Washington Filmworks Executive Director Amy Lillard represented the organization at both the AFCI Cineposium in New York City and the Seattle Interactive Conference to learn about the current important trends in the film industry and the changing nature and technology of entertainment so that our office can better serve the Washington community at large.

The Cineposium is a conference hosted by the Association of Film Commissioners every year. Washington Filmworks attended the 2014 New York event where topics of discussions included Set Safety, How to Swim in Legislative Waters (lobbying on behalf of film), and Measuring Impact (how to best tell the story of film’s economic impact). In addition, Washington Filmworks participated in a closed door session discussing the state of incentive programs, assessing their pros and cons, and looking ahead at their future.

The keynote speaker was Producer Michael Uslan (The Dark Knight, The Lego Movie) who spoke about how the film industry is in the middle of a revolution – not an evolution – as we move from 300 cable stations to 3,000 internet channels, and how this digital environment centers around content and allows for a flood of new voices and talents.

The annual AFCI Cineposium proved to be a fascinating environment where industry professionals and colleagues shared the best practices and ideas with one another in order to grow and serve the film community.

AFCI Executive Director Kevin Clark and MPAA Vice President State Tax Policy Angela Miele.

Producer Michael Uslan delivers the keynote speech.

Ed Heneger from Reel Scout with Washington Filmworks Executive Director Amy Lillard.

The Seattle Interactive Conference highlighted ever-growing digital media that’s prevalent and instrumental in each industry, and exhibited the efforts and ideas of professionals and companies who lead this technological evolution.

Attending for the third year in a row, Washington Filmworks sat in on a few key sessions. The Revolution of TV Online was run by Adaptive Media Chief Marketing Officer Daryl McNutt and explored the digital distribution of branded content and how consumers digest media.

Confessions of a Mobile Maker was led by Zumobi Co-Founder & Vice President of Product Design John SanGiovanni and highlighted mobile trends that are influencing media consumption and marketing, and detailed mobile video’s role in branded entertainment.

Redefining Capitalism was run by Venture Capitalist Nick Hanaeur of Second Avenue Partners as he advocated for artists and innovators to develop content and services that allow access for every economic sector in order to eliminate income inequality and allow the industry to be more economically inclusive.

Venture Capitalist Nick Hanauer on “Redefining Capitalism”