Hollywood Is Losing The War For Attention
Young serious addicted to technology mixed race people sitting on couch in row, ignoring each other, ... More using applications in smartphones, surfing websites, typing messages, scrolling social networks.
For a century, Hollywood operated on scarcity. There were limited screens, finite channels, and a well-grooved pipeline for finding, funding, and distributing content. Today's media economy is governed by abundance. Platforms operate as responsive ecosystems, delivering infinite content tailored by real-time feedback to the tastes of the user. Author, investor and former Amazon executive Matthew Ball suggests in his book The Metaverse, Building The Spatial Internet that creative work is no longer fixed from launch but instead tuned by user feedback.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 04: MrBeast accepts the Favorite Male Creator award onstage during ... More the 2023 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards at Microsoft Theater on March 04, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo byfor Nickelodeon)
Social media advertising revenue surpassed tv and cable television in time spent in 2022. For Gen Z that happened in 2020. The creator economy makes this shift visible. There are no gatekeepers. The algorithm shows your content to others if others like your content. According to Forbes, the top 50 social media creators earned more than $700 million in 2024.
Synthetic content now appears in two distinct forms. The first is human-driven: creators use AI tools to accelerate production or enhance quality and lower costs. Studios like Holywater and Fable are already producing shows this way. 'We start with the audience, then generate and evolve the content with them,' said Holywater founder Bogdan Nesvit. 'The next stage of content will be generated by AI, not just recommended by it.' Said Dean Takahashi of GamesBeat in an interview. 'TikTok's AI algorithms will create content, instead of curating it.'
DANA POINT, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: David Baszucki, CEO of Roblox speaks onstage during Vox ... More Media's 2023 Code Conference at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel on September 26, 2023 in Dana Point, California. (Photo byfor Vox Media)
FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™
Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase
Pinpoint By Linkedin
Guess The Category
Queens By Linkedin
Crown Each Region
Crossclimb By Linkedin
Unlock A Trivia Ladder
Nowhere is this transformation clearer than in persistent game worlds we used to call The Metaverse. Roblox. (380 million monthly users), Fortnite (250 million), and Minecraft (226 million) are social spaces that feature games and entertainment made by other users. Roblox revenue exceeded $3.60 billion in 2024, marking a 28.7% increase from the previous year. CEO David Baszucki envisions Roblox as the central hub for shared experiences that connect billions of users worldwide. Investors love this story. The stock has tripled this year, surpassing the market cap of Warner/Discovery.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 02: Twitch Streamer SOMMERSET takes on Marriott Bonvoy Land in ... More Livestream Event at The Westin New York Grand Central with special guest BROOKLYN BECKHAM on November 02, 2023 in New York City. (Photo byfor Marriott Bonvoy)
Hollywood, entertainment media, and many other industries have already been buffeted by the cultural changes wrought by technology, but we've not seen anything as disruptive as AI since the arrival of the web browser in 1993. Audience erosion has been happening for decades but AI is going to put a rocket under it. On the plus side, AI will fix the problem of skyrocketing production costs, leading to a new 'golden age' of filmmaking. Profits will return. Creatives will no longer be shackled by scarcity. There would be a parade except for the empty offices.
a scorched field after a battle with a shell from a machine gun. field with small sprouts of plants. ... More War concept
Sophocles said "there is no great gift from the gods that does not come with a curse." AI saves the entertainment business, but it's a job killer. And lower cost is not a sustainable advantage in a war with an algorithm, whose marginal cost is zero. Human made stories are never going away but when the war is over, they may not account for much of our attention.
