SXSW 2023 Trends & Takeaways

Earlier this month, our CUBE™ CEO and Co-Founder, James Hakesley, touched down in Austin, Texas for the return of the annual SXSW Conference and Festivals.

With a packed agenda of featured sessions, music and comedy showcases, film screenings, exhibitions, professional development, and a variety of networking opportunities, SXSW 2023 welcomed us with more topics than ever before.

For a business like CUBE™, working across video, animation and immersive content, our highlights from SXSW 2023 included:

• Virtual production
• Artificial intelligence
• Immersive audio-visual experience

It was brilliant to see virtual production high on the agenda, with directors, producers and studios gathering together to discuss how virtual production is pushing boundaries across not only film and TV, but advertising too.

A clear theme throughout the show was sustainability, as we explored how virtual production can minimise time and expenses and reduce carbon footprint, prompting production teams to rethink their approach.

Our CEO, James, enjoyed a trip out to connect with Austin-based virtual production studio, Stray Vista Studios, part of Vū’s global studio network, to view their impressive set-up, featuring J-shaped volume and ceiling.

The buzzword this year across tracks was AI, with creators, writers, production companies and producers discussing how AI can be utilised to empower parts of their processes.

A standout from this year’s show was OpenAI’s Co-Founder and President, Greg Brockman, speaking to Laurie Segal of Dot Dot Dot Media about artificial intelligence and this new era of innovation.

Greg discussed how AI can be considered to improve ideas, services and user experience and what it means to be a human in a world of artificial intelligence, with Segal’s initial questions for the session written using creative tool, ChatGPT.

The SXSW Film and TV Festival rolled out the red carpet with a host of world premieres, keynotes and meet-ups.

Highlights included opening night film, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Eva Longoria’s Flamin’ Hot and Jake Johnson’s Self Reliance, as well as just some of our favourites, Cora Bora, Late Night and American Born Chinese.

It was great to see a selection of films and shorts utilising virtual production, including Molli and Max in the Future; a sci-fi romantic comedy which uses a combination of visual effects and cutting edge technology to create a universe like no other.

Perhaps best known for its display of musical talent, SXSW is a showcase of new, developing and established artists across all genres, from local to international acts.

Curated by SXSW in collaboration with record labels, management, festivals and more, SXSW 2023 treated us to a diverse lineup, from legendary performers to the most exciting new talent.

Our highlight had to be Max Cooper’s immersive DJ set at the BME (British Music Embassy). Max engaged his audience in an electronic music and immersive audio-visual experience, using digital media and projection techniques.

A great opportunity to learn, discover and explore, we left SXSW 2023 feeling inspired, connected and already looking forward to next year's show.