Battling AI’s create new realities

Posted on by
1

The adage “Seeing is believing” is no longer true.

Three researchers, Ming-Yu Liu, Thomas Breuel and Jan Kautz, working for Nvidia, have created an AI that can generate life-like images.

In their system, multiple neural networks learn together by trying to fool each other with better and better solutions to the problem at hand. These are generative adversarial networks or GANs.

See their paper and GitHub. A sample below:

My take: this is kinda scary. Neat to think of “environmental” filters to add to genuine footage (think Nighttime, Winter, Rainy, etc.) but that this technology can create genuine-looking unreal footage is downright Orwellian. How do we distinguish true from fiction, real from fake? The only conclusion is that everything is now suspect. Sad.

The Attention Economy and the blockchain

Posted on by
Reply

Five years ago, I was thinking about a semitransparent way for creators to get paid for their work on the Internet.

Now, someone’s come along and made my dream a reality. And thrown in the blockchain and a cryptocurrency to boot.

Synero, based in Israel, is…

“…developing tools which allow content creators to easily monetize original works without having to turn their channels into advertisment real estate, while granting their followers the opportunity to be rewarded for getting the word out. Simply put, the attention you generate online is worth money. The better the content you create, the more followers you have, the more attention flows around you. Synereo’s applications and monetary models enable you to tap into this resource and reap the fair share of what you create online. Not a content creator? In a world overloaded with information, good taste is as valuable as creative talent. Help curate quality content, and earn your share by promoting creators you appreciate.”

That’s interesting enough. That they intend to use the blockchain and a cryptocurrency to accomplish their goal makes this super-interesting. They have a phased roadmap to accomplish it all.

To be honest, there’s a whiff of a ponzi scheme about the way compensation is distributed.

But wait, there’s more! You won’t get paid in cash, but in a new cryptocurrency called AMP. Super legit, right?

Here are a three more charts on the AMP altcoin.

If you want to do this today:

  1. Get the Chrome Extension
  2. Sign up as a WildSpark Creator

Before you pooh pooh this, see what CMF Trends has to say about them.

My take: I think the frictionless compensation the blockchain could deliver to creators (and potentially influencers) would go far in acknowledging their contributions to the sharing economy. Will it be WildSpark? Not sure. Will the old economy kick and scream about any and all disruption? For sure!

Become a Film Patron today!

Posted on by
Reply

My buddy Bryan Skinner needs your help.

He’s making his first feature mockumentary in February 2018 and to do so he’s raising money now.

“Open for Submissions” is about the shenanigans at a film festival, so it’s only natural that Bryan would hold a “Best of the Worst” competition to get the “bad” films he needs. Of course, I’m up for that challenge.

See the trailer for my entry, “The Dolphins”:

Here’s Bryan’s pitch video for “Open for Submissions”:

And here’s Bryan’s project video for “Open for Submissions”:

My take: I have supreme confidence in Bryan and his team being able to complete this project. If you are a filmmaker or you know creative people making art, you should back their vision and become a film patron. It’s easy and you will feel great!

Seeing is not believing

Posted on by
Reply

At the recent Adobe Max conference, one of the sneak peeks really caught my eye: Adobe Cloak.

This “content aware fill for video” is amazing and could be revolutionary if it ever sees the light of day in a product or service.

It’s powered by Adobe Sensei and it works by imagining what’s underneath the objects you want to remove.

By the way, if you want to do this today, you can use the Remove Module in Mocha Pro.

My take: the ease and speed of this is literally astounding. There were lots of great sneak peeks this year, including SonicScape for 360/VR sound editing. First come the tools, then comes the art.

Canadian media wants your eyeballs

Posted on by
Reply

We’re in a battle for eyeballs. Discoverability is the new holy grail.

Whether it’s through mobile apps or websites, Canadian media companies and the cultural sector want you to watch our stuff, eh.

Witness the latest effort: Encore+. Find it on Youtube online or in the Youtube app.

