The film industry has experienced several revolutions in the past twenty years. YouTube provided the first public platform for user generated video content. Netflix pioneered the age of streaming services, sending Blockbuster to their death and inventing binge watching. The MeToo Movement revealed the magnitude of verbal, sexual, and physical abuse of women and workers in Hollywood that had been normalized for decades (and still is). The COVID pandemic halted production for months and was another significant blow to movie theaters. Now, the Hollywood studios’ refusal to properly pay writers and actors has halted production, and the potential of AI is shaking up the industry.

Perhaps the biggest threat to the film industry has been social media. Social media platforms like TikTok thrive on short form, authentic user generated content, instant gratification, algorithmic recommendations, and interactive participation. These elements, combined, have pulled audience attention away from traditional film consumption. In fact, Gen Z spends only a third of the time watching streaming services (Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime) as we do watching short-form video - such as TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, etc.

MIDiA Research published in April 2023 that we have reached “attention saturation” - audiences don’t have enough time to consume the hours and hours of (even free) content being produced on all of these platforms. So how does one stand out? Hanna Kahlert at MIDiA writes: “The future of entertainment lies in collaborating with audiences, not just serving content to them, and it will happen whether entertainment companies are able to keep up or not.” We strongly agree. A Sticky Feet Productions audience member isn’t a passive consumer visiting the big screen, they decide what’s on it. Our mission is to produce movies and build audiences who have a say.

THE STATE OF THE FILM INDUSTRY:

WHY STICKY FEET PRODUCTIONS?

We are part of the very group we are making movies for and about: Gen Z.

We know the film industry is highly competitive. Independent filmmakers and production companies are competing with Hollywood for distribution deals, and Hollywood is competing with social media for audience attention.

However, we believe our commitment to:

• building a loyal, participatory audience with the power to make production decisions,

• uplifting young, emerging creatives that support us online and in the towns we produce in,

• being transparent with our audience and authentic in our journey to make innovative, co-designed movies,

• and offering a community viewing experience that encourages people to interact instead of quietly observe on their own

will set us apart from the competition.

Sticky Feet Productions’ co-designed films empower audience members to join a community in which they are engaged contributors and have decision-making power.