Dear Friends & Colleagues,
It’s been a fascinating year to report on the online video tsunami that is restructuring our industry.
As the New Year approaches, we often feel that Netflix and Amazon Prime in particular are changing everything, and at an accelerating rate…
I hope that my analysis of the emerging ecosystem for documentary and unscripted programs helps you to identify opportunities and avoid dead ends.
It’s not an easy task: the new, dominant SVOD services don’t share their data like the broadcast and Cab/Sat sector. I’m grateful to Parrot Analytics and Dr John Morse’s Byron Media for helping me understand the new metrics for audience engagement.
My weekly posts reach 20,000+ readers in over 130 countries, and my presentations at industry events like Sunny Side of the Doc, Real Screen, MIPDoc and NEWF reach many more. Consulting engagements and teaching at Columbia University and other colleges filled out a great year.
Podcasts
This year I stepped into podcasting, beginning a series of conversations about industry trends with veterans and industry experts. I’m going to raise my podcasting game in 2019.
Sponsors
My thanks to leading independent distributor Off The Fence and market organizer ReedMIDEM for sponsoring my coverage of distribution trends and of the markets where decisions are made. Parrot Analytics supported our ongoing exploration of developments in capturing and analyzing the impact of programming on viewers worldwide. Archive Valley sponsored my case studies that capture trends in History programs, a personal passion.
New Editorial Partnership
2019 brings an exciting new opportunity: Sunny Side of the Doc and DocumentaryBusiness.com have formed an editorial partnership to provide year-round industry analysis and context, in addition to supporting the Sunny Side and Asian Side conferences.
I’m thrilled about working closely with Sunny Side‘s great team, based in Paris and La Rochelle.
Photo: WILDTRUST
My Life-changer
This year’s most unforgettable experience was when the Durban-based NEWF conference invited its international guests to join a Rhino de-horning operation coordinated by WILDTRUST.
At first, it repelled many of us to realize that these magnificent creatures are being disfigured in the name of conservation. But then, spending a day in the field with the crack team of guides, vetinarians, helicopter pilots, community leaders and more, we became ever grateful for the dedication and expertise that is saving the Rhino from extinction.
Support Rhino Conservation
And that leads me to my final thought for each grateful reader of my free newsletter: Follow my lead and make a year-end donation to Rhino conservation, here is the PayPal etc. link to WILDTRUST, where every dollar counts!
Donate to WildTrust’s Rhino conservation programs here…
Wishing you, your colleagues, family and friends, the happiest of holiday seasons and lots of success in the New Year,
Peter Hamilton
Brooklyn