The middle class of filmmaking jobs are dying. The past year deliverables went from long horizontal cuts and a few verticals. To all 15-30 sec verticals. Brands and companies have shifted from needing content for websites to just flowing vertical content. The quality standards lowered. That’s why went full time on UA-cam. I can now do the same thing but for myself.
Every sector got hit. Production was down 40% in film and Television. I saw the contraction coming a few years ago, when a couple shows I was day playing on weren't renewed. Streaming bubble popped. I started working on independent films and did fine until this year when it dried up. Now the midrange branded content is getting hit. Hopefully things turn around. I do enjoy your content. Happy New Year!
@@matteobertoli while it is over saturated, authenticity and quality still gets seen so I don’t worry about it much as I did with the over saturation within my career field. Like anyone can buy a decent camera now and slap some LUT on the footage and make a brand happy.. but previously it still took some production skills and knowledge.. but I’m starting to see these brands hire super young fresh off the block people.. like not saying all of them but a lot of them don’t know how to direct or even light a face.. but they sure can shoot verticle content and do fun edits. I don’t have much hope that brands will shift back sadly. They gotta generate sales and branded docs and website/commercial budgets have went into vertical ads
@@matteobertoli sorry to hear that. This platform takes consistency sadly. So no matter how good someone thinks they are, if they’re not consistent it’ll never grow and prosper
UK here, I work in branding, advertising, 3D etc. almost the same year as you. Slow, budgets, indecisions… many people here with the same story. You did well in putting this out, it makes people feel like it’s not their fault, it’s the situation and everyone needs to try and get through it as best they can. Diversity is good.
I love this video, everybody is always sharing the “good stuff” that is going through, but life has also many throwbacks. 2024 it’s been one of my slowest years too. Thank you for sharing. Can’t wait to see more about your new project ❤️🔥
In the UK all of my local TV/Film community (bar one or two people) have expressed how quiet this past year has been, I know several talented crew members who had months without any work which was unheard of previously. I expect animation and commercial sector work to be hit even further by AI going forwards, but I think we'll see a surge in documentary as people will trend towards content with realism/authenticity/human connection as we drift further into these AI waters.
Very good video! This is the type of content that really helps, it is good to understand that this can happen to any of us. For me it was 2020, I was very demotivated and tbh even I started sabotaging myself, for the first time in my life I felt tired and even sick of what I do, in part because of how the industry was evolving, it was becoming too weird too fast for me. But then I started forcing myself to adapt. Started shooting with vertical screens in mind first and and horizontal second (if at all) and the numbers of my clients started improving fast, and they started asking for more or accepting my proposals, even if I didn't do the silly memes or forced acting type of videos, but a hybrid between traditional filmmaking and the fast paced needs of today. It forces you to become more agile and eventually start finding a balance. It is hard to keep up, yes, but it can also be very fun. 2024 was by far my best year. I hope you all have a great 2025. Saludos desde México.
Definitely can relate in more ways than one. Wanted to do a similar end-of-year analysis but when I sat down to think it through, the conclusions were just too damn depressing, so I canned the idea. Thanks for sharing, really.
2024 was actually a nice year for me to be fair, majority of the work that I do is short form content for brands. I do think that is honestly where the money is right now, especially if you have a great retainer model for your clients and feed their desire to be omnipresent on social media. There is a very big market for well produced social media reels and content, I do also believe that brands see a quicker ROI with this model as opposed to one highly produced commercial that is expensive. Majority of my work is shot on a C70 along with the R6 MKII, COB lights etc. The equipment doesn’t matter but I am trying to highlight that I take these productions as serious as I would take any and they are often way easier and quicker to produce once you get some repetition.
Bingo! I see the swift from Branded content to verticals on Social Media. Are you seeing any long form ads, say two minute or longer direct sale videos?
@ to be honest with you, I’ve only been making 10-20 seconds short form content throughout 2024. The plan in 2025 is to shoot more explainer brand profile videos within the 25-45 seconds margin, I think these are great for building brand personality and story. I think social media marketing content is where the marketing is leaning towards and if done well with results, it can generate a lot of revenue.
Sorry to hear about the tough year. I know a few others in that position. However, I don’t think it’s purely about the industry wanting quantity over quality. From my perspective, they are wanting engagement. They want to engage their audience. I empathize with that. When I make a documentary, all I want is the audience to be engaged and interested. I really don’t want any conversation about the quality of the camera or cinema standards are changing. If I don’t get to use the normal video tools, that could be a bummer but I care more about the end result. I’m not denying there is a huge change in scope on productions. 5 person crews are now 1 and expected to be 20% of the cost. However, there are clients out there that still operate on a professional level with corporate pay. Here’s to hoping we find those unicorns. 🤞🏻
Sorry to hear Matteo, it freaking hurts when things are slow. Interestingly, it was my busiest year. I think it all boils down to 'who you know' - it always seems relationships trump any client opportunities I've tried to build. Like I've put pain staking hours into finding clients, and then through word of mouth, I find a job that covers more than a few months of income. It feels pointless some days to try and hunt because of that.
@@KatelynAbreu so good! Same scenario for me. Wasn’t biggest year in revenue but certainly was in terms of personal growth and diversification. 3x’d my online LuT sales which was unexpected. thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing, If I can make a recommendation... I had many more clients asking for vertical social media content this year, much more quantity. So what I did is structured monthly retainers with them and now I produce the really "high end" looking social media stuff on top of the regular 16:9 stuff I've always done. And as a result my business doubled in 2024... The industry is definitely changing, but If you can adapt with it, I think you will actually find a lot of stability in your business as a result of the huge demand for content.
Im kinda burnt out from doing UA-cam videos. Feel like I’m working twice as hard to not get much results. Weddings & Music Videos have kept me afloat. I need to get out of my own head and try find that passion again.
Sorry to hear about that and I can definitely relate to things being slow right now. But I do feel that there is still a decent audience of people who want quality over quantity. Trends fade away, but I know for sure that people will always crave quality storytelling, which is why I think working on the feature doc is the right move right now. Will be excited to see it when it comes out. Happy new year man, hang in there!
Content is definitely changing. I had a slower year too (thankfully nowhere near my worst or we'd be stuffed). I don't know if my slowdown was really part of a wider industry shift but alongside a drop in revenue, other financial factors such as interest rates and inflation have combined to make for a fairly difficult year financially. I feel positive about 2025. We're pivoting the business and also focussing more on personal projects where the pay-off isn't necessarily vocational or financial.
