By Mamello Maila
The creative industry is one of the most lucrative and influential economic sectors in the world.
The 4IR Eurhuleni Film Festival called up on the Tsakane public, as they ran a pop-up cinema experience held under the theme “Leveraging on digital platforms for 4IR Township Creative”.
The film screenings and workshops focus on mainly broadcasting, audio-visual, digital age, video-on demand concepts, streaming of technology and alternative ways of film/video sales, licensing and distribution.
The night kicked off with an introduction and keynote address by Vusi. He outlined the importance of “revolutionising the way we live and work” in this day and age as we enter a new era filled with both challenges and unique possibilities, despite the “disruptions” that may emerge as a result. “The fourth industrial revolution will impact us all and no one should be left behind through lack of resources,” he emphasised.
Truth be told, it’s actually a “god” economy in its own right. Think off all the creative “gods” that have been significant part of our lives over the years, favourite actors, actresses and directors, poets and artists.
The true value of this sector is that most of their work borrows from their personal experiences along their life’s journey, which resonates with all of us. South Africa’s very own multiple award-winning Macdonald Mathunjwa is a prime example of this, with a broad audience watching his Daily Show. He, as a brand, is influencing the minds of his millions of daily viewers.
There are 4IR challenges facing the creative industry. Years ago, we bought music on CDs and rented videos on VHS from our corner store blockbuster. Now everything’s changed. One can watch movies and series on the device of your choice (TV, tablet, laptop or mobile) from various streaming providers, such as Netflix, YouTube, Facebook and Periscope (and that’s really just naming a few). Also gone are the days of lucrative album deals for musos because now you can just download or listen to music of Deezer, mixcloud, ITunes and yes, loads of others for a mere pittance.
For authors, it is believed that Al will write the first best seller and produce the best movie, it will write the script complete with stage instructions. Al will also with music composition and sound tracks. Gone are those days you sat in studios cracking your brains? The machines are coming, and we have to be ready for it. Al technology can now even make description what you instruct it to do.
In the past, to get yourself seen or heard you’d need to travel and audition live. Now you just shoot content with a smartphone and upload it in seconds on to one of the various social sharing digital platforms to be viewed across the world with a click, while you chill out and cash in. The 4IR, “Change” is the only constant. The revenue generated in the industry will continue to decrease, because there are so many players vying for their piece of pie.
As the world continues to evolve and adapt to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), education is no longer the only requirement for success in the Film making.
There is also a widely held view that, modern economies that will undergo a Fourth Industrial economies that will undergo a Fourth Industrial Revolution successfully will not be those that worship machines, but those that support “human creativity”. The machines are coming, but building and nurturing the human element and creativity will only make it even better.