You’ll find weekly playlists of everything from Mr. Dressup to Degrassi Junior High to Da Vinci’s Inquest. Plus over 60 features (and counting).

Encore+ is an industry engagement initiative of the Canada Media Fund.

But there are at least three other Canadian sites vying for your attention:

Then there’s the beloved National Film Board of Canada. They’ve gone it alone, hosting their own productions on the web and in apps.

Of course, there’s the Canadian film and television industry. See this great summary of where to watch in Canada.

Can these sites and apps take on streaming services, like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video? We’re back to the battle for the eyeballs.

My take: Time will tell if any of these destinations get traction. In the meantime, my favourite way to watch is to Chromecast from a mobile device to our big screen TV in the living room. See this list of all the apps and websites that support Chromecast.

Curating the indy film audience

Posted on by
Reply

Courtney Sheehan, writing on The Independent, believes Art House Streaming Platforms [are] Uniquely Poised to Build Online Film Communities.

I’ve been thinking about curation and the mediascape. In the analogue era, the centralized control of media curated what we saw because its dissemination had gatekeepers. We couldn’t watch what wasn’t on offer. Contrast that with the digital era — we’re drowning in choice. Perhaps curation is one way to focus on quality.

Courtney’s article has three sections.

She begins with FilmStruck, a US-only collaboration between Turner Classic Movies and The Criterion Collection:

“The Criterion Channel features ongoing curated series like a short and feature pairing on Tuesdays and a Friday night double feature. Original content includes deep dives into film analysis, spotlights on art house theaters across the country, in-depth film introductions, new film commissions, and filmmaker interviews. By layering the viewing experience with additional content, the Criterion Channel hopes to invite viewers to sophisticated conversations about film.”

She then moves on to MUBI, an online streamer with a unique model: a new film is made available each day and no films stay up for more than 30 days:

“MUBI champions festival films that wouldn’t otherwise get distributed, and regularly mounts retrospectives. Another facet of MUBI’s strong brand is The Notebook, an online magazine that contextualizes its releases as well as providing general festival coverage and filmmaker interviews. Given the highly curated and diverse offerings on MUBI’s site, the company is confident in their continued ability to cut through the noise of limitless options to reach film lovers online.”

She concludes with social media by quoting Alece Oxendine, a digital distribution specialist, saying:

“‘Twitter is the rapid response, the stream of conscious thoughts about film. Facebook is more the share economy, everyone is sharing what they’re finding out. More context is provided on Facebook. Conversations are definitely happening on Reddit but it still feels new, which is crazy because as a platform it makes the most sense for community — the threads, the subthreads, you can get very, very granular where you’re just discussing film.'”

Interestingly, Courtney points out that “MUBI, Criterion, and IMDB have all shuttered their message boards and forums in recent years.” She also reports that MUBI offered 60-day free trials to the members of /r/truefilm on Reddit to bolster their audience.

My take: FilmStruck and MUBI both sound like digital versions of the repertory cinema chain I worked for in the early eighties, Festival Cinemas. They can provide needed context for viewers. Got to admit I have not explored Reddit in any depth. Interestingly, it’s purely text-based.

Copyright infringement case contends Hollywood CGI characters are illicit derivatives

Posted on by
Reply

Eriq Gardner, writing in The Hollywood Reporter, reports on the curious case of the alleged copyright infringement of stolen software output of CGI characters by some of the biggest studios.

The case was brought forward by Steve Perlman and his Rearden Companies. They claim their proprietary facial movement capture software, MOVA, was stolen by two Chinese companies and then licensed to Disney, Fox and Paramount.

See their opposition to the motion to dismiss.

Rearden previously received an injunction to stop Hollywood companies from using MOVA while its ownership was being contested.

