As 2015 winds to a close, one of the many buzz words I believe we’ll be hearing amidst the holiday party chatter will be “integration.” It seems to me that every year, businesses are becoming more integrated in the way they are combining resources. A recent example is the new “hub” approach that Omnicom is taking by combining the production departments of DDB/BBDO/TBWA. That was something I never expected to see, but can’t say I’m completely surprised.
When I started out in the industry, one of my first jobs as an editor was at DDB’s in-house A/V facility (which I later dubbed “Cool Dry Place”). This was back in the days when an agency doing commercial work in-house was not as common as it is today. Over the years, this trend has been steadily increasing, to the chagrin of the AICE and many independent post production shops, which have often bristled at the proliferation of “in-house facilities,” but have been helpless in stopping this trend.
This could be seen as a first step toward integration in post production: agencies finding a cost-effective and efficient way to provide a quick turn-around on certain projects that perhaps didn’t require the full-service capabilities that an “outside” post house could offer.
Over the last few years, companies have seen firsthand how this trend has affected the post business and reacted by…integrating. Nearly every post house, audio house and production company now offers the full range of services that stand alongside their areas of expertise, but years earlier did not seem desirable or necessary.
Everything has become sort of wrapped up in neat packages because therein lies the ability to be nimble and flexible in an industry that, as the Omnicom example illustrates, is evolving rapidly.
Wendy Rosen and I (pictured) created TwoPoint0 in response to the evolution of the industry and the desire for maximum flexibility. Our strategic relationships with post houses with trusted technical and finishing infrastructures, such as East Coast Digital (http://eastcoastdigital.com), in addition to a roster of super-talented editors, allows us to integrate customizable technical solutions with the creative talent and expertise clients expect and deserve.
The industry certainly looks a lot different than when I first started out. And the changes seem to be happening more rapidly every year. The one thing that doesn’t change, if we’re still passionate and excited about the work we do, is our ability to think creatively. I believe that, as long as you can continue to find creative ways to face the challenges inherent in an evolving industry, you will continue to grow and thrive in this business.
Looking forward to the challenges of 2016!
Anthony Marinelli is an Editor/Partner at TwoPoint0 (www.twopoint0.tv) in New York City. TwoPoint0 is a collective wherein creative editors can feel as though they have a home. It is an answer to the constantly shifting advertising/post production landscape where more and more highly experienced, talented creative individuals are finding themselves in the freelance world, yet still desire administrative, production and promotional support.