Competitive advantages moving forward?

[firehawk]

Over 20+ years I have seen this field change a lot.

Cameras have gotten so cheap that tons of people continue to flock into this field. 4K is now accessible to the common man. Multiple camera angles are as well due to cost. Gimbals, jibs, sliders and quadcopters are as well. So having a bunch of gear that can acquire good shots is no longer a massive advantage.
10 years ago, 3D animated titles and graphics were a leg up over most. But now After Effects can do the same and even plugins such as Titler Pro. So again, its in the hands of the masses.
Good/decent audio gear is also now affordable.
There are lots of lighting options now which include smaller, cool fixtures which are easier to deal with than the old stuff.
Music is also much more affordable and plentiful than it was.
After Effects templates allow you to turn out good looking stuff without really having to know much.

So what do you see as bringing the best competitive advantages as we move forward?

I still think that business sense, salesmanship, customer relations and ability/talent will always help separate the players to a degree. As will writing/storytelling and raw creativity. I see a shortage of that.
Experience comes with time.

The over saturation of players in the field has driven prices down in many areas and put pressure on the bigger production houses since Joe Blow with a 4K camera, Phantom 3, After Effects and no overhead can take some of their clients. Some short-sighted clients don't care about established trusted companies or reliability, but just "how much?" And the guy with the camera can do it less than the house can, even if it's not the same level.

On the production end, what do you see as being advantages?
Will solid 3D modeling and animation? There's quite a learning curve there.
Will it be in higher end effects from companies like Genarts, HitFilm and Boris?

I'ts great to have all the tools accessible that were only a far fetched dream when I started, but it is also means "everyone's doing it" now.
These changes have impacted corporate video, weddings and entertainment as we know. Which area is affected the least?

It's been kind of slow on the board so I thought I'd start another conversation to get comments and thoughts from others in the field.

 

[txdp]

I think it depends on what area you work in and what position and what client base. Me as an independent camera owner DP, I get hired because of my reputation and skills, not price or gear. Working it the other way around is hard, and probably getting harder. As far as tech, I'm already seeing 360 shooting and VR type shooting being explored at the bigger companies/agencies. I think knowledge in this area is going to be highly beneficial sooner than most think.

 

[firehawk]

Good points, perspective and insight, txdp. Thank you.

 

[Andrius Simutis]

I think it depends on what area you work in and what position and what client base. Me as an independent camera owner DP, I get hired because of my reputation and skills, not price or gear.

This.

As far as tech, I'm already seeing 360 shooting and VR type shooting being explored at the bigger companies/agencies. I think knowledge in this area is going to be highly beneficial sooner than most think.

Not so much this.
The latest tech chase is a never ending one and you might pick up a few gigs with it, but then it will be on to the next "big thing" that you'll have to chase, learn, invest, and hope to recoup. Remember 3D? That was all the rage just a couple years ago, and now all but gone. Outside of a few of the Hollywood releases, 3D is dead. All that 3D gear is collecting dust while a talented DP is still working.

 

[chrisbernard]

I probably shouldn't even attempt to answer this as I'm not a professional in this space. But I've seen three things over the past five years as I've paid more attention to this space and been in a role to hire people to do this work.

1.) There is still a high end, where cost is, more less, no object. But the expectations are high. At this level you are certainly paying for the professional gear bought to the table but really it's the talent and professionalism you are paying for--which minimizes the risk on a project where mistakes can't be made or need to be corrected quickly.

2.) There is a middle ground where a few years ago gear and experience would have been paramount but where today folks are willing to cut corners and use less experienced folks and gear. This is the area that is super price sensitive right now and the trend that pushed a lot of the veterans that couldn't adapt out of the business. An example might be hiring a crew for an interview. In a lot of cases if pressed for time or budget I can capture and edit that with less skilled and less expensive team than I used to be able to.

3.) There is the low end or the new realm where budgets are super cheap and some people that are super talented have created a niche for themselves where they can create high quality with prosumer grade gear and creative professionalism. This might be an area where the budget available didn't even make it possible to do anything at all but today it does. Some people love and thrive and this space and others can't cope.

I do think the 360 and VR stuff is going to explode and that a few folks we know are going to make new careers out of this space and have some big successes. But it really won't be because you own VR gear. The cost to get that gear even today is accessible to just about anyone that is serious. The real problem will be doing something compelling in the medium and that is where the creativity folks bring to the table will matter.