The time is getting near.
We are watching the demise of Hollywood take place right before our eyes. This is something that I predicted a number of years ago based upon the technological advancements. There are, naturally, other factors feeding into this.
In this article I will cover what is happening and how it is impossible to combat.
Technology is not something that is commonly discussed when covering this topic. That might be changing as people like Elon Musk start to offer up ideas about the potential of generative AI and where it will stand in a few years.
To me, there is little doubt this is the path forward. It might not be the totality of the productions but it will encompass enough to destroy the industry.
Some of the non-technological factors cited are:
Certainly these could be factors. It is hard to deny that, whatever the reason, the quality of films is not where it was 25-30 years ago.
Economics is impossible to escape.
The first is ticket prices. If people cannot afford to head to the theater, they will not. We have the added issue that the experience is diminished as people are talking on their phones and complete social morons.
Then we have the studios themselves.
Streaming killed many of the profits. What was seen as the Golden Goose for Hollywood studios became a nightmare.
Without the money, things get tougher especially for the smaller studios. It is no surprise we are seeing consolidation.
We are now conditioned for video that is "good enough". Social media is playing a hand in destroying Hollywood.
Much of the video we view is far below cinema quality. This really doesn't matter as billions of hours are consumed on YouTube, often filmed on phones. People simply do not care.
Generative AI is still in its infancy. This is especially true for video.
It does offer hope for the studios as AI will help to cut costs. By automating certain parts of the process, less time is required to complete the task. The equates to dollars.
Ultimately, what Musk is looking at is the ability for AI to generate a full-length video with a few prompts. This is a number of years away but it is fast approaching according to many.
What happens if this comes true?
The entire industry goes the way of the switch board operator. That was a field that use to employ humans. It has been decades since anyone was required for that role.
Eventually we are going to see AI stars. These will be characters who appear on screen but also have personalities. We will see them in interviews, much in the same way as human celebrities.
All of this is combining to put Hollywood in a death roll. Present production is now being filtered to different areas as the costs in Hollywood are simply too expensive.
Things changes greatly in the last 3 years. We will likely see a doubling in the capabilities over the next 3.
