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VISUAL CREATORS
For your artistic side.

🎥 No, Sora Isn't Democratizing Filmmaking

Is filmmaking truly getting democratized? That’s the real question as camera tech it getting cheaper than a week’s groceries.

The indie scene exploded in 2008 with the Canon 5D Mk II, letting creatives like you capture cinematic gold without losing an arm and a leg. But we didn’t stop at 4K. Now, you can shoot 8K RAW on a camera smaller than some Hollywood egos. The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4k can now be yours for €900—a far cry from the budget-crunching cameras of yore. And it’s not just about cameras. Sliders, rigs, and other gear have taken the same price plunge.

But here’s the plot twist: YouTube isn’t flooding with indie hits; it’s influencer territory.

Why? Because filmmaking isn’t just about pretty pixels—it’s weaving visuals, audio, and storytelling into something that truly moves us. It’s about creating culture, not just content.

AI’s jumping into the scene, generating lifelike footage left and right, but can it craft the next indie hit that’ll have us debating its deeper meaning over artisanal coffee? Can AI-generated video, like OpenAI’s Sora, bridge that gap? It's good at creating lifelike clips but has yet to deliver on the “artistic masterpiece” front.

So, as cameras get cheaper and tech gets crazier, let’s not lose sight of what made indie filmmaking magic in the first place: the soul of the storyteller, not just the pixels in the frame.

PRODUCTION MASTERY
The commercial aspects of creativity.

🍿 Why the Hell Does Sony Want Paramount?

What's up with Sony reportedly eyeing a buyout of Paramount Pictures? One word: Synergy. By combining Sony's profitable arms-dealer-esque film strategy with Paramount's struggling TV and streaming empire, they might have something.

Why it’s interesting: Sony sold off its streaming service, Crackle, in 2019, but as of late has become a major content supplier to Netflix through a deal with Apollo-backed Legendary Entertainment.

Context: Consolidation in Hollywood continues to be a hot topic. As recent examples like the WarnerMedia/Discovery and ViacomCBS/Comcast Sky deals show, media companies are keen on pooling resources to better compete in the streaming era.

CREATOR ECONOMY
Navigating the digital creative world.

🤖 Meta Apps Get AI Chat

Meta is integrating its powerful generative AI assistant, Meta Llama 3, into its main apps. Users can now access it through the search bar on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger.

Meta is betting on the new integration to outperform its previous A.I. attempts, like M bot, which fizzled due to low user adoption.

The Llama 3 model boasts 8 billion and 70 billion parameters, making it the “most intelligent AI assistant” available.

However, some question the demand for in-app A.I. tools and point to potential issues with the spread of digitally generated content.

🔥 Press Worthy

📽️ VISUAL CREATORS

Microsoft’s VASA AI turns still faces into talking or singing ones. No release plans yet, but deepfake worries creep in.

GoPro Hero 12 and DJI Osmo Action 4 go head-to-head in a parkour shoot, proving they're both action royalty. Similar results except for low-light: DJI is more stable while GoPro is sharper in the dark.

📈 PRODUCTION MASTERY

LA filmmaker Paul Trillo discusses his testing of OpenAI’s Sora, expressing excitement for experimental uses while noting Hollywood’s current disinterest due to Sora’s early-stage limitations; he anticipates a more efficient filmmaking process and potential for indie films to "dream a little bit bigger."

Proton Cam: World's smallest broadcast camera? 28mm square, 12-bit sensor, 1080p 60fps. Perfect for those hard-to-reach angles.

🎭 CREATOR ECONOMY

Elon teases Vine's return from the dead. Attention tactics or genuine plans? Either way, it's a spotlight shift from his other troubled ventures.

Japanese digital camera market rebounds after a decade-long slump, thanks to a 7% increase in 2023 sales.

📚 Learn & Grow

📽️ VISUAL CREATORS

• Lessons From a New York Times Photographer

• Navigating the Early Years of a Photography Career

📈 PRODUCTION MASTERY

• Strada Shows Off Their AI-Based Creative Companion at NAB 2024

• Why every beloved toy—from Monopoly to He-Man—is going to be a movie now

🎭 CREATOR ECONOMY

• Clean Creatives gets 1,000 ad agencies to pledge to divest from fossil fuels on Earth Day

• Why B2B marketers are advertising more like consumer brands to break through a crowded marketplace