1) What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2018 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

2) What work (advertising or entertainment)—your own or others—struck a responsive chord with you and/or was the most effective strategically and/or creatively? Does any work stand out to you in terms of meshing advertising and entertainment?

3) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2018 and beyond.

4) What do recent honors on the awards show circuit (Cannes Lions, AICP Show/Next Awards, AICE winners or Emmy nominations) tell us in terms of creative and/or strategic themes and trends in the industry at large?

5) What new technology, equipment or software will you be investing in later this year or next year for your company or yourself personally, and why? Or, tell us about what new technology investment you’ve made this year and why it was a good decision—or not?

6) What efforts are you making to increase diversity and inclusion in terms of women and ethnic minority filmmakers? How do you go about mentoring new talent?

Christine Lane
SVP Executive Producer - Innovation
McCann NY

1) It’s inspiring to see more purpose and authenticity in work and for these campaigns to be celebrated beyond the context of cause marketing. I expect living and communicating a brand’s values in every piece of work will become the norm rather than the one-off and content that documents what a brand is doing will be on the rise.

2) I thought the “Live Looper” music video by The Academic was brilliant. To use a quirk in a new technology to make content more interesting as it progresses was so clever and the teams executed it perfectly.

3) I’m biased here, but I predict (read: hope) that business will continue to push beyond the mediums we’re used to seeing in advertising. Who knew that a bus, a sculpture, and an astronaut helmet could communicate a message so perfectly? I think the mediums we use to engage audiences will continue to grow and I’m thrilled to be someone who gets to figure out how to do this.

4) See answer to first question.

5) Forget Tesla, if I had money to burn, I’d go for a BlackFly or Kitty Hawk as soon as they became available. It’s mind boggling to me that advances in autonomous cars are happening in parallel to flying cars. And to think, my dad made me drive stick because it would be “useful in the future.”

6) It’s all about finding the right people who are inquisitive, dedicated, and creative. It’s easy to teach mechanics but you can’t teach character. When mentoring new talent, I find it’s most important to be their support system. The best talent will reach and grow if you give them the space and let them know you’re there to support them along the way.

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