2024 has been the worst year for me, as well. It's funny that I keep hearing the same from everyone around me and I'm not in the film business. 2024 has been a bad year for pretty much everyone I've talked to lately. I always look forward to BTS and not so much about gear comparisons. As you said, they're starting to feel boring. And yes, we are all getting older and with that, we can't stand some sh1t. Thanks for this honest and transparent video, Matteo, I really appreciate it. Greetings from Greece, you're getting closer to my country every year! 🇺🇸🇵🇹🇮🇹🇬🇷
Cheers Jim! I agree. Everyone I talked to from film industry to real estate and many other businesses told me the same thing. In Italy many factories shut down. It’s probably just recession kicking in. We’ll be fine :)
Tough times for sure. I've been at a production agency for 12+ years and the last 2 years things have really slowed down. Especially with commercials. Clients wanting Tiktok brainrot have increased.
Respect to you for being so vulnerable and speaking honestly about your situation! Your videos are dope and give so much value to myself and people all over the world! Screw the companies and clients that want quality over quantity and scrimp on making memorable and high quality videos! Keep up the good work man and I wish you an awesome 2025!
i pivoted hard back into tech this past year and started only taking music video work. since thats my passion, and passion makes up for not making a ton of money, especially when i have cash flow coming from a different place. glad im not the only one that was having this problem. i was discouraged and it made me not want to touch my camera. found my balance this past year or two.
The recession in the UK hurt nearly everyone. Largely because of the Hollywood strikes and how things have built up from the pandemic. I've been out of work for most of 2024, but finished my 3rd feature which took 18 months to finish.
Thanks for sharing and I wish you all the best for the new year and new opportunities! I personally stepped away from filmmaking and youtube for most of 2024, but also did quite well with stock footage. Now I'm also looking forward to new opportunities with filming passion projects and documentaries in the new year. I also feel that these type of projects are what keeps me motivated and still loving filmmaking!
Thanks for the openess and vulnerability Matteo. This is precisely the sort of content that should resonate more with people given how pervasive this is. One thing for sure is the downturn goes beyond filmmaking. I work in technology consulting for a big firm in my day job and its been a harsh year for a lot of service industries period. Companies have cut back on non-essential spend due to challenging economic climates and being an election year across a couple of the G6, companies were also going to be quite conservative. Coupled with the changes to types of content being consumed/promoted on social media, it's no surprise how challenging 2024 was for filmmakers. I'm glad that you had sufficiently diversified income streams to get through the year. Looking forward to seeing the documentary process and everything else you get up to in 2025
I wrote to you a year ago this “Content is now a basic commodity. With the rise of social media, anyone can create and publish content and due to the fast-paced nature of social media and the sheer volume of content being produced, the shelf life of videos has become very short. As a result, the investment in video production has become less appealing, as videos tend to have a very limited impact and quickly become outdated. Everyone now has access to a high-quality camera on their smartphones, making it easier than ever to create decent-quality videos without investing in any equipment. There are no shortage of people who want to be in the "biz" and will work for free, credit or to build their network. Creating videos has become a race to the bottom.” I’m sorry to hear about the slow year. Many folks experienced the same. I admire the desire to make the wine region documentary, but that is the easy part. Finding a way to monetize the film will be very difficult I’m afraid. If it’s a personal goal I get that. Lucky you are able to keep your costs low. Imagine if you had four kids😢
In the US Midwest, at least, I’ve seen entire creative agencies focus on a single field with interesting success. I almost took a job for a dental ad agency that strictly provides video/photo/website for dental offices. They have blown up. And the company I do 85% of my work with is specialized in the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities field. We’ve grown nearly 400% in the last two years. However the commercial work I do locally is soooo sporadic. Towards the end of the year I nailed down more work, but i have no way to predict what 2025 holds.
Would love to see and follow along behind the scenes of the documentary. Looking forward to it! Also had a bit of a slow year, 2024, so I’m looking forward to new challenges here as well.
I'm in the travel sector and this year we were down for the first time except for Covid years of course. Interesting, we are down -45% from Canadian bookings and Australia about the same. I'm feeling the consumer is tapped out and I'm thinking this year will be a slow year as well. Inflation is chewing away at those discretionary dollars.
I totally agree on every aspect of your video. We moved towards fast content with mostly zero quality. This marketing driven content suits most of the needs of big companies and customers. But it's that real filmmaking is dying slowly because of this development. I hope that this year will be better for you!
For what it's worth, the quality of your content has always been an inspiration for me even as an in-house corporate videographer. The quality vs quantity debate is something I have to contend with regularly. There's probably a reasonable middle ground to be found but I (and MANY others) will always value the art and creativity that goes into a quality piece of content. I know respect doesn't pay the bills but like I said, what you produce will always have value.
Dai Matteo, tieni duro! Voglio sperare che resterà sempre una piccola parte di aziende che crede in contenuti più pensati e meno cheap, come tu sai fare. Un abbraccio
To be honest, last year was really good for me. Helped that I didn't have my own bussiness at the time yet. Hope this year goes better for you and everyone else
As a FT ECD at an agency and part time UA-camr, I can say in general last year was slow, but the reality is content will shift back and forth, larger brands will always want to be different and they will spend to do so.. stay steady you got this! Let’s hope for a star get year! Good luck on your new doc! Let us know if we can help:)
Had an awful year in post. Worked as a cameraman on a couple of docs, but it was on jobs that no one gets paid on till the doc is sold. Focusing on doing some 3d animations and starting to talk a little bit about the gear I have, which isn't much, but I have always been a believer that you can do so much with less up to a certain point. Traveled to Italy during the holidays and finding ways to use that footage to incorporate into a video and planning on making a doc with locals to save on cost and to get myself out there as more of a director instead of just a post production guy.
