10 Upcoming Trends That Will Change Movies Forever

10. Crowdfunded Movies

Ever since Kickstarter began the crowdfunding revolution, artists working outside the studio system have used it to secure funding for their cult projects, and so far, the highest-profile titles to be bankrolled by fans are Veronica Mars (to the tune of $5.7 million), and Zach Braff's Wish I Was Here ($3.1 million). This is just the beginning, of course, and it's likely that within the next few years, crowdfunded movies will be becoming increasingly common, though to that end there's also a dangerous precedent that may be set. Studios can only ignore this method of profiteering, in which those who fund the movie are owed nothing in return (except for the movie being made) for so long, and it wouldn't at all be surprising to see larger studios launching projects on sites like Kickstarter, which really is totally against the spirit of such an idea. Even with smaller operations outside of the studio, one has to ask: shouldn't those who contribute significant amounts of money to the budget be eligible for a profit-sharing, equity program of some sort? If someone pays several thousand dollars to the production of a movie, it's not unreasonable to expect that they might be eligible for a small piece of the pie (commensurate to the % of the budget they contributed to), though it remains to be seen if, as more of these crowdfunded movies happen, that will become a consideration. Regardless of the ethics of such practices, given its success in 2014 alone, expect to see a lot more of it in the coming years.