Every creative knows that when you’re not creating, you have to be learning. The industry of film and video production is one that moves at lightning speed and the only way to stay ahead is to stay informed, curious and well researched. You can get a lot from Google, but getting out into the world with peers and idols is the best way to learn.
While we spend a lot of time filming content at and for conferences and events, conference going is our favourite part of business development. It’s a great way to meet people in your industry, compare experiences and build networks. The educational component of conferences is beyond valuable and the keynotes often inspire us and remind us why we do what we do.
Here are 7 Film and Video Conferences we’re looking into for 2020.
We wrote this blog post around this time last year. Here’s youe 2020 update.
1. Prime Time
When: January 2020
Where: Ottawa, Ontario
With 25 years under its belt, the Prime Time Conference has evolved into a necessary event for leaders working in media production, broadcasting, television, and feature film in Canada. Hosted by the Canadian Media Producers Association, this 3 day event is the THE place to network with the country’s top producers, funders and c-suite broadcast and distribution executives. Speakers include top talent from Shaftesbury, Netflix, YouTube and the CBC, this event serves well beyond its money’s worth in education and insight.
The two-day conference is packed with live music performances, keynote speakers and breakout sessions. Keynotes in the past include Franklin Leonard of The Black List and VFX master Rob Legato.
If you’ve still got any energy after the jam-packed 12-hour daily program, the conference’s host city Fort Worth offers a great variety of restaurants, bars and museums.
For our experience at Music + Film, you can read this blog post.
2. ProFusion Expo
When: November 2020
Where: Toronto, Ontario
If reading the tech specs on a new camera release gets you going, you’ll definitely want to check out ProFusion Expo. The two-day event, sponsored by Vistek and held every November in downtown Toronto, brings together the biggest brands in film, video production and photography.
ProFusion is a great place to window shop the latest gear, try out newly released products, and watch demos from top brands and industry professionals.
For those who are already in the market for a particular piece of gear, it’s worth heading down just to checkout the sales. Vistek offers event –only deals on everything from lenses to lighting to audio equipment.
Admission to event is free, but if you’re anything like us you probably won’t leave without shelling a bit of cash on the sales floor.
3. VidCon
When: June 17 – 20th 2020
Where: Anaheim, California
Now in its 11th year, VidCon is the holy grail of YouTube content conferences. Attended mostly by YouTubers and their fans, this event is a great place to get insight into the ever-evolving industry of streaming videos. The conference has three main tracks: creator, industry and community. Creator sessions focus on developing a voice, managing personal brands and growing audience and reach.
The industry track is geared more towards media company executives, marketers and brand strategists, producers and business owners. The sessions teach professionals how to use YouTube as an effect element of their business strategy and how to work with and manage influencers. The final track is all about the fans. Attendees get access to meet and greets with the world’s biggest YouTubers, collect swag and, if they’re lucky, have their questions answered by the creators they adore.
What’s more, this conference is said to host some epic parties.
4. AdobeMAX
When: October 19- 21, 2020
Where: Los Angeles, California
Adobe’s annual “creativity conference” truly has something for everyone. While it does serve as a stage to announce new Adobe products and updates (as well as some futuristic tech developments), its primary goal is education. The three-day conference is host to over 300 educational sessions across many creative disciplines. Graphic, web & UX designers, illustrators, photographers and video professionals flock here to learn from experts, try out workshops and take part in amazing networking opportunities.
AdobeMAX is well known for its high-profile keynote speakers. Last year’s conference lineup included prolific director M Night Shayamalan, music sensation Billie Ellish and world renowned artist Takashi Murakami.
Its workshops range from sessions with industry leaders to hands-on creative sessions where artists can get their hands dirty.
Psst. Adobe is quietly offering $500USD off your ticket through a pre-registration portal that’s open until April 30th.
5. NAB Show
When: April 2020
Where: Las Vegas, Nevada
The annual NAB show is the grandfather of content conferences. Held by the National Association of Broadcasters, the 2020 show will be the 29th of the event’s history. A lot has changed in the industry since the first NAB show in 1991, and the organization has done a great job at adapting and rising to the challenge of an ever-evolving industry.
Today, it brings together professionals and students from across the spectrum including advertising, post-production, broadcast, digital and streaming, VR, cyber security, podcasting, radio…the list goes on.
Each year over 100,000 people attend from around the world to take part in this six day conference. Over 1,700 exhibitors fill the floor, giving demonstrations on cutting edge new technology and the hundreds of educational sessions provide visitors with up close and personal opportunities to learn from top industry leaders. These sessions are broken up by industry or topic series so attendees can focus their experience on what interests them most.
6. SXSW
When: March 13 -20, 2020
Where: Austin, Texas
What started as a niche music festival has ballooned into one of the world’s largest celebrations of all things creative. If it’s trending, you’ll find it at SXSW. The covers over 20 streams ranging from filmmaking and music marketing to block chain and cannabusiness.
The weeklong conference blocks out specific days for specific streams, so you don’t need to commit to the full shebang to get what you want out of it. Events for overlapping industries, like technology industry and film industry for example, usually take place on the same dates, so you don’t have to narrow focus your time to your primary interest.
Hot topics for this year’s conference include the “Doc and Genre Films Booming at the Box Office”, “Job Design and the Future of Work” and “The Value of Human Touch in Music Curation”.
7. Terminus
When: June 2020
Where: Atlanta, Georgia
A lesser known conference, Terminus is geared towards emerging creators in the film, gaming and interactive fields. The goal of this conference is to provide creators with the skills they need to stay on the cutting edge of new media forms while supporting themselves creating the content they love.
The two-day conference boasts over 45 diverse workshops and industry leaders from companies like Adobe, Cartoon Network, NoFilmSchool, UbiSoft and Marvel.
This conference is an interesting choice for those interested in VR and augmented reality and its intersections with film.
Did we miss anything that you’re particularly pumped for? We’d love to hear what other events filmmakers are getting excited about. Drop us a line in the comments.
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