Video molto apprezzato, soprattutto per l'onesta e la sincerità nel parlare. Mi spiace sia stato un anno difficile e spero tu possa trovare di nuovo la passione tramite questo nuovo documentario. Io abito proprio in Piemonte, chi lo sa magari ci inoltreremo in futuro 😇
@@spetlafilm to be honest I can’t complain, at least financially. I still did extremely well with digital products and stock footage. I didn’t mean it was a bad year financially, but It definitely was a bad year creatively. i am hoping quality work will increase this year, but I will sign now to get the same 2024 revenue ahah
Same with us. 2024 was very slow. I think many reasons, but we did get a couple of clients that were standing by sign with us for two projects a couple of days after the election results. Coincidence or maybe optimism about the future of the economy. Who knows but can't wait for Jan 20 :)
Condivido 100% le tue riflessioni e questa tua testimonianza è di gran conforto e credo tu sia stato anche coraggioso a condividerla perché oggi va di moda essere strafighi e far vedere che si è sempre pieni di lavori da oscar ! Ma questa è la realtà di molti freelance che cercando di lavorare in modo professionale, creativo e nell’interesse del cliente. Il settore agrifood è decisamente interessante e anche io mi ci sto dedicano perché si scoprono storie bellissime da raccontare ! Intanto ben tornato in Italia !
Maybe put your ideas for the doc into smaller pieces and assemble into a playlist on your site. I've enjoyed the short pieces you have done over the years. Maybe focus more on the art of it and let the money do as it will. Yes, you've got to live... but more important to nurture your art. Also with the idea of small pieces of your doc maybe Patreon could help... as in getting sponsors for the project as it develops piece by piece. In any event I look forward to your next creations. A nice piece of advice from you was hand holding a URSA 12K and utilizing that movement. Best wishes for the new year.
Very honest video 👏 like you know things have been hard for many ppl and businesses. I think your plan for 2025 sound great! 👍 good luck and much success.
Thanks for the honest video Matteo, definitely rooting for you mate. You are 100 percent right about not making a video for making a video's sake, Too much noise and people just saying the same thing. The industry is in a weird place for sure. But it makes sense to pivot to make your own stuff, I think brands are going to race to the bottom with this stuff. The 15 second every week reels will eventually change into AI generated stuff as marketing teams are going to look after their own budgets (which are getting cut).But I still feel people will watch long form. So why not just make what we want to make and be the masters of our own IP. Films not content is the new mantra I think, in a way instead of making adverts (that most people want to skip anyway), why not make the thing that people actually want to skip the adverts to watch.
I really appreciate this video!! It was a slow year for me too. I've heard of other filmmakers take a hit too. It's clearly shifting to 1920x1080 reels and a bunch of AI.... We've just got to adapt and stay creative. Keep pressing forward!!
Keep the faith! We will need to create a new model and then the opportunities will return and filmmaking will be sustainable. The flood of ai and speedy content will push people to look for films with substance so stay the course!
In my experience, companies aren't "looking for filmmakers", at least the market is very small for that job title. AI is going to further compress the demand for visual artists. Companies want niche marketing services. I've pivoted into a more consultant role and I offer filmmaking as a part of it. It's how I've stayed afloat. Also network with other marketers, I've gotten a few big projects that saved me when stuff got slow especially during the 'vid.
Bro at 5:41 -..." I wanna make own film" I have been saying this for all of 2024!..I have now written 2 features and 2 Episodic TV Shows, will shoot on my own budget! Good luck to you!!
You're not alone, but I still believe original works still have a huge space in the industry because trendy edits will come but rarely last longer than original styles. Thank you for sharing this
spend more time on planting seeds for relationships and providing value to your current ones directly and indirectly. Find a good group of friends that you know works well in a niche, come at it from all angles and you and your group will know all the right people in a sector and before you know it you become household name and every conversation will be effortless and business will be flying in. commercial branded social content creator here. 2024 was very strong and strong forecast for 2025 business.
Hello Matteo! I've been watching you since the OG BMPCC Videos! I think what kept me watching you is that you’re very real about what you say in a world where money doesn’t let you tell the truth! I’d love to see more of these videos because it shows the reality of things.. also I think it’s time maybe for you to adjust to social media although it’s gonna feel like it’s a downgrade or do something that fits you and fits your work so you can keep generating money on social media since everyone is doing it! Or just go big and take the risk and make for-length documentaries or films that might take months to make for you or other directors! Please keep posting stuff like this! Maybe one day we’ll meet when you come to the East Coast.
This was shot on the Osmo Pocket 3? It looks amazing. Some barrel distorinon the the left side, but looks really great and BUTTERY smooth! Well done, and hopefully 2025 is a great year for you. My 2024 sucked pretty bad as well.
Hey Matteo, have you found the stock video market have taken a hit at all? I hear from design podcasts that they don't even bother getting stock videos and just make their own with AI.
I call it BS. You can’t replicate decent video shots with AI yet. Stock footage went down a bit, but what didn’t go down? From cars to fashion to restaurants and wine. Everything is down.
I work in TV, and 2024 was the worst, and 2025 doesn't look very promising. The industry is still there but it shrunk so much that having a stable career becomes nearly impossible.
It's done, Time to move to plan B or C, something outside of filmed entertainment. The studios main goal, especially since the strikes, is the elimination of physical production. They've made it abundantly clear that they and their shareholders don't want to deal with crews, actors, shooting, sets, having to own big lots and especially Unions. They have been driving hard and investing billions to make their future office buildings, AI, CGI and the strikes made them double down. Imagine the studios profits if they can eliminate physical production and owning studio lots and plowing all of that money into AI, render farms, and digital pipelines. Hollywood is just in its death throes and the smart money is moving elsewhere. Where? I'm not sure, most of the skillsets we have are not very adaptable to other forms of business that are expanding, unless you're in post and can adapt to AI prompt writing or IT administration. But a DP, sound mixer, gaffer? What skillsets are those people going to offer to the non-production, corporate world?
Il mio odio per gli shorts di UA-cam è aumentato dopo aver guardato questo video 😂 Comunque complimenti per la sincerità. Sono molto curioso per il documentario
Matteo, quanto ti capisco. Io vivo nel foggiano e sto facendo la fame. Combatto ogni giorno contro i social media che per 300 euro al mese fanno foto, video (di merda ovviamente) e gestiscono le pagine social. Le attività anche per video belli non vogliono sganciare soldi o se li fanno da soli. o devi lavorare ad un prezzo ridicolo, tipo 50 euro a reel. Ma non capita solo nelle piccole attività, anche in quelle grandi che fatturano un botto, vanno dai miei colleghi fotografi e gli chiedono anche i video, ovviamente consigliano me, ma loro, senza manco vedere un portfolio, gli hanno detto che "non vogliono la qualità, che non serve sui social e che possono farlo col telefono". Sta cosa del verticale mi (e ci, credo) sta uccidendo. Troppa merda a poco costo, e con la strumentazione che abbiamo, non rientreremo mai con le spese.
