In today’s age of bright lights and myriad distractions, simplicity stands out in a crowd for brands looking to connect with audiences. Savvy commercial filmmakers know the fastest way to a consumer’s heart is the honest approach. The images on screen must feel genuine and be presented in a way that allows viewers to relate and empathize.
With that in mind, the team at Filmsupply – a full-service licensing agency that provides authentic footage for filmmakers, brands, and agencies – identified standout approaches in the agency’s 2026 Commercial Filmmaking Trend Report that filmmakers and marketers can apply to their work. Here are three of the trends creatives can expect to see this year:
Keep It Stupid Cinematic
Today’s audiences are constantly bombarded with overwhelming visuals. Innovative filmmakers are counter-programming by sticking to the basics. Less can often be more in advertising, as long as the message is authentic and human. “The audience doesn't need to see your entire bag of tricks in 30 seconds,” says Filmsupply, which encourages creatives to “keep it stupid cinematic.”
Simply put, filmmakers should trust their craft and rely on simple, easy-to-read visuals rather than overcomplicating the final product. For instance, Apple leans into the noise-cancelling capabilities of its AirPods in its “Quiet the Noise” TV spot featuring a woman walking in New York City, unaffected by heavy construction and bustling streets. The message is clear: noise cancellation — without the added noise of other features or benefits.
One challenge in going against the grain is securing buy-in from clients, the report notes. Filmmakers should be upfront with their design and frame the aesthetic as intentional. The goal is to tell a story to consumers, just as they would expect in a feature-length film. “It's treating ads like short films — anchored in character, tone and emotional logic,” says Filmsupply’s Trend Report.
Cohesive Multi-Frame
The average person now owns at least three devices, according to the Digital Economy Report 2024 from the UN Trade and Development. Between phones, tablets, laptops and smart TVs, content is absorbed far differently than it used to be. Viewers are now accustomed to split screens and multi-frame visuals, and no longer struggle with visual language.
“Years of social media consumption have taught [viewers’] eyes how to scan a divided screen, pick up information from different sections, and synthesize it into a coherent whole [story],” Filmsupply’s Trend Report says.
For example, Spectrum’s “Multi-Screen: Simplify” targets advertisers by demonstrating the various ways to reach consumers through its layered ad, which has a three-dimensional quality.
Filmmakers can capitalize on viewers’ adaptability to maximize the time and space available to tell a brand’s story. A food delivery app, for instance, can leverage this technique to showcase the point of view of a restaurant, driver and hungry customer at home without cutting away from scenes.
However, this approach still requires restraint. The frames must be cohesive and not sporadic; otherwise, the viewer won’t know what to focus on, and the story is left behind.
Analog Aesthetics
Nostalgic aesthetics aren’t new tools for brands. What’s changed is that today’s coveted viewers view VHS the way older generations thought of 8mm films. RGB separation, scan lines, and glitchy tracking errors can evoke a warm, nostalgic feeling when used intentionally.
Those imperfections draw viewers back to moments they remember fondly. Associating a brand or product with such a period fosters a connection with the audience, who may then purchase the item because it draws upon positive emotions.
And as consumers cast a wary eye on content that seems too polished, intentionally adding an apparent mistake can add humanity to the brand.
“A glitchy VHS effect over footage of friends laughing doesn't just look retro — it feels like a memory being pulled from storage, complete with all the imperfections that make it feel true,” says Filmsupply’s Trend Report.
Brands that want to build lasting emotional connections will be those that embrace an authentic approach to visual storytelling. Learn more about these trends and others that Filmsupply is seeing by downloading the full, complimentary report.
