Instability leads to other ways of thinking about creating, distributing and consuming content, says 2019 CMF Trends Report

Toronto, January 14, 2019—The Canada Media Fund (CMF) released today its 2019 Trends Report, entitled Hold My Hand. This report provides an in-depth analysis of the trends affecting the audiovisual industry in Canada and around the world.

Technology has long been blamed for being a divisive force, but some experiments highlight its uniting nature: virtual reality is being used in public spaces, smart speakers are making our homes interactive, tech giants and governments are reacting to consumer demands on data privacy, and “edutainment” products are being increasingly used in a variety of learning environments. Opportunities will abound for creators of interactive experiences in this era of experimentation.

“New alliances, new collaborations, new opportunities—we’re here to help professionals in the screen industry navigate through it all,” said Catherine Mathys, the CMF’s Director of Industry and Market Trends and the co-author of the report. “We’re calling this report Hold my Hand, because we’re all in this together and no one can pretend to go through these major transformations on their own.”

This latest edition presents the following four major trends that have originated from the convergence and interaction of different phenomena that have a significant impact on the audiovisual industry in the current context.

Technology and innovation – Artificial intelligence and the creative process: Whether related to still images, moving images, or sound, current experimentation in AI is triggering a redefinition of the boundaries of creativity, both human and machine, and inciting us to work collaboratively.

Media consumption - Joint research into digital wellbeing: While OTT platforms continue to multiply and the consumption of online video smashes all the records, a certain resistance to being constantly connected is starting to crop up.

Evolving business models – Cultivating trust: Following the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica scandal, companies must now gain or regain and cultivate consumers’ trust. The protection of personal information and privacy is more important than ever in gaining an edge over the competition.

Markets and competition - Gaining a share of the interactive content market: While the majors compete against one another by increasing consolidation in the media and entertainment sector, opportunities are arising for content companies in markets that are traditionally less familiar with audiovisual production and where there is a growing need for interactive experiences. This new type of collaboration is particularly promising in the education and out-of-home entertainment sectors.

To develop a better understanding of the four key trends, the Trends report provides readers with useful dashboards to appreciate the evolution of some major indicators of the digital economy.

Trends reports are published yearly in English and French. They can be viewed on CMF Trends, along with a range of research reports published, curated and supported by the CMF.

About CMF Trends
CMF Trends is a fully bilingual site developed by the Canada Media Fund (CMF). It provides in-depth analyses of the transformations underway in the world of television and digital media. The site is intended as an information curator that filters news and synthesizes all of the noise generated by the overabundance of available data. Readers will find hundreds of blog posts written by the CMF’s Industry and Market Trends team as well as by collaborators and experts based in Canada and abroad; dozens of research reports including our annual trends reports that provide an overview of the challenges and opportunities for Canadian producers and creators and data on Canadians’ media consumption patterns and on major global trends.

About Canada Media Fund
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) fosters, develops, finances and promotes the production of Canadian content and applications for all audiovisual media platforms. It also guides Canadian content towards a competitive global digital environment by fostering industry innovation, rewarding success, enabling a diversity of voice and promoting access to content through public and private sector partnerships. The CMF receives financial contributions from the Government of Canada and Canada’s cable, satellite and IPTV distributors. Please visit cmf-fmc.ca.

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For more information, please contact:

André Ferreira
Communications Manager
Canada Media Fund
416-554-2768
[email protected]