@matteobertoli con i social è già dura, a meno ché non ti fai assumere da una casa di produzione avviata. Con l'IA non so, forse potremmo ricavarne un vantaggio noi. Io proverò quest'anno a buttare fuori contenuti e puntare sulla qualità se riesco, ma se vedo che non funziona, forse o sbaglio io o non è proprio cosa in sto settore. Magari trasferirsi, magari trovare altro e lasciare questo solo per hobby. Boh
Hi Matteo, Yeah very slow but I was thinking that it is because I am in a super niche part of the cake (classical music small productions of concerts) and yeah most of my clients wants fast past Shorts réels Insta like videos where you mostly don't need multicam but need very good audio so iphone or Osmo is still behind Schoeps and DPA there it is why they call me from time to time and even if my clients could film it themselves they need proper sound with a multi mic setup... Yeah things are changing fast quantity over quality is really hitting everywhere...
@@KCineWork eh! That’s an extremely hard circle to get in and trust me. With the strikes and the streaming bubble bursting I know many top dps that are not working right now
I actually heard someone say something that stuck with me early 2024 😢 watch what happened with the music industry, and the same will happen in the film industry thanks to Ai... I seriously dont know of anyone that is living through his music full time. Even in the us, maybe like 0.3% is making a living out of it. Also, the quality of music went down so badly, and all you here is boom boom just like these crap social media content is making us consume... the industry is sadly shifting. it's no more led by storytellers but digital marketers that are just chasing views count, numbers they can put on a power point to show their clients... before brands wanted to bring a change to your life, now brands just want to be heard and be noisier than their competition...its seriously not an industry i wanted to get in six years ago 😢 i know people who dont even how to expose well their camera and with zero lights working more than most well established people because they just spam contents on social media 😅
Content creators and influencers killed the industry. Everyone has a decent camera now and knows how to color grade log footage. Like Cammackey said the middle class of filmmaking is dying and its only gonna get worse. I personally know influencers who are know taking gigs from people due to their understanding of social media. Its getting real bad out here.
Forse dovresti spostarti in altri stati o continenti economicamente migliori dove investono di più. L'Europa, ma soprattutto l'Italia è un paese fallito, che non investe nulla e cerca solo risparmio. Le aziende italiane fanno fare lavori anche complessi e delicati a parenti e amici col telefonino. Risultato è brevi video fatti in casa senza luci, tutti uguali agli altri (basta copiare e non spendere) poi che i loro brand non vendono non emergono, perciò senza guadagni devono risparmiare sempre di più. Questa è la cultura purtroppo di molti imprenditori in Italia, troppe aziende pensano ai social come qualcosa da riempire così tanto per far vedere qualcosa, o al web neppure sono presenti. Secondo me è un problema di zona, poi però da vedere come tu cerchi clienti abitualmente. Forse le tue strategie di marketing sono da rivedere.
@@stefanostefani4273 stessa cosa in America. La maggior parte dei miei clienti sono US e la tira la stessa aria. I clienti non li cerco dal 2019. Ho il mio giro e il mio business online.
@@matteobertoli Bene, probabilmente serve solo un pò di buona pubblicità proattiva da parte tua e qualche nuova occasione potrebbe presentarsi. In qualsiasi parte del mondo sia..
@@matteobertoli Honestly clients mostly literally hate Blackmagic. I'm talking professional production houses who want me to shoot doco or commercial work for them. Sony, Red or Arri! Love my Blackmagics though for personal or if I'm editing.
Bro, maybe stop being a UA-camr and focus on a real career. I’ve been a creative director for 23 years and I never once posted content about myself, opened a IG, YT, or any social media account to get work. I am a true creative and my art is commissioned. Simple.
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The middle class of filmmaking jobs are dying. The past year deliverables went from long horizontal cuts and a few verticals. To all 15-30 sec verticals. Brands and companies have shifted from needing content for websites to just flowing vertical content. The quality standards lowered. That’s why went full time on UA-cam. I can now do the same thing but for myself.
@@cammackey yes. UA-cam is also extremely over saturated and I think the shorts killed a bit the sense of the platform. But we’ll see.
Every sector got hit. Production was down 40% in film and Television. I saw the contraction coming a few years ago, when a couple shows I was day playing on weren't renewed. Streaming bubble popped. I started working on independent films and did fine until this year when it dried up. Now the midrange branded content is getting hit. Hopefully things turn around. I do enjoy your content. Happy New Year!
@@matteobertoli while it is over saturated, authenticity and quality still gets seen so I don’t worry about it much as I did with the over saturation within my career field. Like anyone can buy a decent camera now and slap some LUT on the footage and make a brand happy.. but previously it still took some production skills and knowledge.. but I’m starting to see these brands hire super young fresh off the block people.. like not saying all of them but a lot of them don’t know how to direct or even light a face.. but they sure can shoot verticle content and do fun edits. I don’t have much hope that brands will shift back sadly. They gotta generate sales and branded docs and website/commercial budgets have went into vertical ads
@@cammackey i have my doubts about that :)
@@matteobertoli sorry to hear that. This platform takes consistency sadly. So no matter how good someone thinks they are, if they’re not consistent it’ll never grow and prosper
UK here, I work in branding, advertising, 3D etc. almost the same year as you. Slow, budgets, indecisions… many people here with the same story. You did well in putting this out, it makes people feel like it’s not their fault, it’s the situation and everyone needs to try and get through it as best they can. Diversity is good.
Very tough year… you’re not alone
I love this video, everybody is always sharing the “good stuff” that is going through, but life has also many throwbacks. 2024 it’s been one of my slowest years too. Thank you for sharing. Can’t wait to see more about your new project ❤️🔥
In the UK all of my local TV/Film community (bar one or two people) have expressed how quiet this past year has been, I know several talented crew members who had months without any work which was unheard of previously. I expect animation and commercial sector work to be hit even further by AI going forwards, but I think we'll see a surge in documentary as people will trend towards content with realism/authenticity/human connection as we drift further into these AI waters.
