Tag Archives: Forget it Jake. It’s show business.

Hollywood tentatively adopts AI prediction tools

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Tom Taulli asks in Forbes if Artificial Intelligence (AI) Can Help Make Hollywood Blockbusters?

Artificial Intelligence & AI & Machine Learning

He reports that:

“Warner Bros. recently struck a deal with Cinelytic, which has built an AI-infused project management system. It is focused on the green-lighting process, such as by helping to predict the potential profits on new films.”

Cinelytic says users can:

“Gain critical insights into how key talent will increase the chances of success of your project, and by how much. Our proprietary economic scoring system, Cinelytic’s TalentScores™, ranks talent by their economic impact across the film industry, including by media type, genre, and key territories.”

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My take: I’m not sure AI tools will help make better Hollywood films. AI tools analyze past successes and compare new projects against old ones. With this in mind, how can we expect anything but retreads of yesteryear’s blockbusters? More comic book films coming soon.

Tips for your Indie Film Release

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The recent SXSW panel Hacking Technology For Your Indie Film Release asked the question:

“As new technologies and distribution approaches continue to disrupt conventional release windows, funding cycles, and acquisition deals, how do indie filmmakers navigate this shifting landscape while balancing audience engagement and revenue?”

The Sundance Institute‘s #ArtistServices presented and has since released 23 Hacks for your Indie Film Release — “what it takes to get your film seen in an overcrowded marketplace by using technology as your secret weapon.”

Here they are:

  1. Schedule pre-order windows
  2. Avoid December and February releases
  3. Purchase a specific E&O policy that fits your film release plans
  4. Don’t limit your theatrical screenings to only Art House Theatres
  5. Upload final DCP-formatted trailers on Dropbox or G Drive
  6. Do NOT purchase KDMs
  7. $250 vs 35% — what you charge exhibitors
  8. Beware the “Virtual Print Fee”
  9. All screenings are “theatrical”
  10. Be frugal when printing one-sheets
  11. Small Size Matters Too: consider the thumbnail
  12. Don’t worry about print ads
  13. Harness internet trends
  14. Email subject lines matter
  15. Tweet at people who just tweeted
  16. Email lists are still the gold
  17. Upload content natively to each social platform
  18. Better Bundle for Bigger Bucks
  19. Private Vimeo Screeners
  20. Growth hack your backer rewards
  21. Carve out rights to do traditional digital and direct-to-fan deals on your own
  22. Ask distributors about their digital economics
  23. Pay for a quality closed caption file

Read the article for full details.

My take: as you fashion your digital distribution strategy, keep these ideas in mind.