The Insight
Percipient thought-pieces and opinions from some
of
the world’s most respected industry leaders.
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As this year's Fireflies cyclists prepare for the arduous ride into Cannes, Amy Coomber, Chief Creative Production Officer at Neverland, reflects on her inaugural ride in 2025 and the lessons she learned about ambition, resilience and teamwork
From viral moments to meaningful action: What brands miss after a spike
After a newsworthy moment or social media blow-up, quick, effective and creative responses are some brands' bread and butter. But, says Kim Martin, Executive Creative Director at Flourish, those same brands' customer relationship management approach doesn't always match up.
Will AI rescue advertising creativity?
A recent article by Andrew Lang about the potential threat to filmmakers from AI caught director Andy Lambert's attention. Some elements he agreed with, but others he felt less sure about. Here, he explains why he believes AI has the potential to herald a creative renaissance in advertising.
Gaming the system; Advertising's state of play
Advertising is famously a long-hours culture, where the work is king. But behind the work, the creativity, inspiration, innovation and improvisation necessary to achieve best-in-class results depends on the impish, unruly spirit of play.
The future is here, and it's human
Talk of AI and its impact on the industry often centres around filmmakers but, asks director Andrew Lang, what about audiences? If, now, "the cost of producing empty spectacle is zero", does that spectacle itself become worthless? Lang believes that filmmakers must look at what AI can do, then do the opposite.
Real-time filmmaking is coming… most won’t survive it
Artificial intelligence is here, and it will fundamentally alter filmmaking. But, says The Moon Unit, AI's democratisation of the industry is a fallacy, because as the jigsaw of real-time filmmaking edges closer to completion, it will be the select few with access to the knowledge, rather than the masses with access to the tech, who will come out on top.
From framework to fame: Four ways to build voice that works
What a brand says is important, but so too is who says it, and how. Kim Aspeling, Lead Voice Specialist at MassiveMusic, looks at the ways in which brands get their messages across, who delivers those messages, and why voice is so important.
Two stops over: Craft, silence and the leadership no curriculum teaches
Manuel Nogueira, photographer, filmmaker and Chief Executive Officer of Matter + Energy, has shot for publications including Vogue, Elle and Nowness. As the company's CEO, he believes craft has taught him much more about leadership than any business school ever could.
How the search for new talent has changed over three decades
As the deadline for 2026's shots-supported Young Director Award approaches this week, we speak to some of the event's main sponsors, each of whom sits at the head of a successful production company, about why the search for new talent has changed, but how the goal has remained the same.