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VISUAL CREATORS
For your artistic side.

🎞️ The Simulated Grain Rabbit Hole

Remember when adding film grain to digital photos was a niche editing trick? Well, it's now a viral trick everyone and their momma has tried.

But let's rewind: film grain isn't just a filter, it's the organic stuff of analog images. Think of it as Mother Nature's pixel art, with each speck of grain telling a story. And if you're going for that authentic flicker of nostalgia, don't stop at the grain—add a layer of paper texture for that true print photography vibe.

Oh, and did we mention colored grain? It's the latest hipster badge of honor, adding hues and file sizes that'll make social media algorithms scratch their heads.

To get your grain game on, Lightroom's your quick fix with control, but if you're a pixel pusher, Photoshop's still the playground for overlays and blend modes. Looking for an all-in-one? Dehancer’s your go-to for that filmic finesse.

Just remember, it’s not about slapping on grain; it’s about crafting the right imperfections, a dance of light, color, and texture that breathes analog life into the digital age.

So go ahead, add a little grain—it won't bite, and it might just give your next shot that timeless touch.

PRODUCTION MASTERY
The commercial aspects of creativity.

🎥 Under Armour's AI Ad Backfires

Under Armour released a new ad claiming it as the “first AI-powered sports commercial” — and promptly got called out by creatives on Instagram for allegedly ripping off other artists’ work.

Director Wes Walker posted the spot, which features a mix of live action, 3D models, and more, but it looks like a reshoot of a film by director Gustav Johansson from two years ago.

After some prodding from Johansson, Walker added credits to the original creators.

The spat highlights a broader issue in the creator community around brands capitalizing on the excitement around AI and not giving credit where it’s due.

CREATOR ECONOMY
Navigating the digital creative world.

💼 The Creator Economy’s Dark Side

The ‘creator economy’ may not be the utopia it’s touted as, according to a panel at this year’s SXSW.

Jack Coyne of Public Opinion Nyc and Track Star, Severin Matusek of Co-Matter, and Angelique Temple of WeTransfer discussed how platforms like TikTok and others aren’t the creator-run paradises they seem.
Instead, creators are often “at the mercy of the platform and the algorithm,” Coyne said, leading to a lack of democracy in the so-called ‘creator economy.’

Matusek was critical of the model as well, saying it’s “not what platforms say it is.”

So, what’s the solution? Transparency, diversification, and, potentially, unionization were floated as ideas. It’s clear, though, that the current model isn’t as sunny as it seems.

🔥 Press Worthy

📽️ VISUAL CREATORS

Fujifilm's new Instax Mini 99 has LEDs for light leaks & flares, adjustable exposure, and lets you do double exposures. It's a polaroid on steroids.

Sony Future Filmmaker Awards names an A-list panel including Justin Chadwick, Rob Hardy, and Sony Pictures Classics' Michael Barker and Tom Bernard.

📈 PRODUCTION MASTERY

OpenAI's CTO evades copyright questions on its training data, mirrors previous AI image generator controversies. Yep, the generative visual AI scene is still a copyright gray area.

Global Objects uses Blackmagic’s URSA Mini Pro 12K to create digital twins of Mystic Seaport for a FOX project featuring Rob Lowe. Virtual production’s flexibility steals the show.

🎭 CREATOR ECONOMY

Anime becomes a key marketing tool for brands looking to engage with Gen Z, with McDonald’s running a successful anime-inspired campaign.

The House passes a bill to ban TikTok unless its Chinese owner, ByteDance, sells its U.S. operations over national security concerns.

📚 Learn & Grow

📽️ VISUAL CREATORS

• How to Take Photos at Protests Safely-and Responsibly

• Three Ways to Start Writing Collaboratively with A.I. Today

📈 PRODUCTION MASTERY

• 10 Directing Lessons Inspired by Yorgos Lanthimos

• Two-Thirds of Adults Would Rather Wait to Watch Movies on Streaming

🎭 CREATOR ECONOMY

• BeReal is Struggling to Add Users, Running Out of Funding

• CIA Used Chinese Social Media In Covert Influence Operation Against Xi Jinping's Government