This is the second in a series of stories that began with AI And Hollywood's Next Golden Age. There's much more to explore. In the coming weeks, I'll publish a series of follow-up essays examining what this disruption could mean for Hollywood, gaming, big tech, and pop culture.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
10 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
We have seen better days, San Francisco
It's the midpoint of a long, cold summer, and San Franciscans are restless. San Francisco seems to have lost its edge. Now is the summer of our discontent, as Shakespeare might say. If Shakespeare were here, he'd be worried, too. The arts are in trouble, community theaters have lost their audiences, museums are closing or cutting staff, the Opera is having problems, and Esa-Pekka Salonen has left the S.F. Symphony. Even the venerable Mountain Play skipped a season on Mount Tamalpais this year for the first time in 80 years. The audience wasn't there. San Francisco's formally fabled nightlife has gone dark. The gloom is widespread: D'Arcy Drollinger, the city's Drag Laureate, plans to close Oasis, a fabled drag club. 'We've been struggling, like a lot of other venues,' he said. 'Our margins are razor-thin.' Ben Bleiman reopened Harrington's, an old school bar in the Financial District, on the theory that the city was on the rebound. 'The fact that we are breaking even is a miracle,' he said. He should know. He's the president of the city's entertainment commission. The main question now is to find someone, or some group, to blame for this situation. The current thinking is that it's the young people — Gen Z, those born starting in 1997 and mostly in their 20s now. They drink tap water and Red Bull instead of craft beer and martinis, according to experts. Or maybe it's Gen X who are to blame for ruining things. Or the millennials, born after 1980, the children of Baby Boomers. They are old enough now to know better. One thing is clear: San Francisco is not what it was. It's those new people. They don't understand. My father used to talk that way, too. He used to say San Francisco was a lot better years ago — it was a golden age, he said. It was only later that I realized it wasn't a golden age for San Francisco so much as it was a golden age for him. It was like what they said about Lefty O'Doul: He was here at a good time, and he had a good time when he was here. You don't know Lefty O'Doul? You must be new in town. I was thinking of those times one day last week when I rode the 1-California bus from an appointment out in the Richmond heading downtown. Through the Western Addition, down California Street, switched to Sacramento Street, over Nob Hill, through Chinatown to Portsmouth Square, through the oldest part of the city. It was remarkably unchanged; the buildings looked the same, and the city had that hard-to-define San Francisco feel, as if something interesting might happen at any time. The city is full of high tech and AI is next, but on Kearny Street near Sacramento, two women were making dumplings by hand in a restaurant window. Enough of the familiar San Francisco. I thought. So I headed south, south of Market, south of the ballpark, to Mission Bay. It's a new city down there, all square glass buildings, not a breath of the old city. I am reminded again of the story Herb Caen told about the San Franciscan who died and went to heaven. 'It's nice,' he said. 'But it's not San Francisco.' I had lunch at Thrive City and watched a lunch hour exercise class, men and women stretching, bending, reaching for the sky outdoors in the plaza. Not the graceful tai chi programs you see at Washington Square in North Beach. Something new. Crowds of people, much younger than the usual city crowd, streamed by. The area around Chase Center is full of new restaurants, new parks and new people. Only a few years ago, this area on the edge of the bay was derelict, like the seacoast of nowhere — the railroad yard was empty, the ships had sailed, and weeds grew wild. A few remnants remain, including a dock where barges carrying freight cars tied up, like an artifact from the industrial past. Next to that is the clubhouse of the Bay View Boat Club, where salty San Franciscans come to drink beer and tell stories about the good times. Lady Gaga played Chase Center that night. A sold-out crowd. She had a show people wanted to see. Maybe all is not lost. So maybe this is the future of San Francisco, a mix of an older city and the new one. All glass and clean living mixed in with the city and a lifestyle we all came to admire. That's the way of cities: Tastes change. The best of the past survives, but something better usually comes along. Old-timers remember the scent of roasting coffee on the Embarcadero, but Hills Bros. could not compete with Starbucks. Maybe Gen Alpha — the only generation to live entirely in the 21st century — will adopt the philosophy of Marine Gen. O.P. Smith, a graduate of UC Berkeley. When asked whether his troops were retreating, he said: 'Retreat, hell! We're just attacking in another direction.'
