Now & Next’s Five Most-Read Articles of 2023
2023 in a nutshell: a year full of promises of profound transformations for the screen-based industry! Between the adoption of Bill C-11 and the redefinition of Canadian content on the horizon, the upheavals and questions caused by ever more precise and efficient artificial intelligence tools and the various actions taken in favour of better representation of Canadian diversity in our stories, here are the stories that particularly caught your attention this year, in chronological order.
MARCH
NEW MURDOCH MYSTERIES SPINOFF IS A TWEEN-TARGETED TIME-TRAVEL SERIES TOLD IN 11-MINUTE EPISODES
Nearly two decades after its inception, the Murdoch Mysteries franchise continues to deliver twists, turns and spinoffs we didn’t see coming. The latest offshoot of the series about Edwardian-era detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) is Macy Murdoch, a tween-targeted time-travel story told in an emerging format aimed at busy kids — 11-minute episodes. Find more about the cast and behind-the-scene details in this piece by Marni Weisz here.
JUNE
THE FLIPSIDE OF HUMAN-MACHINE CO-CREATION
Thanks to spectacular developments in machine-learning technology, machines are now able to “create.” They are now able to extract existing content and translate it in their own language, make (relative) decisions, adapt to their environment and generate new information. It’s often said that such quasi-autonomous computational systems can be distressing and concerning. especially when talking about culture and the arts. The details with Marie-Odile Duchesneau here.
OCTOBER
LIGHTS, CAMERA, INCLUSION S2E2: LORETTA TODD, DOREEN MANUEL AND CEASE WYSS
Among the top five articles for 2023, three of them are from the second season of Lights, Camera, Inclusion, a video series created and produced by Now & Next, starting with this inspiring conversation with three out of the four Indigenous matriarchs behind the IM4 Lab. Loretta Todd, Doreen Manuel and Cease Wyss discuss the natural fit between Indigenous storytelling and immersive technologies, and the importance of lifelong learning, here.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, INCLUSION S2E1: SHYAM VALERA AND KASHIF PASTA
Next on the list are childhood friends and Surrey-born Shyam Valera and Kashif Pasta, co-owners of Dunya Media. The pair discusses meaningful representation, inclusive sets and telling stories from a second-generation immigrant's perspective. Shyam and Kashif’s work on authentic representation also includes special attention to the crews, including their contribution and well-being on sets. Find out more here.
NOVEMBER
LIGHTS, CAMERA, INCLUSION S2E4: HENRI PARDO AND ÉRIC IDRISS-KANAGO
And to wrap things up, this other episode of Lights, Camera, Inclusion, featuring producer Eric Idriss-Kanago and director Henri Pardo also caught your attention. The duo notably worked together on Afro Canada, a documentary series covering 400 years of African-Canadian history, a creative and community adventure which laid the foundations for their collaboration and confirmed their desire to transform the face of the industry. More here.
