Year in Focus – CineD Authors Reflect on 2024 and Share Their Filmmaking Highlights

Year in Review

by Mascha DeikovaToday

2024 is swiftly approaching its end. It’s time to throw a look back at the past year and reflect on what we liked and disliked. Following a new tradition, our CineD team of writers and filmmakers also gathered some highlights and opinions on gear that excited us the most: the industry trends, AI development, movies released, and wishes for the upcoming year. Let’s reflect on 2024 together!

If you have followed us long enough, you probably know that we—CineD authors—actively work as filmmakers and video creators across the globe. Of course, each of us has our personal experiences to share. (Consider it a disclaimer, please: everything you read below is subjective). Yet, sometimes, it’s exciting to gather reflections from different years in one overview. So please don’t hesitate to participate and chime in below in the comments!

Reflecting on 2024 gear highlights

Gear highlights are a core focus for CineD, but with the constant stream of new releases and rapid advancements in technology, the subject has grown so extensive that it warrants its own dedicated article. Oh wait, we already have one! Seasoned cinematographer and co-CEO of CineD Johnnie Behiri urges everyone to head over to our “Camera of the Year 2024” piece. There, he summarizes cameras that impressed us most throughout the past year: from higher-end solutions like Blackmagic Design Ursa Cine 12K LF to compact mirrorless ones such as FUJIFILM X-M5. (A closer look at one of our cameras of the year, the LUMIX GH7, can be found here.

Jeff Loch—French freelance director, editor, and colorist—is a Canon shooter. His 2024 highlight was the release of the Canon EOS C400. Yet he was excited even more when the EOS C80 came out. For him, it offers everything he could’ve wished for. In the review mentioned above, Johnnie calls it “the affordable full-frame 6K RAW recording one-man-band camera,” and many other CineD writers also included Canon EOS C80 in their “best gear releases of the year” list.

At the same time, Francesco Andreola, a Milan-based filmmaker and educator, singled out the Nikon Z6III. He thinks this camera testifies to the company’s commitment to producing better tools for filmmakers—a trend that started in 2021 with the introduction of the Z 9. In Francesco’s experience, Nikon still needs to address quite a few things to compete fully with other established brands. However, Nikon has already proven that with their firmware updates, Nikon cameras get better over time, giving users confidence that they’re making a secure investment.

Anamorphic lenses become mainstream

Another gear trend that Florian Milz—the creator of the CineD Databases—noticed is the rise of the anamorphic lenses with a 1.33x squeeze. Or better said, they are becoming more affordable and mainstream. Even legendary motion picture rental Panavision embraces this squeeze factor in their own Ultra Panatar line of lenses. At the same time, there is an ever-growing list of budget competitors from BLAZAR and SIRUI.

In the picture above, you see one of the SIRUI prime lenses that came out this past autumn. Did you also notice in small lettering “autofocus”? It was exactly this that was the most interesting gear highlight of 2024 for the Vienna freelance filmmaker Jakub Han. Namely, the birth of true anamorphic lenses with autofocus (first BLAZAR and then SIRUI). He thinks shooting with AF has been normalized in many fields of our industry. So, it’s great that the manufacturers of anamorphic lenses follow along and make their products even more user-oriented for different types of projects.

Further gear and software highlights

Sure enough, we can go on about the newest tech forever. 2024 was full of interesting product releases, from wireless microphones that record 32-bit float audio (like the DJI Mic 2, RØDE Wireless PRO, and Saramonic Ultra) to the astonishing ZEISS Nano Prime lenses. As the resident creator of B-Roll footage at CineD, Florian Milz believes that for product photography, these lenses hit the spot with a very pleasant look and compact form factor. He only wishes ZEISS made a 50mm Macro lens to replace the one he currently uses most.

For Dave Kratz, a freelance documentary and commercial editor and DP, the standout gear of 2024 has been the DJI Focus Pro. While he was initially excited about the original DJI LiDAR system release with the RS3, its limitations (like being restricted to mapping three lens profiles) were frustrating.

“Now that it’s an independent system, it has become the cornerstone of my camera package. After years of leaning on autofocus lenses for practicality, the Focus Pro lets me revive my collection of vintage lenses. Shooting as a solo operator, I’ve achieved incredible results that blend classic image quality with modern convenience.”

