@Cannes2016: Looking at the future of Hollywood

By A Correspondent

There is no doubt that Hollywood tales have mastered the art of storytelling. But does that need transformation? What with players like Amazon and Netflix paving a new way of watching series and films, as well as the way they are produced, consumed and shared. Social media has and is creating stars overnight and films are being watched on screens of all sizes. The connection between Hollywood and Madison Avenue, Moguls and Mad Men, has been in existence for decades, as some of the greatest ads of all time were made by Hollywood biggies. But what does the future look like for this bridge between entertainment and advertising?

And to try and predict the future of Hollywood and inspiring audiences beyond the big screen, Maurice Lévy, Chairman and CEO of Publicis Groupe was joined by Harvey Weinstein, Hollywood film for the discussion ‘Beyond the Big Screen – The Future of Storytelling in Hollywood’. Publicis and Weinstein have been associated with one another for a long time and that is why the Academy Award-winning producer joked by asking why he had to sign an exclusive contract with the organisation to book this slot. Weinstein’s journey as a producer was shown through a short video.

The conversation started with how can Hollywood and advertising work in coordination. “It has to be subtle and nuanced, it should not be in your face,” said Weinstein about how brands and movies can work together. He also added, giving example of Project Runway, which has been associated with L’Oreal for a long time and the brand gives very interesting challenges to the contestants, so this is how a brand works in a TV show.

And, when discussing about transformations and change take place, how can the topic of ‘Digital’ be far. Digital transformation has definitely, in the last few years, changed the way content is viewed. From television sets to computer screens and now to mobile phones, the viewing pattern has also evolved. Weinstein said, “People watching movies on mobile are a turn off for me. But I know I am not going to win because that is the future. I think movies are going to take a stage where the Netflxes and Hulu and Amazon are. Even Google and Apple would not be far behind and they will enter the content business soon.”

Weinstein shared his experiences of working in Hollywood and many other personal encounters. He spoke about the movies that are lined up for them. Weinstein acquired the rights of ‘The boys in the boat’ and since it is set in the 1930s, a lot of detailing in terms of clothes has to be done. So, Tommy Hilfiger has agreed to work on the costumes, citing this as an example, Weinstein said “There is a way of working together.”