Editor Bruce Ashley of Company X steps up to answer Five Questions.
1. What are the biggest challenges/threats facing the industry in the near future?

Continuing to be innovative and maintain production value in an environment that tends to have tighter and more restrictive budgets, an environment that is eating up content, with many forms of distribution. This combined with the accessibility of content creation tools to more and more people also creates a challenge, as a high level of creativity must be maintained to stand out from the crowd of content creators. I think there is more of a need for content ‘out there’ than ever before, being able to capitalize on the mass of media and remain profitable is always a challenge.

2. What are the industry’s biggest strengths at the moment?
Talent and always talent. That combined with innovative hardware and software, never before accessible to the ‘common man.’

3. What upcoming trends could change the way people in this industry work?

Mainly the accessibility of content creation tools ‘ sophisticated technology for more people. This is enabling the novice to enter the main stream, but it’s also enabling the professional to be more diverse and requires an increase in skill sets. I think more is expected from the talent. There will still always be specialists but I think more is expected beyond the core skill sets. E.g. An editor needs to be more technically and graphics savvy than ever. A cinematographer needs to understand both film and video technologies, given the new HD cameras. It’s a form of renaissance. There are more possibilities than ever and I think that everything that we thought would be possible is now pretty much possible (except for flying cars and time travel). We can watch movies on demand, navigate via portable GPS systems, watch movies on our cell phones, and above all readily create our own content. That in itself is one of the biggest trends ‘ personal content creation, in HD if you want!

4. What was the project (film, TV or Web) that most impressed you in the last year? Why?
Have to give due credit to the OK GO music video “Here It Goes Again” for simple innovation and a prime example of the mass of content creation. But a little more seriously, “Why We Fight.” A revelational documentary about Eisenhower’s prescient fear of the establishment of a Military Industrial Complex. It impressed me because it was insanely insightful and alludes to the fact that we should be more aware of history to ensure that we make informed choices for the future.

5. Name the top 4 artists in your Ipod?

Not in order of preference:

White Stripes
Brian Eno
Dandy Warhols
Gorillaz