In terms of software, seasoned filmmaker and educator Heath McKnight was excited about the first major upgrade for Final Cut Pro since 2011. Version X debuted back then and has seen some pretty big upgrades since, but kept the 10.xx numbering. In 2024, we finally met the Final Cut Pro 11:

Magnetic Mask is absolutely jaw-dropping and Transcribe-to-Captions is a feature I’ve been hoping for since some competing NLEs added it.

Heath McKnight

CineD authors reflect on 2024 main industry trends

Time flies, and many things change – not only in terms of gear but also in how we work and what our clients expect of us. In my observation, the art of corporate content in 2024 has changed a lot. The market is fed up with ads and classic image films for brands, so companies look for new possibilities to get exposure. That’s why they choose to work with social media influencers, which can hand them a target audience on a silver plate. I have a feeling traditional media agencies and video production companies will soon become obsolete (unless they find new creative ways to create films, campaigns, and strategies).

At the same time, Johnnie Behiri thinks that today, more than ever before, independent filmmakers must stay flexible and open-minded. The tech advances rapidly (and becomes cheaper) while budgets shrink, so the requirements for larger crews (for instance, for filming documentaries) became completely a thing of the past.

Dave Kratz also noticed a major 2024 trend of tightening the budget across the board (especially in the documentary series he edits). As production budgets shrink, more pressure is falling on post-production to compensate. Editors are spending extra hours combing through stock footage and piecing together interviews to create stories that should have been captured in the field.

In the major movie scene, not much has changed this past year, in Heath McKnight’s opinion. But there is one particular trend that he enjoyed. We are seeing a new wave of small indie films, whether through streaming giants like Netflix or filmmakers getting their ideas financed. It reminds Heath of the 1990s indie film boom.

Let’s touch on AI and reflect on its 2024 development

Another ongoing trend we’ve been closely observing in 2024 is the further development of AI tools (in all areas of life). In terms of filmmaking, generative AI has become one of the most controversial topics, raising a lot of difficult (and reasonable) questions. However, most CineD writers are trying to stay more realistic rather than concerned. As Johnnie puts it, we hope our audience will not dismiss learning about artificial intelligence. Like any change, it is frightening yet might bring new opportunities for those who are willing to adapt. Dave Kratz also sees generative AI as a tool with incredible potential, not just a cost-cutting disruptor. Sure enough, at the moment, it feels more like paint-by-numbers, but technology evolves quickly:

For example, I recently saw a friend create an animated short with generative AI in just three hours. Imagine what could be achieved with hundreds of hours invested—this could open the door to richer, more creative storytelling. Beyond content creation, AI could revolutionize pre-production by enabling detailed storyboarding and interactive “table reads” to align creative visions before shooting even begins.

Dave Kratz

For that matter, there are already companies that develop comprehensive AI-enhanced filmmaking applications going in this direction (and we talk about them here). Give them some extra time; they might become useful tools in your pre-production kit.

On the other hand, Florian Milz has become more skeptical and conservative when it comes to current AI developments. What he understands and uses himself are LLMs (large language models) and deep-learning tools assisting us—humans—with everyday tasks. Regarding generative AI for content creation, Florian doesn’t see us getting better at things but rather lazier and less precise. This is not the direction he wants to go himself. Has our own creativity reached its peak? Are we curious about whether machines can get better at it than we can? Fair questions.

While generative AI opens many new possibilities for storytellers worldwide (and Jakub Han emphasizes that this game-changing tech enables everyone with ideas to go after their creative vision), a lot of filmmakers are afraid of losing jobs and being replaced by AI. Not Francesco Andreola, though. He believes that there is space for AI in our industry. However, it’s just a tool that cannot replace social relationships, which play an extremely important role in our job. As he puts it, people want to deal with people. “Clients, agencies, crew, actors, talents. Everybody wants to be on set, meet other human beings, and get creative. And AI will never take that away.” I agree.

Reflecting on our learnings from 2024

As with every year, 2024 was also rich in learning. We want to pass along directly some of the personal tips and insights concerning filmmaking:

• Jeff: As much as we love gear, use it. But more importantly, love the people who are working with you on set to pull out your vision together because the other way around just doesn’t work. Never forget to have fun on set and cherish the people working with you. You never know if it’s going to be your last shoot with them; life comes and goes, and you’ll have regrets if you don’t do so.

• Dave: 2024 reminded me that filmmaking is an ever-evolving art form. It’s easy to get stuck in familiar processes, but thinking outside the box and embracing new technologies can open up exciting possibilities. Staying adaptable is essential for growth as a filmmaker.