Very good video! This is the type of content that really helps, it is good to understand that this can happen to any of us. For me it was 2020, I was very demotivated and tbh even I started sabotaging myself, for the first time in my life I felt tired and even sick of what I do, in part because of how the industry was evolving, it was becoming too weird too fast for me. But then I started forcing myself to adapt. Started shooting with vertical screens in mind first and and horizontal second (if at all) and the numbers of my clients started improving fast, and they started asking for more or accepting my proposals, even if I didn't do the silly memes or forced acting type of videos, but a hybrid between traditional filmmaking and the fast paced needs of today. It forces you to become more agile and eventually start finding a balance. It is hard to keep up, yes, but it can also be very fun. 2024 was by far my best year. I hope you all have a great 2025. Saludos desde México.
Definitely can relate in more ways than one. Wanted to do a similar end-of-year analysis but when I sat down to think it through, the conclusions were just too damn depressing, so I canned the idea. Thanks for sharing, really.
WORST YEAR OF MY CAREER as well. So many of us in same boat. I honestly almost left the industry. Love your LUTS and videos.
I always appreciate your genuine thoughts and insight into the industry. Keep it up, brother.
2024 was actually a nice year for me to be fair, majority of the work that I do is short form content for brands. I do think that is honestly where the money is right now, especially if you have a great retainer model for your clients and feed their desire to be omnipresent on social media.
There is a very big market for well produced social media reels and content, I do also believe that brands see a quicker ROI with this model as opposed to one highly produced commercial that is expensive. Majority of my work is shot on a C70 along with the R6 MKII, COB lights etc. The equipment doesn’t matter but I am trying to highlight that I take these productions as serious as I would take any and they are often way easier and quicker to produce once you get some repetition.
Bingo! I see the swift from Branded content to verticals on Social Media. Are you seeing any long form ads, say two minute or longer direct sale videos?
@ to be honest with you, I’ve only been making 10-20 seconds short form content throughout 2024.
The plan in 2025 is to shoot more explainer brand profile videos within the 25-45 seconds margin, I think these are great for building brand personality and story.
I think social media marketing content is where the marketing is leaning towards and if done well with results, it can generate a lot of revenue.
Sorry to hear about the tough year. I know a few others in that position. However, I don’t think it’s purely about the industry wanting quantity over quality.
From my perspective, they are wanting engagement. They want to engage their audience. I empathize with that. When I make a documentary, all I want is the audience to be engaged and interested. I really don’t want any conversation about the quality of the camera or cinema standards are changing. If I don’t get to use the normal video tools, that could be a bummer but I care more about the end result.
I’m not denying there is a huge change in scope on productions. 5 person crews are now 1 and expected to be 20% of the cost. However, there are clients out there that still operate on a professional level with corporate pay. Here’s to hoping we find those unicorns. 🤞🏻
Sorry to hear Matteo, it freaking hurts when things are slow. Interestingly, it was my busiest year. I think it all boils down to 'who you know' - it always seems relationships trump any client opportunities I've tried to build. Like I've put pain staking hours into finding clients, and then through word of mouth, I find a job that covers more than a few months of income. It feels pointless some days to try and hunt because of that.
@@KatelynAbreu so good! Same scenario for me. Wasn’t biggest year in revenue but certainly was in terms of personal growth and diversification. 3x’d my online LuT sales which was unexpected. thanks for sharing.
Your channel is so unique and I honestly wish you the best things in 2025. Can't wait to see more breakdowns and films coming from you!
Thanks so much for being real and honest.
Thank you for sharing, If I can make a recommendation... I had many more clients asking for vertical social media content this year, much more quantity. So what I did is
structured monthly retainers with them and now I produce the really "high end" looking social media stuff on top of the regular 16:9 stuff I've always done. And as a result my business doubled in 2024... The industry is definitely changing, but If you can adapt with it, I think you will actually find a lot of stability in your business as a result of the huge demand for content.
Im kinda burnt out from doing UA-cam videos. Feel like I’m working twice as hard to not get much results. Weddings & Music Videos have kept me afloat. I need to get out of my own head and try find that passion again.
I have watched you for years, since the BMPCC 0G videos. Love to see you are still rockin on here!
Sorry to hear about that and I can definitely relate to things being slow right now. But I do feel that there is still a decent audience of people who want quality over quantity. Trends fade away, but I know for sure that people will always crave quality storytelling, which is why I think working on the feature doc is the right move right now. Will be excited to see it when it comes out. Happy new year man, hang in there!
The BTS for the making of your documentary would be very interesting to watch! :)
Content is definitely changing. I had a slower year too (thankfully nowhere near my worst or we'd be stuffed). I don't know if my slowdown was really part of a wider industry shift but alongside a drop in revenue, other financial factors such as interest rates and inflation have combined to make for a fairly difficult year financially. I feel positive about 2025. We're pivoting the business and also focussing more on personal projects where the pay-off isn't necessarily vocational or financial.
2024 has been the worst year for me, as well. It's funny that I keep hearing the same from everyone around me and I'm not in the film business. 2024 has been a bad year for pretty much everyone I've talked to lately. I always look forward to BTS and not so much about gear comparisons. As you said, they're starting to feel boring. And yes, we are all getting older and with that, we can't stand some sh1t. Thanks for this honest and transparent video, Matteo, I really appreciate it. Greetings from Greece, you're getting closer to my country every year! 🇺🇸🇵🇹🇮🇹🇬🇷
Cheers Jim! I agree. Everyone I talked to from film industry to real estate and many other businesses told me the same thing. In Italy many factories shut down. It’s probably just recession kicking in. We’ll be fine :)
Tough times for sure. I've been at a production agency for 12+ years and the last 2 years things have really slowed down. Especially with commercials.
Clients wanting Tiktok brainrot have increased.
Thanks for the message, I needed it
Respect to you for being so vulnerable and speaking honestly about your situation! Your videos are dope and give so much value to myself and people all over the world! Screw the companies and clients that want quality over quantity and scrimp on making memorable and high quality videos! Keep up the good work man and I wish you an awesome 2025!
i pivoted hard back into tech this past year and started only taking music video work. since thats my passion, and passion makes up for not making a ton of money, especially when i have cash flow coming from a different place.
glad im not the only one that was having this problem. i was discouraged and it made me not want to touch my camera. found my balance this past year or two.
