11.24.24 Future Film Fridays
Welcome back to #FutureFilmFridays, where I dive into the week’s biggest stories shaping the future of Hollywood, technology, and entertainment. This week’s post is stacked with major moves in the #AI landscape, game-changing advancements in content creation, and the ever-present ethical questions shaping these innovations. Let’s jump right in!
1. Promise Studio: The AI-Driven Hollywood Powerhouse 🎥
Big news rocked Hollywood this week with the announcement of Promise, a new AI-focused studio co-founded by digital media pioneers Jamie Byrne, George Strompolos, and top AI filmmaker Dave Clark. Backed by heavyweights Marc Andreesen and Peter Chernin, Promise will produce content across TV and film, pioneer new formats, and develop proprietary AI tools for filmmakers. This studio feels like a momentous step in Hollywood’s AI journey. 👉 Read more at Variety
2. YouTube Introduces AI-Generated Video Backgrounds 🎨
YouTube Shorts has rolled out its “Dream Screen” feature, allowing creators to add AI-generated video backgrounds to their content. While the feature feels experimental, it’s another step in making generative AI tools accessible to content creators, which will spill out into social media among the masses. This kind of integration could also reshape how creators think about production, especially with smaller budgets. 👉 Explore more at TechCrunch
3. Samsung’s AI-Powered Smart Glasses 👓
Samsung unveiled new smart glasses equipped with AI technology developed in partnership with Qualcomm and Google. This addition to the #AR wearables race signals a big leap toward mainstream adoption. Once wearables like these become ubiquitous, we’ll see entirely new modes of interactive storytelling emerge, particularly in gaming and immersive entertainment. 👉 Read more at Dig Watch
4. AI Is Training on Your Favorite Films (Yes, Yours Too) 🎞️
An eye opening piece in The Atlantic reveals how generative AI is being trained on movies and TV using subtitle databases. For anyone curious about how models like Claude get their pop culture references right, this article dives into the mechanics (spoiler: subtitles are key). On a personal note, I discovered three of my own credits are in this database (at least me talking with Bill Nye about sci-comm and nuclear energy is being used!0 👉 Read the full piece at The Atlantic
5. Amazon Bets Big on Anthropic’s AI 📈
Amazon has invested billions into Anthropic, the creators of AI tools like Claude. The question is: how will these tools integrate into Amazon Studios and MGM’s projects? With Anthropic’s focus on “constitutional AI,” could we see a stronger push for ethically developed AI in the entertainment industry? 👉 Read more at The Hollywood Reporter
6. ProRata.ai: Licensing the Future of Ethical AI ⚖️
In a world of looming lawsuits over copyright infringement, companies like ProRata.ai are leading the charge in licensing content for training AI. This LA-based company has partnered with major UK media outlets like Sky News and The Guardian to facilitate ethical AI use, addressing a critical need for transparency and accountability in media AI. 👉 Learn more at The Hollywood Reporter
7. Google Shelves Its “Too Good” AI Music Tool 🚫
DeepMind’s Orca AI music generator has been shelved due to copyright concerns. The tool’s ability to produce near-perfect tracks based on simple prompts raises questions about how AI will impact the music industry — and whether AI-generated music can ever escape legal gray areas. 👉 Read more at Business Insider
8. Spec Script with AI Story Lands Seven-Figure Deal 💰
And coming full circle to our Hollywood AI movie studio moment, a spec script with an AI thriller narrative has nabbed a 7 figure deal for its previously unrepresented writer. With so much pushback against gerenative AI by audiences, will such a movie even track? We’ll have to wait for the twist. 👉 Read more at The Hollywood Reporter
If there’s one thing clear from this week’s stories, it’s that the entertainment industry is racing to integrate AI into every corner of its ecosystem — from production tools to storytelling formats.
The future is moving fast — See you next Friday! 🎬