• Johnnie: Never be afraid to ask questions or stop learning. Curiosity and enthusiasm are a big key to success! Burn your fingers with lights. Experiment with different filming/lighting/audio techniques. Learn the tools you are using to get the most out of them. 

• Mascha: Never stop learning. Even if you already have massive experience and think there is nothing new you can possibly discover from courses, educational texts, or your colleagues, that’s not true. Every encounter with other creatives can bring along fresh tips and insights. In 2024, I gained a lot of mine in visual storytelling thanks to our MZed course “Cinematography for Directors.”

• Heath: As a filmmaker, this is true every year, including 2024: the biggest tip I can pass along is to always believe in yourself and your projects. Even if you fail and/or the project isn’t great, keep going and keep believing in yourself. The films, videos, etc., get better, and you stay true to yourself as an artist.

• Florian: Having onboard backup audio recordings inside of your audio transmitter is a blessing in disguise—it can really save your ass. :)

Movies and series from 2024 we enjoyed

Of all the movies and series that came out in 2024, CineD authors mentioned a few that really stood out for us.

For Dave Kratz and me, without a doubt, it was “Dune: Part Two.” Dave explains that Denis Villeneuve brought everything together—stunning visuals, sharp storytelling, and a sense of scale that’s hard to pull off. It made Dave think about how much coordination goes into a production like that and how every decision, from design to editing, plays a role in building something so immersive. Personally, I was even more impressed with the second part than with the first “Dune” (although it was already a masterpiece, in my opinion). Thought-through camera, incredible production design, music, sounds, and multi-dimensional characters all came together in this movie.

Another release, which several CineD writers enjoyed, was the sci-fi show “Fallout” by Amazon Prime Video (both visually and story-wise, adds Jakub Han). The creators perfectly caught and transmitted the vibe of the original game, adding their own creative touch and humor and making it fun to watch.

Out of other series, Florian Milz was really invested in the show “Shogun.” Although it was rather unconventional for him almost exclusively to rely on subtitles, he liked the storytelling and visuals. And for Johnnie Behiri, “Superstore” on Netflix was a great relief after a hard working day: an oldie but a goodie.

Regarding other cinema releases, Florian also highlighted “Civil War.” Especially the score/soundtrack was something that made him watch it again in a short period of time. And Heath McKnight loved “Deadpool & Wolverine.” He grew up on 1980s and 1990s Marvel Comics (particularly Iron Man) and is still a fan of the Fox and New Line Cinema Marvel movies. Thus, for Heath, it was so much fun geeking out in the theater.

What we wish for you (and for us) in the new year

All things considered, it was a good year. But as usual, we hope that the next one will be even better, and we will have some things to wish for.

In terms of AI, it would be great if humanity could find a safe and reliable regulation system. As Jakub puts it, something that would help the viewer say, “This is AI.” In general, legislation worldwide must pick up with the pace of AI development, or the consequences might be hard.

Also, we hope that 2025 will bring a renewed focus on storytelling. Johnnie notes (and we agree with him): As great as they are, filming tools are just tools. Wouldn’t it be great if some of the leading manufacturers would take a more prominent stand and help educate the next generation of filmmakers and content creators about “how to tell a story”? Dave shares his thoughts and hopes that the industry invests in creativity and pushes boundaries to create memorable and impactful stories rather than just cutting costs.

Let’s reflect on 2024 together

This article was made with immense support and help from Johnnie Behiri, Nino Leitner, Francesco Andreola, Florian Milz, Jakub Han, Dave Kratz, Jeff Loch, Heath McKnight, and others.

Make sure to read our other year-in-review pieces on software trends from 2023 to 2024, tech-spec race, camera of the year, AI development recap, and more.

On behalf of the CineD team, we wish you pleasant holidays and a Happy New Year! We hope 2025 will be a great one, full of exciting projects and inspiring stories! Thank you for staying with us and being a thoughtful, supportive, and kind community!

What about your reflections on 2024? Tell us about your year’s highlights. What trends did you notice? What gear did you enjoy most? How do you feel about AI? Which movies or series released this past year would you add to our list? What do you wish for the filmmaking industry in 2025? Let’s continue in the comments below!

Feature image source: a collage made from AI-generated images (Midjourney for CineD), gear photos from manufacturers, and film stills.