Wine documentary sounds exciting 🤩 Let me know if you want another BRAW fellow on set 😊 Running Ursa 12K & GH7
The recession in the UK hurt nearly everyone. Largely because of the Hollywood strikes and how things have built up from the pandemic. I've been out of work for most of 2024, but finished my 3rd feature which took 18 months to finish.
Forza e Coraggio, 2025 andra' meglio!... Se fai fatica tu Matte, siamo spacciati tutti! In bocca al lupo!!
Thanks for sharing and I wish you all the best for the new year and new opportunities! I personally stepped away from filmmaking and youtube for most of 2024, but also did quite well with stock footage. Now I'm also looking forward to new opportunities with filming passion projects and documentaries in the new year. I also feel that these type of projects are what keeps me motivated and still loving filmmaking!
Thanks for the openess and vulnerability Matteo. This is precisely the sort of content that should resonate more with people given how pervasive this is.
One thing for sure is the downturn goes beyond filmmaking. I work in technology consulting for a big firm in my day job and its been a harsh year for a lot of service industries period. Companies have cut back on non-essential spend due to challenging economic climates and being an election year across a couple of the G6, companies were also going to be quite conservative. Coupled with the changes to types of content being consumed/promoted on social media, it's no surprise how challenging 2024 was for filmmakers.
I'm glad that you had sufficiently diversified income streams to get through the year. Looking forward to seeing the documentary process and everything else you get up to in 2025
I wrote to you a year ago this “Content is now a basic commodity. With the rise of social media, anyone can create and publish content and due to the fast-paced nature of social media and the sheer volume of content being produced, the shelf life of videos has become very short. As a result, the investment in video production has become less appealing, as videos tend to have a very limited impact and quickly become outdated. Everyone now has access to a high-quality camera on their smartphones, making it easier than ever to create decent-quality videos without investing in any equipment. There are no shortage of people who want to be in the "biz" and will work for free, credit or to build their network. Creating videos has become a race to the bottom.” I’m sorry to hear about the slow year. Many folks experienced the same. I admire the desire to make the wine region documentary, but that is the easy part. Finding a way to monetize the film will be very difficult I’m afraid. If it’s a personal goal I get that. Lucky you are able to keep your costs low. Imagine if you had four kids😢
AI is getting better and cheaper. It will just increase the race to the bottom.
In the US Midwest, at least, I’ve seen entire creative agencies focus on a single field with interesting success. I almost took a job for a dental ad agency that strictly provides video/photo/website for dental offices. They have blown up. And the company I do 85% of my work with is specialized in the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities field. We’ve grown nearly 400% in the last two years. However the commercial work I do locally is soooo sporadic. Towards the end of the year I nailed down more work, but i have no way to predict what 2025 holds.
Would love to see and follow along behind the scenes of the documentary. Looking forward to it! Also had a bit of a slow year, 2024, so I’m looking forward to new challenges here as well.
I'm in the travel sector and this year we were down for the first time except for Covid years of course. Interesting, we are down -45% from Canadian bookings and Australia about the same. I'm feeling the consumer is tapped out and I'm thinking this year will be a slow year as well. Inflation is chewing away at those discretionary dollars.
@@tdivyak great info, thanks for sharing
I totally agree on every aspect of your video. We moved towards fast content with mostly zero quality. This marketing driven content suits most of the needs of big companies and customers. But it's that real filmmaking is dying slowly because of this development. I hope that this year will be better for you!
For what it's worth, the quality of your content has always been an inspiration for me even as an in-house corporate videographer. The quality vs quantity debate is something I have to contend with regularly. There's probably a reasonable middle ground to be found but I (and MANY others) will always value the art and creativity that goes into a quality piece of content.
I know respect doesn't pay the bills but like I said, what you produce will always have value.
Dai Matteo, tieni duro! Voglio sperare che resterà sempre una piccola parte di aziende che crede in contenuti più pensati e meno cheap, come tu sai fare. Un abbraccio
To be honest, last year was really good for me. Helped that I didn't have my own bussiness at the time yet. Hope this year goes better for you and everyone else
Mine was the slowest too 😢 wishing a better year in 2025 for both of us 🎉 Happy new Year
Hope you have a better '25.
Same experience here, UK market from a creative/ trailer editor point of view. Thanks for sharing.
I hope that this year will be better for us. Wishing you the best and maybe, you will get abundant funds for your work. 😊
Have watched your vids for a few years now mate, love the work keep it up!
As a FT ECD at an agency and part time UA-camr, I can say in general last year was slow, but the reality is content will shift back and forth, larger brands will always want to be different and they will spend to do so.. stay steady you got this! Let’s hope for a star get year! Good luck on your new doc! Let us know if we can help:)
I didn't work all year. Hopeful for 2025.
Super refreshing perspective tbh!
Same here! Feel you.
Same. Great start to 24 for the first 2 months, then nothing for 4 months. So I ended up going back to study product design in July.
Had an awful year in post. Worked as a cameraman on a couple of docs, but it was on jobs that no one gets paid on till the doc is sold. Focusing on doing some 3d animations and starting to talk a little bit about the gear I have, which isn't much, but I have always been a believer that you can do so much with less up to a certain point. Traveled to Italy during the holidays and finding ways to use that footage to incorporate into a video and planning on making a doc with locals to save on cost and to get myself out there as more of a director instead of just a post production guy.
Video molto apprezzato, soprattutto per l'onesta e la sincerità nel parlare. Mi spiace sia stato un anno difficile e spero tu possa trovare di nuovo la passione tramite questo nuovo documentario. Io abito proprio in Piemonte, chi lo sa magari ci inoltreremo in futuro 😇
I feel all that. And looking forward to the Langhe doc! Big Nebbiolo fan here. Thanks for sharing!
🙌 I really appreciate your sincere message! All the best for your documentary plans, it sounds exciting✨🎬
Appreciate your honesty. Hard year for us in the agency scene as well.
Surprisingly, 2024 was the most successful year for me, but I wish you all the best. I think it will be a short phase and you will be great again.
