Trends in Filmmaking for 2014

2013 saw a few interesting developments in cinema, along with some hits like Disney's Frozen and Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street. But what lies in store for 2014?

Here are 6 trends that we might see take off in the new year.

Digital Filmmaking: 35-mm film has been showing up less and less thanks all to advantages that digital technology provides. We can expect to see far more integrated special effects, better editing, and a clarity of image that translates well to both the big screen and the home theater.

Higher Advertising: Thanks to DVR and video on demand, it's easier for audiences to shut out advertisers in the shows and films they watch at home. Advertisers will be likely now to invest in films directly, getting in more product placement in exchange for larger studio budgets.

More Immersive Theaters: 3D films have become mainstream, so movie theaters and studios are looking for new ways to bring the audience by immersing them into the movies they're watching. One model that theaters are testing out is a combination of 4D seating and 3D sound. Moviegoers will sit in chairs that provide vibrations and rotations in time with the action onscreen, while sound is projected at them from different angles. The overall effect may prove far more captivating than putting on a pair of 3D glasses.

Even More Sequels: There are plenty of film franchises that are still in the process of putting out new installments. Marvel still has four major films to release as part of its Avengers and X-Men series, while the final Hobbit film adaptation will be due in December. In addition, they'll be sequels to recent films like How to Train Your Dragon, the remake of 21 Jump Street, and The Expendables.

More Young Adult Novel Adaptations: After the success of turning the Hunger Games book trilogy into an equally popular film franchise, studios are looking to adapt other bestselling young-adult stories for the silver screen. Titles being discussed for production include Divergent, The Maze Runner, and Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters.

New Science Fiction Material: Science fiction films have risen and fallen in popularity over the years, especially when fantasy and family-friendly works tend to have better marketing and box office success. But that hasn't stopped directors like Christopher Nolan and the Wachowski duo from putting out sci-fi material like Interstellar and Jupiter Ascending. We can also look forward to some sci-fi action movies for the spring and summer, such as a reboot of Robocop and Tom Cruise as a time-traveling soldier in Edge of Tomorrow.

Image by Ma_Co2013 on Flickr