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VISUAL CREATORS
For your artistic side.

🎬 Runway's Hollywood AI Deal Shakes Up Film!

The Story: Runway, a leading AI video tools startup, has partnered with Lionsgate to create a customized AI model leveraging the studio's extensive film and TV library. This groundbreaking collaboration aims to empower Lionsgate’s filmmakers and directors by using AI to enhance the creative process, from pre-production to post-production.

The Details:

• Lionsgate's partnership with Runway represents a pioneering effort, as it is the first time a major Hollywood studio has signed a deal with a generative AI video provider for training a customized model on its content.

• The AI model will help Lionsgate Studios enhance workflows, optimizing creative operations, particularly for action-packed films that present unique production challenges.

• Runway’s Co-founder Cristóbal Valenzuela emphasizes that this collaboration aims to augment artistic expression and give creators powerful tools to bring their stories to life.

• The partnership comes amid growing scrutiny over AI’s role in Hollywood, including recent California legislation surrounding AI digital replicas in film production.

• Runway is also considering licensing its AI models as templates, allowing individual creators the opportunity to train their own customized models, democratizing this advanced technology.

Why It Matters: This partnership between Runway and Lionsgate is a watershed moment for the film industry, illustrating how AI can transform creative processes while enhancing efficiency. As the industry grapples with the integration of AI, this collaboration serves as a blueprint for future technology-adoption strategies in entertainment. For creators and filmmakers, the capability to streamline production and spark innovative storytelling is not just advantageous — it may be essential to staying competitive in an ever-evolving landscape.

PRODUCTION MASTERY
The commercial aspects of creativity.

🎬 Netflix's Sarandos: Theaters Are So Last Year!

The Story: In a bold declaration at the Royal Television Society Convention in London, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos proclaimed that distributing big-budget films directly on streaming platforms, rather than theaters, is not only viable but essential for maximizing viewership. He argues that with the company's scale, Netflix can invest heavily in productions without the traditional need for box office returns.

The Details:

• Sarandos stated that Netflix can spend $200 million on films and forgo theatrical releases, relying on a broad viewer base for content monetization.

• He believes traditional theatrical distributions are inefficient, claiming audiences don't care about release windows or box office success.

• Netflix has shifted its focus to local authenticity in content, seeing success in U.K.-produced shows that resonate with specific audiences.

• Highlighting shifting consumer behaviors, Sarandos emphasized the importance of catering to diverse tastes, rather than adhering solely to critics’ preferences.

• The co-CEO acknowledged the lessons learned from earlier pitfalls and reaffirmed Netflix's mission to prioritize viewer engagement over traditional film industry norms.

Why It Matters: Sarandos’ comments underscore a pivotal shift in the film distribution landscape, challenging traditional theatrical models in favor of streaming-first releases. For creative professionals, especially those in filmmaking, this marks a critical moment to redefine success in the industry. As streaming becomes dominant, understanding these changes can be crucial for aligning projects that maximize viewership and profit potential while adjusting to an audience that craves immediate access over traditional cinematic experiences. This strategy might threaten existing industry structures, but it also opens up new pathways for innovative content creation that speaks to diverse populations.

CREATOR ECONOMY
Navigating the digital creative world.

⚖️ Google’s Antitrust Trial: Ad Industry on Edge

The Story: Google's ongoing antitrust trial is stirring up a storm in the ad tech world. While some view it as a groundbreaking shift in online advertising regulation, others believe it’s just noise. The real implications for Google won’t be instant; their ad tech sector, though still profitable, is not the cash cow it used to be, bringing into question its future operations.

The Details:

• Google's ad tech trial showcases internal communications revealing that their 20% commission on ad transactions is higher than industry standards, stirring scrutiny over their monopoly status.

• Industry insiders speculating that Google may need to spin off parts of its ad tech empire face a tricky landscape of competition—a possible spin-off could boost competition but could also reinforce Google’s core revenue models.

• As the trial unfolds, Google executives’ past admissions about pricing pressures and the viability of their fee structure are being scrutinized, revealing their awareness of competition yet a lack of significant action.

• Declining revenues from Google’s Network division, running at $28.2 billion in 2023 compared to $31.7 billion in 2021, underline the changing dynamics in digital advertising.

• The trial could potentially reshape the ad tech landscape, opening avenues for greater market competition, even if Google’s core business remains relatively unscathed in the short term.

Why It Matters: This trial is pivotal for the ad industry, potentially resetting the dynamics of power and profitability in a space dominated by Google. For creative professionals, the outcomes could translate to a more balanced playing field, allowing for innovation and competition that enhances marketing capabilities. If Google is forced to lighten its control over the ad marketplace, it could allow a wider range of voices to emerge, which is crucial in a creative landscape often overshadowed by a few dominant players. Keep an eye on this trial—it could redefine the creativity in digital marketing.

🔥 Press Worthy

📽️ VISUAL CREATORS

DxO has just unveiled PhotoLab 8, bringing revolutionary features like DeepPRIME XD2s for superior noise reduction and new Hue Masks for precise adjustments. With enhancements like a live preview magnifier and an improved Tone Curve tool, photographers can achieve unparalleled editing precision.

Panasonic launched three new cameras at IBC 2024, perfect for live events and streaming. The AW-UB50 and AW-UB10 offer dual ISO, 4K quality, and AI tracking, while the UCX100 features 4K broadcast capabilities. Pricing updates arrive later, with availability set for late 2024.

📈 PRODUCTION MASTERY

The Google ad tech antitrust trial reveals publisher struggles against Google's dominance in the ad server market, which boasts a staggering 90% share. Publishers are hopeful that scrutiny from the DOJ could reshape the landscape, enabling fairer competition and less reliance on Google’s monopolistic practices.

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan defended Google's practices during an antitrust trial, arguing that product innovation, not monopoly tactics, drives their success. The U.S. DOJ claims otherwise, pushing to break up Google’s ad empire, sparking an intense legal battle for dominance.

🎭 CREATOR ECONOMY

Snapchat is embracing its inner TikTok! With a fresh redesign, the app highlights short-form videos, streamlining user interaction into three tabs. The revamped Spotlight feature aims to boost engagement for creators and advertisers alike, minimizing distractions while maximizing viewership.

Snapchat is gearing up to launch a text-to-video creation tool, enabling users to generate clips from prompts like “rubber duck floating.” Set for beta release soon, this feature aims to enhance Snap's creative offerings. The tool promises a fresh take on video creation amid growing AI competition.

📚 Learn & Grow

📽️ VISUAL CREATORS

• Women Artists Take Over Tate Britain

• Can the Blackmagic 6K FF Work for Photographers?

📈 PRODUCTION MASTERY

• MrBeast’s leaked production guide is a reminder that YouTube’s top creator does things his own way

• Inside Shōgun’s Emmy Award-Winning Cinematography

🎭 CREATOR ECONOMY

• Warning: social media videos could be exploited by scammers to clone voices

• Embracing Imperfections in Marketing: How to Embrace Flaws Using the Pratfall Effect