🎥 Netflix Focuses on Low-Budget Filmmaking

Netflix's indie film push🎥; Apple's deepfake defense🍏; Curio’s AI paperboy delivers news🗞️.

Created by the people at Beazy.

Welcome, creative friends!

Netflix is ditching giant blockbusters and focusing on low-budget filmmaking. This might finally your indie film’s time to shine!

Before we get started - some exciting news!
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In today's rundown

VISUAL CREATORS
For your artistic side.

Netflix's new film chief, Dan Lin, who joined last month is restructuring the company's film department and moving away from high-budget projects that haven't resonated with audiences.

The change comes after the rather negative reception of "Spenser Confidential", which starred Mark Wahlberg and reportedly cost Netflix a cool $30 million and scored a 36% on Rotten Tomatoes.

In their place, Lin wants to invest in a larger slate of lower-cost films and has already scrapped upfront paychecks for actors. Lin has already started making cuts, laying off nearly a dozen top film execs and looking to create a more diverse lineup of movies that can be made for less.

The move could open doors for indie filmmakers looking to get their projects in front of Netflix's 200 million subscribers, since Netflix seems more open to a wider range of content without requiring a big-name star attached.

PRODUCTION MASTERY
The commercial aspects of creativity.

Apple has removed three AI image-generation apps from its App Store that 404 Media showed were being used to create non-consensual nude images, or deepfakes.

The apps passed under Apple’s radar during the initial review process, as they were described as “art generation” apps.

The apps weren't explicitly marketed as adult-content creators, but rather as art generation tools, making them difficult to catch during Apple's screening process. The investigation also revealed that Meta's ad quality has been "exceptionally bad" with regard to sexually explicit content.

Just linking to the apps in question wasn't enough for Apple to take action, prompting 404 Media to publish its investigation before the company removed the apps.

CREATOR ECONOMY
Navigating the digital creative world.

Rio, a new AI news app, is aiming to be your digital news buddy. The app, built by the team behind audio journalism startup Curio, offers a curated news briefing featuring trusted sources like Bloomberg and The Washington Post.

It’s like an Instagram Story for news, letting you tap through headlines to either read or listen to the full articles. The AI won’t fabricate news, and it even encourages users to explore multiple perspectives.

Curio’s cofounders are betting on AI’s potential to help people navigate the media landscape without getting stuck in an echo chamber.

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Talent:
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(Photographer)

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🔥 Press Worthy

📽️ VISUAL CREATORS

The US government may ban DJI drones over espionage fears, grounding the popular Chinese-made aircraft nationwide.

Canon’s new patent hints at a tilting camera sensor, potentially unlocking creative tilt effects for any lens. Fingers crossed for a future zoom-tilt combo!

📈 PRODUCTION MASTERY

Tamron's Q1 profits hit a high note as the lens market sings a double-digit growth tune, but it's Asia, not the West, leading the sales score.

Sony World Photo Awards winner Boris Elgadsen is selling his AI-generated piece, 'The Electrician', for a shocking $21.5k.

🎭 CREATOR ECONOMY

Rabbit’s R1, a $199 AI assistant, duplicates smartphone functions and proves more of a novelty item than a game-changer, raising eyebrows in the tech world.

Meta is offering creators up to $5K to promote on Threads, trying to juice its slow-growing messaging app.

📚 Learn & Grow

📽️ VISUAL CREATORS

📈 PRODUCTION MASTERY

🎭 CREATOR ECONOMY

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