases into compressed production timelines, often with the same teams executing year after year.
We see this trend as a net positive as it not only creates more consistent opportunities for experienced directors but also opens doors for talent, both above and below the line, who hail from a longform background.
To remain competitive, it’s also crucial for producers to look beyond traditional hubs like New York and Los Angeles, embracing global opportunities and unconventional resources. From leveraging assets in Eastern Europe and South America to navigating the complexities of tax incentives worldwide, modern producers must stay informed about every available tool to maximise what ends up on screen.
Above: AI can certainly be efficient, but it can only be backward-looking.
Of course, the conversation around AI looms large. There are areas where the utility and efficiency of AI is undeniable, and it is already being cautiously integrated into workflows across the industry, but the value of human voice and vision remains paramount to us. Our fundamental view is that, because AI must train on existing data and inputs, it is bound to look backward and externally; this is literally an inversion of how we view the creative arts. For us and our collaborators, we always look forward and internally to generate our ideas and approaches.
The real secret to longevity is placing trust and loyalty in the storytellers themselves.
At the end of the day, all of our values and principles stem from our roots over three decades as independent film producers, where community, hard work, financial savviness and a little bit of salesmanship are required to survive. Those virtues have ported well into commercial production and beyond, and have gotten us through the sometimes turbulent and always competitive landscape we face in virtually every medium of production.
But we believe the real secret to longevity is placing trust and loyalty in the storytellers themselves and supporting them in doing what they do best. When producers carve out the space within themselves and their environments to accommodate the inherent risks of great creative and self-expression, filmmakers and clients alike will keep coming back.