@@spetlafilm to be honest I can’t complain, at least financially. I still did extremely well with digital products and stock footage. I didn’t mean it was a bad year financially, but It definitely was a bad year creatively. i am hoping quality work will increase this year, but I will sign now to get the same 2024 revenue ahah
Same with us. 2024 was very slow. I think many reasons, but we did get a couple of clients that were standing by sign with us for two projects a couple of days after the election results. Coincidence or maybe optimism about the future of the economy. Who knows but can't wait for Jan 20 :)
Condivido 100% le tue riflessioni e questa tua testimonianza è di gran conforto e credo tu sia stato anche coraggioso a condividerla perché oggi va di moda essere strafighi e far vedere che si è sempre pieni di lavori da oscar ! Ma questa è la realtà di molti freelance che cercando di lavorare in modo professionale, creativo e nell’interesse del cliente. Il settore agrifood è decisamente interessante e anche io mi ci sto dedicano perché si scoprono storie bellissime da raccontare ! Intanto ben tornato in Italia !
Maybe put your ideas for the doc into smaller pieces and assemble into a playlist on your site. I've enjoyed the short pieces you have done over the years. Maybe focus more on the art of it and let the money do as it will. Yes, you've got to live... but more important to nurture your art. Also with the idea of small pieces of your doc maybe Patreon could help... as in getting sponsors for the project as it develops piece by piece. In any event I look forward to your next creations. A nice piece of advice from you was hand holding a URSA 12K and utilizing that movement. Best wishes for the new year.
Thanks for posting and sharing.
Depressing but true. If it wasn’t for weddings I’d be decently screwed. Makes me wonder what the next move is a bit.
Very honest video 👏 like you know things have been hard for many ppl and businesses. I think your plan for 2025 sound great! 👍 good luck and much success.
Thanks for the honest video Matteo, definitely rooting for you mate. You are 100 percent right about not making a video for making a video's sake, Too much noise and people just saying the same thing. The industry is in a weird place for sure. But it makes sense to pivot to make your own stuff, I think brands are going to race to the bottom with this stuff. The 15 second every week reels will eventually change into AI generated stuff as marketing teams are going to look after their own budgets (which are getting cut).But I still feel people will watch long form. So why not just make what we want to make and be the masters of our own IP. Films not content is the new mantra I think, in a way instead of making adverts (that most people want to skip anyway), why not make the thing that people actually want to skip the adverts to watch.
I really appreciate this video!! It was a slow year for me too. I've heard of other filmmakers take a hit too. It's clearly shifting to 1920x1080 reels and a bunch of AI.... We've just got to adapt and stay creative. Keep pressing forward!!
Keep the faith! We will need to create a new model and then the opportunities will return and filmmaking will be sustainable. The flood of ai and speedy content will push people to look for films with substance so stay the course!
In my experience, companies aren't "looking for filmmakers", at least the market is very small for that job title. AI is going to further compress the demand for visual artists. Companies want niche marketing services. I've pivoted into a more consultant role and I offer filmmaking as a part of it. It's how I've stayed afloat. Also network with other marketers, I've gotten a few big projects that saved me when stuff got slow especially during the 'vid.
Bro at 5:41 -..." I wanna make own film" I have been saying this for all of 2024!..I have now written 2 features and 2 Episodic TV Shows, will shoot on my own budget! Good luck to you!!
Th cinema middle class seems to be suffering also. The 20 to 50 million 90 minutes movies are been replaced for 7 episodes series at the same cost.
You're not alone, but I still believe original works still have a huge space in the industry because trendy edits will come but rarely last longer than original styles. Thank you for sharing this
Same thing for me here in Brasília/Brazil. Same thing. 😐
spend more time on planting seeds for relationships and providing value to your current ones directly and indirectly. Find a good group of friends that you know works well in a niche, come at it from all angles and you and your group will know all the right people in a sector and before you know it you become household name and every conversation will be effortless and business will be flying in. commercial branded social content creator here. 2024 was very strong and strong forecast for 2025 business.
Thanks brother for the update!
Animo, you are one of the best
Hello Matteo! I've been watching you since the OG BMPCC Videos! I think what kept me watching you is that you’re very real about what you say in a world where money doesn’t let you tell the truth! I’d love to see more of these videos because it shows the reality of things.. also I think it’s time maybe for you to adjust to social media although it’s gonna feel like it’s a downgrade or do something that fits you and fits your work so you can keep generating money on social media since everyone is doing it! Or just go big and take the risk and make for-length documentaries or films that might take months to make for you or other directors! Please keep posting stuff like this!
Maybe one day we’ll meet when you come to the East Coast.
@@HamedAlgabbani thanks for the comment! Already switched to social media a while ago ahah
companies are suffering too, so less money to spend. We're in a recession but the media won't talk about it
This was shot on the Osmo Pocket 3? It looks amazing. Some barrel distorinon the the left side, but looks really great and BUTTERY smooth! Well done, and hopefully 2025 is a great year for you. My 2024 sucked pretty bad as well.
@@grantvetters5253 thank you! Yes Osmo Pocket 3! Best of luck to you too!
this year i grew up a bit, but the brands always have budget to shoot vertical content,that 's my disappointment. and i don t like filmmaking anymore.
This was the absolute worst year I've had in years. Thank God I'm married and my wife helped pick up some of the slack. Otherwise we be in trouble.
It's been slow everywhere. Lets hope 2025 pickup up!
I would love to production assist in your documentary!
Hello Matteo, I hope 2025 will be a great year for you! You said you will make a documentary. Is that your own project ore for a client?
@@petehogervorst own project!
Hey Matteo, have you found the stock video market have taken a hit at all? I hear from design podcasts that they don't even bother getting stock videos and just make their own with AI.
I call it BS. You can’t replicate decent video shots with AI yet. Stock footage went down a bit, but what didn’t go down? From cars to fashion to restaurants and wine. Everything is down.
There is work you just have to move to it. I’m in the industry right now the UK and Spain are popping off.
I work in TV, and 2024 was the worst, and 2025 doesn't look very promising. The industry is still there but it shrunk so much that having a stable career becomes nearly impossible.
Yeah there are also a lot more people in the industry and probably the demand is not there anymore. We’ll see!
@@matteobertoli true. A game of musical chairs with fewer chairs available every year.
It's done, Time to move to plan B or C, something outside of filmed entertainment. The studios main goal, especially since the strikes, is the elimination of physical production. They've made it abundantly clear that they and their shareholders don't want to deal with crews, actors, shooting, sets, having to own big lots and especially Unions. They have been driving hard and investing billions to make their future office buildings, AI, CGI and the strikes made them double down. Imagine the studios profits if they can eliminate physical production and owning studio lots and plowing all of that money into AI, render farms, and digital pipelines.
