January has gone in a flash, and so far, it’s been a new year, same old us. Most TV and movies are still either mediocre at best or performative lecture pulpits from vapid red carpet junkies at worst. Major corporate entities believing themselves to be film studios continue to fight over devouring each other for billions on the penny for the privilege of running what remaining, way past their shelf life, IPs there are left, further into the ground.
Movie theaters are looking to anything from popcorn buckets to anniversary screenings to light up enough of their screens so audiences don’t forget about them. Video-on-demand platforms continue to struggle for supremacy. YouTubers have no choice but to continue to cover the decline of “zombie franchises” for diminishing returns, as near-tech monopolies conspire with each other to shut out independent creators and other small business ventures. And, as always, everyone is looking for someone to blame, someone to attack, or that magical CEO who will descend from Heaven and redeem Hollywood, resetting everything back to how it was. When you put it like that it sounds… stupid.
The Great Catastrophe is a Great Opportunity
Yes, for the most part, it looks like nothing has changed, but there’s a good chance that by the end of the year, nothing will be the same. Heed my warnings, dear reader, but know that with great catastrophes come great opportunities.
“…collectively we have the power to take pole position in 2026.”
Predictions are useless. Hope is not a strategy. If you’re an independent creator or entrepreneur, you know that nobody is coming to the rescue. Being prepared is the only thing that can lead to success, and even then, not all of us will accomplish the visions we have set our sights on. Nevertheless, collectively we have the power to take pole position in 2026. The key is understanding what’s on the horizon.
The AI Leaderboard
AI is obviously at the top of the leaderboard for game changers in the past few years. Although it has been the subject of hyperbole and hysteria among those who are prone to jumping on the “outrage of the weak” train, I see more and more people coming around to the potential it offers them, and I’m not just talking about storytellers. The average citizen and, therefore, the average audience member are using it to make their lives easier, integrating it into their daily lives and empowering themselves to overcome what was once daunting.
I get weekly messages from creators telling me how it has brought new potential to projects they’ve always wanted to do but never thought were possible, and I’m talking about old-school pros as well as up-and-comers. For an independent filmmaker or producer, these tools are getting better by the week, with more functions and versatility for pennies on the dollar than ever before. Open-source users who are learning to go “under the hood” are most advantaged; they are learning how to not only match Hollywood’s VFX and animation production value but take it in the creative directions their committees of bean counters lack the imagination to even conceive of.
The Twilight of the Guilds and Studios
Yes, Hollywood is woefully behind the curve on this, hamstrung by its own above-the-line talent guilds and their greedy stupidity. It’s too late for them, and they can’t catch up. They’ve crushed their own economy for good, but you are not part of that. You are free to do things that are viable to you, without their permission or overhead.