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
'Makeup meal prep' hack goes viral on TikTok: 'I'm influenced'
Her beauty hack is no longer under wraps. UK-based makeup influencer Sam Begum is dividing the Internet with her head-scratching yet speedy makeup routine: a full face of cosmetics applied to a piece of plastic wrap at night, then slapped on her face in the morning. Videos of her technique have racked up nearly 10 million views on TikTok in recent weeks. Advertisement Sam Begum's TikTok videos showing the puzzling technique have wracked up nearly 10 million views in recent weeks. sxmiabegum/ TikTok Begum, 23, starts by sticking a clean piece of plastic to her naked face, then applies foundation, concealer, blush and bronzer onto the film, then sets it aside. The next morning, she finishes the routine by reversing the plastic and placing the side with the cosmetics on her face. Advertisement The warpaint initially appears blotchy and out of whack, until Begum uses a puffy makeup brush to blend it in and applies setting powder over the top. A lip gloss pulls it all together — all while Begum walks out of her apartment building. @sxmiabegum anything for an extra 20 mins in bed🫶🏽 @Lancôme foundation @Saie blush @Diorbeauty stick contour @Huda Beauty lip oil ♬ original sound – Mell ❤︎︎ 'Girl mathing 20 more minutes in bed,' reads the caption of one of her videos showing the technique, which has amassed over seven million views since it was posted June 30. Advertisement The once-viral hashtag 'Girl Math' trend refers to the illogical ways women justify purchases – or, in this case, more time in mattress mode. Some TikTokers are inspired by the glam game-changer. Some TikTokers felt inspired by the glam game-changer, while it 'pissed off' others. sxmiabegum/ TikTok 'Meal prepping makeup,' one person mused in the comments. Advertisement 'I'm influenced,' wrote another. Others weren't as rosy. 'I can't explain it but this pmo [pissed me off],' another said in a comment that's racked up more than 2,000 likes. 'Imagine all the bacteria on that foil and all the bacteria you absorb on the street while blending it all,' one person pointed out, along with the crying face emoji. In a July 14 video, Begum urged her followers to create a hole in the mouth area of the plastic wrap if they decide to test out her technique. 'Don't knock it till u try [it]!' she wrote. Begum did not respond to requests for comment.
Buzz Feed
3 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
33 Cheerful Products That Are Close To Buying Happiness
A set of cheerful Lego botanical "happy plants," aka your new favorite coworkers. How can capitalism bring you down when these two are smiling up at you all day long? All the joys of having an office plant without the shame of your coworkers being like, "Shouldn't you ... maybe ... water that??" A Bob Ross "Paint with Water" book as the ultimate "turn your brain off" de-stressor to possibly ever exist?? All you have to do is dab a brush full of water on the pages to slowly but surely unearth all the beautiful colors hidden underneath and reveal a beautiful Bob Ross masterpiece. Parents also love this as a mess-free activity to enjoy with kids! Nyx's brand new "Smushy" Matte Lip Balm made with mochi rice powder (!!) for the ultimate subtly blended soft matte look. Reviewers love that it's buildable, moisturizing, gives their lips a ~natural~ look, and comes in delicious flavors like cherry pie and raspberry sorbet 😋. An Anthropologie-inspired reversible quilted throw blanket you can get in all kinds of fun, lively prints that will startle your boring couch into having a personality, or give your bed a *much* needed reset after a rainy, dreary spring. A cult-favorite Creamy Coconut fragrance rollerball reviewers compare to the $25 Sol de Janeiro version 👀☀️ . This is from TikTok-famous small business brand Kuumba Made, known for its luxury scents at ridiculously affordable prices, so you know they're on their game — reviewers especially love how ~beachy~ and long-lasting this sweet but elevated fragrance feels and how nicely it plays with other scents! A set of pastel glitter highlighters I saw on Instagram a while back and NEARLY BLACKED OUT from the cuteness. If you like highlighting your planner pages, favorite passages from books, or lines from your journal, please do yourself a favor and purchase these subtle but oh-so-sparkly colors to jazz them up. ✨ A shaved sheep plushie that is so! darn! FLUFFY!!!! that you will not be able to resist the adorable siren call of zipping its fuzzy little "coat" on and off when your brain needs a cozy vacation. A set of limited edition Band-Aids with retro flower patterns so the next time you get a little ouch, you can be like, "wound care, but make it summer-y." A NeeDoh "Dream Drop," another release from the *elite* Needoh sensory fidget toy line for anyone who wants to add more calm and focus to their day. This goo-filled, delightfully colorful fidget has a satisfying squish with a "slow rise" before going back to its original shape. Reviewers also love that it doesn't have the kind of stickiness that picks up debris and makes it hard to clean. A stackable set of sheep toilet roll holders so you're never caught in a baaaaaaaa-d situation without an extra bit of TP to spare. A set of cowboy straw toppers to add some much-needed "yeehaw!" into your hydration regimen, and keep your