Hollywood is just in its death throes and the smart money is moving elsewhere. Where? I'm not sure, most of the skillsets we have are not very adaptable to other forms of business that are expanding, unless you're in post and can adapt to AI prompt writing or IT administration. But a DP, sound mixer, gaffer? What skillsets are those people going to offer to the non-production, corporate world?
Il mio odio per gli shorts di UA-cam è aumentato dopo aver guardato questo video 😂 Comunque complimenti per la sincerità. Sono molto curioso per il documentario
Matteo, quanto ti capisco. Io vivo nel foggiano e sto facendo la fame. Combatto ogni giorno contro i social media che per 300 euro al mese fanno foto, video (di merda ovviamente) e gestiscono le pagine social. Le attività anche per video belli non vogliono sganciare soldi o se li fanno da soli. o devi lavorare ad un prezzo ridicolo, tipo 50 euro a reel. Ma non capita solo nelle piccole attività, anche in quelle grandi che fatturano un botto, vanno dai miei colleghi fotografi e gli chiedono anche i video, ovviamente consigliano me, ma loro, senza manco vedere un portfolio, gli hanno detto che "non vogliono la qualità, che non serve sui social e che possono farlo col telefono". Sta cosa del verticale mi (e ci, credo) sta uccidendo. Troppa merda a poco costo, e con la strumentazione che abbiamo, non rientreremo mai con le spese.
Eh momento duro storicamente. Economia folle, ma per qualche motivo nessuno ancora lo ammette. AI, social etc. sarà veramente dura.
@matteobertoli con i social è già dura, a meno ché non ti fai assumere da una casa di produzione avviata. Con l'IA non so, forse potremmo ricavarne un vantaggio noi. Io proverò quest'anno a buttare fuori contenuti e puntare sulla qualità se riesco, ma se vedo che non funziona, forse o sbaglio io o non è proprio cosa in sto settore. Magari trasferirsi, magari trovare altro e lasciare questo solo per hobby. Boh
Hi Matteo,
Yeah very slow but I was thinking that it is because I am in a super niche part of the cake (classical music small productions of concerts) and yeah most of my clients wants fast past Shorts réels
Insta like videos where you mostly don't need multicam but need very good audio so iphone or Osmo is still behind Schoeps and DPA there it is why they call me from time to time and even if my clients could film it themselves they need proper sound with a multi mic setup...
Yeah things are changing fast quantity over quality is really hitting everywhere...
I think you should go after big productions like TV series or movies. Don’t let IG reels “demotivate” you! 🙌🏼
@@KCineWork eh! That’s an extremely hard circle to get in and trust me. With the strikes and the streaming bubble bursting I know many top dps that are not working right now
@@matteobertoli Well then it maight be time to learn fast editing and go into social media advertising. :)
Basta che guardi quanto è drasticamente calata la qualità delle foto su riviste come National Geographic per capire qual'è l'andazzo
I actually heard someone say something that stuck with me early 2024 😢 watch what happened with the music industry, and the same will happen in the film industry thanks to Ai... I seriously dont know of anyone that is living through his music full time. Even in the us, maybe like 0.3% is making a living out of it. Also, the quality of music went down so badly, and all you here is boom boom just like these crap social media content is making us consume... the industry is sadly shifting. it's no more led by storytellers but digital marketers that are just chasing views count, numbers they can put on a power point to show their clients... before brands wanted to bring a change to your life, now brands just want to be heard and be noisier than their competition...its seriously not an industry i wanted to get in six years ago 😢 i know people who dont even how to expose well their camera and with zero lights working more than most well established people because they just spam contents on social media 😅
True!!! things have changed maybe your plan is whats next follow your heart and I think history is whats next coz A I is here man
you too
Content creators and influencers killed the industry. Everyone has a decent camera now and knows how to color grade log footage. Like Cammackey said the middle class of filmmaking is dying and its only gonna get worse. I personally know influencers who are know taking gigs from people due to their understanding of social media. Its getting real bad out here.
What camera will record all this?
@@ISAMFILM record what?
@@matteobertoli I meant what camera will you use on set?
Forse dovresti spostarti in altri stati o continenti economicamente migliori dove investono di più. L'Europa, ma soprattutto l'Italia è un paese fallito, che non investe nulla e cerca solo risparmio. Le aziende italiane fanno fare lavori anche complessi e delicati a parenti e amici col telefonino. Risultato è brevi video fatti in casa senza luci, tutti uguali agli altri (basta copiare e non spendere) poi che i loro brand non vendono non emergono, perciò senza guadagni devono risparmiare sempre di più. Questa è la cultura purtroppo di molti imprenditori in Italia, troppe aziende pensano ai social come qualcosa da riempire così tanto per far vedere qualcosa, o al web neppure sono presenti. Secondo me è un problema di zona, poi però da vedere come tu cerchi clienti abitualmente. Forse le tue strategie di marketing sono da rivedere.
@@stefanostefani4273 stessa cosa in America. La maggior parte dei miei clienti sono US e la tira la stessa aria. I clienti non li cerco dal 2019. Ho il mio giro e il mio business online.
@@matteobertoli Bene, probabilmente serve solo un pò di buona pubblicità proattiva da parte tua e qualche nuova occasione potrebbe presentarsi. In qualsiasi parte del mondo sia..
@@stefanostefani4273 siamo in una recessione globale. Il boom eterno non esiste. Sono cicli. Aspettiamo :)
man, the year just started, don't be hard on yourself!
😂 I was clearly (I hope) talking about 2024 😂 😂 😂
I think its because you dont shoot with sony 😂
@@johnnyweissmuller5838 very possible 😂
@@matteobertoli Honestly clients mostly literally hate Blackmagic. I'm talking professional production houses who want me to shoot doco or commercial work for them. Sony, Red or Arri! Love my Blackmagics though for personal or if I'm editing.
Bro, maybe stop being a UA-camr and focus on a real career. I’ve been a creative director for 23 years and I never once posted content about myself, opened a IG, YT, or any social media account to get work. I am a true creative and my art is commissioned. Simple.
And yet here you are….
Sure