Hollywood is Dead, Long Live Hollywood — Thanks So Much Generative AI
Tyler Perry backs down from an $800m expansion and then some.
Hey y’all!
I hope the week has started off on the right foot! As one engineering professor once said in regards to progress: “You’re either moving forward or backward, but never really standing still.” I’ve never forgotten that as I’ve built my professional career (and my own personal life) and I believe it to be true.
The question is, naturally, whether we’re moving forward intentionally or by accident with the former being a far better system of progression — if you are able to manage it well. And there’s no better example of this in our technological world than generative AI and the industries that surround it (which may eventually be all of them).
The more recent news of someone pulling back is Hollywood’s own Tyler Perry, an actor and filmmaker who’s most famous for films like Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Good Deeds, Madea Goes to Jail, For Colored Girls, and A Fall from Grace. I’ll admit that I’ve only seen the first one but I’ve definitely heard of the rest.
He’s no doubt progressive and a bit unorthodox in his approach which I can appreciate a lot since Hollywood seems obsessed with rewriting successful tropes with the hope of maximizing revenue. Not surprising because technology has always seemed to challenge and transform the film industry and, like most (sub) cultures, their obsession is founded on their need for survival.
Recently Perry shared that he had halted a major studio expansion all because he’s seen, with his very own eyes, the power of generative AI:
Over the past four years, Tyler Perry had been planning an $800 million expansion of his studio in Atlanta, which would have added 12 soundstages to the 330-acre property. Now, however, those ambitions are on hold — thanks to the rapid developments he’s seeing in the realm of artificial intelligence, including OpenAI’s text-to-video model Sora, which debuted Feb. 15 and stunned observers with its cinematic video outputs.
I think a few of his more interesting quotes are also telling:
“Jobs are going to be lost.”
“I feel like everybody in the industry is running a hundred miles an hour to try and catch up, to try and put in guardrails.”
“Being told that it can do all of these things is one thing, but actually seeing the capabilities, it was mind-blowing.”
“There’s got to be some sort of regulations in order to protect us. If not, I just don’t see how we survive.”
The sense of fear and anxiety is palpable, even if you don’t live and work in this particular industry. I can’t help but think that it’s over-blown a bit because eventually and inevitably we’ve seen Hollywood adapt to the changes in technology and not only survive but thrive because of them.
Certainly some jobs may be lost but it always gives rise to new opportunities for those who aren’t as scared. Even in my own line of professional work I’ve seen my efforts as a software engineer and product designer simply shift and change toward the newer developments and even if they didn’t make sense as to where they might fit in the larger ecosystem, at first, I have learned to pause, wait patiently, and see what the industry wants and needs and how they either replace older models of how things are done or find a comfy spot next to present and existing ones.
And the most curious almost always seem to fare better and instead of shirking from the supposedly scary opportunity they lean in. Part of my efforts on this small newsletter is to simply lean in and learn as much as I can because it’s not only vital to my own career (and making money to live) but because I simply can’t help test-driving anything exciting and new.
When asked about what scares him the most, Tyler responds:
I no longer would have to travel to locations. If I wanted to be in the snow in Colorado, it’s text. If I wanted to write a scene on the moon, it’s text, and this AI can generate it like nothing. If I wanted to have two people in the living room in the mountains, I don’t have to build a set in the mountains, I don’t have to put a set on my lot. I can sit in an office and do this with a computer, which is shocking to me.
It makes me worry so much about all of the people in the business. Because as I was looking at it, I immediately started thinking of everyone in the industry who would be affected by this, including actors and grip and electric and transportation and sound and editors, and looking at this, I’m thinking this will touch every corner of our industry.
The contradictions and irony is thick with Tyler because you can tell he’s wrestling with the pros and the cons in near real-time. On one hand he’s calling for an “all hands on deck” from Hollywood and his peers to urge unions and Congress to act to protect industry workers and on the other hand he’s celebrating the utility of generative AI.
I find it all a bit too funny because the very thing that he fears is something that he’s also experienced directly as a cost-effective solution to existing paradigms and workflows. When asked about how he’s been implementing AI in his existing productions, he says:
I just used AI in two films that are going to be announced soon. That kept me out of makeup for hours. In post and on set, I was able to use this AI technology to avoid ever having to sit through hours of aging makeup.
… I think it’s going to be a major game-changer, because if you could spend a fraction of the cost to do a pilot that would’ve cost $15 [million], $20 million or even $35 million if you’re looking at HBO, of course the bottom line of those companies would be to go the route of lesser costs.
Tyler’s own personal success was built on unorthodox use of technology and challenging the status quo of how things can and should be done. Generative AI is a promise of more creative freedom and execution which is the very thing that has allowed him to be so successful.
Hollywood is dead; long live Hollywood.
※\(^o^)/※
— Summer
A few more fun links and bits:
NVIDIA’s GEAR looks very, very interesting.
GoEnhance looks fun.
Romantic chatbots could be dangerous?
Personal, wearable AI.
Tailored resumes and cover letters.
Corporate search, fast.
Suno continues to get upgraded.
Meta’s new JEPA is very fascinating.
Relationship market map for AI tools.
Have a good one folks!