straws safe from germs out here in the wild, bacterial West. An absolutely darling Kate Spade lunch tote at such a reasonable price point that honestly, it's worth buying just to make your coworkers jealous alone. Let the office lunch thief TRY and take snacks out of the chic bag that everyone knows is yours! A retro-style Comfort Pro rocking camp chair in a newer "Sweet Tea" color combo so darling that all of its cool features will be just an extra perk. Reviewers have loved this cult-fave, lightweight outdoor chair for years because it's super lightweight, portable, and ohhhh-so-comfortable when you're sitting for long spells during games, camping trips, or other outdoor events. Now it's cuter than it's ever been!! A light-up solar frog figurine for your garden or porch so when you come home from that "just one drink" dinner past midnight, this croaky lil' fella can lovingly judge you for it. A ~magic~ banana hand lotion you can easily keep in your bag to soothe dry and cracked hands with its vitamin A and potassium-rich banana extract. Reviewers love how moisturizing this feels, how lovely the mild scent is, and also what a delightful flex it is to be like, "Hey, want some lotion from my tiny purse banana?" A limited edition (!!) Eos Marshmallow "Super Balm" lip treatment from the brand's "secret menu" so good that reviewers say it's better than Carmex for healing and better than Summer Fridays for quality. Lip care that also tastes like you're perpetually eating a s'more for less than $5?? My friends, life is good. Dr Teal's "Hawaiian Bliss" Epsom salt magnesium soak, a ~limited edition~ blend of red sea salt, papaya, and hibiscus, reviewers are so in love with that a ton of them are buying extra bags (or literally hoarding them) before the brand runs out. One reviewer went so far as to call it "heaven in a bag!" A cheerful fruit bowl for a pop of deeply functional color in your kitchen — this thing is secretly also a colander, so you can wash your fruit and leave 'em sitting pretty on the counter to dry. A guided visual sloth "breathing partner" you can use for meditation and calm to shift your mindset. This is designed to guide you through either the popular 4/7/8 or 5/5 "calming breaths" to help reduce stress and anxiety, using colors that fade in and out softly as cues. Bonus: it's kid friendly! A set of adorable plush shark coin holders that will de-fin-itely get you a lot of compliments when you're ~fishing~ for change at the grocery store. A clever bee-shaped toothpick dispenser designed so that the toothpicks come out of the "stinger." Everyone will simply be ~~buzzing~~ over how adorable this looks on your dinner table. Patchology's "Rosé Toes" moisturizing foot mask to give your dry, cracked heels some shea butter, strawberry oil-infused relief in ten minutes flat — not unlike the glass of rosé that hits at Friday happy hour. Reviewers are genuinely impressed by how much of a difference these make in so little time! Case-Mate's iconic waterproof beach totes, which are, of course, ridiculously roomy and useful, but more importantly, ABSURDLY cute. This will be the "It" accessory of the beach if there ever were one. Get ready to be swimming in the ocean AND in compliments from strangers. Bonus — it even comes with a separate dry bag for your phone! A flowerpot-shaped lemon juicer designed to flex on all your other kitchen tools — it will not only be amazing at its job, but look gosh darn adorable doing it. A set of itty bitty vintage-inspired spoons that will just BEG to be used for all your coffee, tea, dessert, and yogurt needs. (Is it just me, or do we all have an Emotional Support Tiny Spoon?) Sol de Janeiro Limited Edition Cheirosa 71 Shimmering Body Cream — all the decadence of the internet's favorite moisturizer with all the glowiness of your skin's *dreams*. Truly, the notes of caramelized vanilla and toasted macadamia nut are just icing on top of the fever dream cake. A set of pastel sheer rainbow wineglasses to really get some adorable bang for your buck, because there's no way you won't use them as decor whenever you're not sipping sparkling rosé from them. A set of french fry clips that will not only secure your food bags, but rest in their own little magnetic fry pouch that sticks onto the fridge. Just further proof that there is nothing the humble potato cannot do. A cloud-shaped utility knife you will *need* in your life if you're a person who gets a lot of packages — this will save you a whole lot of time and effort (and DESPAIR over your ruined nails) with quick, easy cuts. A nonstick heart-shaped egg and pancake pan so precious that if breakfast wasn't already your favorite meal of the day, it will steal your literal *and* figurative heart now. A lovely Secret Garden–inspired book vase for a subtle, dainty way to tell your guests, "Yes, I will be extremely unavailable when the next season of Bridgeton drops." The *decor's kiss* perfect amount of whimsy meets practicality. A flower-shaped pill organizer so cute that taking your medication will suddenly feel like the most ~~aesthetic~~ main character part of your routine. These feature a surprisingly large capacity, and the days are detachable so you can take pills on go! A cow-themed cheese holder that will be a Big Moooooooood. Not only is this an adorable and handy way to store your cheese slices, but tons of parents say it's been a real hit with the kiddos!
