Written by Kianna Best on Dec 10, 2024. Posted in Awards and Festivals

FOCUS 2024 kicks off with a booming start

It’s that time again! FOCUS London 2024 is back at the Business Design Centre for their two day event of networking, poignant panel discussions led by the top voices of the screen industry, and the gathering of thousands of professionals ready to make connections and make things happen. With, over 280 exhibitors and more than 200 speakers, the London trade event is bigger than ever.

 

 

Kicking off day one, the next generation of screen professionals are front and centre of the conversation, as Sarah Beeny, tv presenter, and now founder and director of Stokeford Studios chats with presenter and producer Jason Solomons. In the new landscape of the industry,  the youth are reshaping what creativity looks like for them.

 

Through this new wave, traditional moulds are being broken apart and away from the conventional hubs of greater London. With the construction of new spaces such as west country based Stokeford Studios, plus many more, as well as training opportunities to support, new hubs from Manchester to Cardiff and all around are bursting with the innovation to redefine and expand British storytelling.

 

 

The next generation are a key factor to many of the conversations to be had at FOCUS, especially as the anticipated 2025 landscape looms around the corner. As industries continue to converge, expert opinions are of the highest value as knowledge continues to cross over from film to gaming, advertising to television, and everything in between.

 

When it comes to tapping into this new generation audiences, no one does authenticity quite like the most viral content creators of today, from the chaotic and captivating activities of the Sidemen to the beauty force that is Monet McMichael. In the over saturated social of world of platforms such as TikTok ad YouTube, understanding your audience is how these talents make it above the rest, and they are sharing some of that expertise in the more traditional world of film-making. Film London’s Jordan McGarry sat in conversation with Academy Films head of development Jennifer Byrne and Dimz Inc senior creative Liv West, exploring the conventional voice of the screen sector are merging with new format opportunities.

 

 

Evolving with the growing attendance, the show floor is bigger than ever, forgoing the usual main stage and expanding exhibitor presence, including first time stand holders Kazakhstan and Barbados. Panels have also seen significant increase in numbers this year, with the theatres and presentation corners bursting at the seams with delegates eager to catch a listen of the informative topics. This year, talks are coming in all forms, including the new TED style In Brief sessions, starting off top tips on shaping a better industry.

 

Technology is at the forefront of many a conversation of the industry, and FOCUS are on the ball with the programme covering everything from AI to VFX, location scouting software to the latest in smart fuel consumption. With Gladiator II hot off the press, a cross-border filming and VFX case study took a journey behind Ridley Scott’s return to the Colosseum.

 

British Film Commission chief executive Adrian Wooton OBE chairs the conversation between Aidan Elliott (executive producer) and Christian McWilliams (supervising location manager) and Louise Hussey (executive vfx producer, Industrial Light and Magic London) as they discuss working on location in Malta, Morocco and the UK, working on post and vfx in the latter, and other cross border collaborative experiences.

 

 

Don’t miss out on this year’s activities and register HERE for your complimentary delegate pass.