My take: This could be huge, if the judge agrees with the case. But it would boil down to money — and how much the studios would have to pay to get their characters back. Perlman must be pretty upset about the Chinese companies ripping off his software though. After all, this is the creator of WebTV, one of the first set-top boxes for TV connectivity to the Internet. He’s a serial disruptor who’s still working on improving connectivity. See this pCell interview.

Netflix to spend $8 billion on content in 2018

Posted on by
Reply

Two stories about Netflix and content this week:

According to Mike Fleming Jr on Deadline Hollywood Netflix is bankrolling the Shaft reboot in exchange for international rights.

“Netflix will pay more than half the film’s high $30 million budget, in exchange for international rights and the ability to put the film on its streaming outside the U.S. two weeks after New Line releases theatrically in the United States. The film will begin production in December. New Line and Netflix were not commenting, but sources said the film will follow a traditional domestic roll out from theatrical to SVOD and DVD through the Warner Bros machine.”

Brandon Katz reports on the Observer that Netflix is planning on spending $8 billion next year.

“Netflix dropped a cool $6 billion on content in 2017 alone and is planning to shell out a whopping $8 billion next year, $1 billion more than previously planned. While the company’s long-term forecast is a bit cloudy with a growing $20 billion debt looming over its head, the short-term prognosis is bright and sunny. The streaming giant added 5.3 million new subscribers in the last quarter, crushing its own internal goal and raising its worldwide total north of 104 million.”

See the investor relations shareholder letter for details.

My take: these stories are interesting because Netflix now has more paid international subscribers than paid US subscribers and demonstrates its commitment to producing more and more original content. There’s no denying internet television is the future.

OC4: Zuck promotes first standalone VR headset

Posted on by
Reply

At the recent Oculus Connect 4 Keynote presentation in San Jose, Mark Zuckerberg promised a new VR headset that straddles the space between Mobile VR that uses your smartphone and Computer VR that uses your high-end computer: the standalone Oculus Go.

Shipping in early 2018, Oculus Go will cost $199 USD and features:

  • Crystal-clear optics
  • 2560 x 1440 resolution
  • Integrated spatial audio
  • Designed with breathable fabrics and adjustable straps

Lance Ulanoff writing in Mashable has an interesting take on the price:

“Why is $199 such a good price? It’s not super cheap, but believe it or not, it appears to trigger a response in consumers. Ask them to pay $300 or more for cutting-edge technology, especially something as unproven as virtual reality that still needs more expensive hardware to work, and they balk (Oculus sold just 355,000 Oculus units in 2016). But set a sub-$200 price, even just a dollar below that threshold, and consumers are ready to take the leap. Apple wasn’t even the first to discover this magical price point. Back in 2002, the very first iRobot Roomba robotic vacuums were priced at $199.95. Even though they’ve since gotten a lot more expensive, that initial magic price point helped launch a robot vacuum industry.”

My take: I think this will be a game changer. It’s perfect for everyone who wants to get into VR but doesn’t want to buy a Samsung phone or a PC computer.

BellMedia kills BravoFACT and MuchFACT

Posted on by
Reply

Ever since the CRTC ruled on May 15, 2017, that continued funding of BravoFACT and MuchFACT was no longer required, the indie film community in Canada has been wondering when BellMedia would pull the plug.

They acted in the middle of the night, on September 26 late last month, erasing their webpages, and thereby washing their hands of both production programs.

As quoted by Haydn Watters of the CBC, Randy Lennox, president of Bell Media and former head of Universal Music Canada, shrugged:

“The traditional viewing of a music video is… certainly not what it was. We don’t owe anyone an explanation for this…. I think after making hundreds, thousands of music videos and paying for them… I think we’re pretty good guys.”

OnScreen Manitoba reminds us:

“Since its foundation in 1995, BravoFACT has contributed $30 million to short films and emerging creators and the MuchFACT has contributed approximately $100 million since 1984. Earlier this fall, Bell Media’s Harold Greenberg Fund also closed its production equity investment program.”

Here is the current BravoFACT.com and what it used to look like two days after the CRTC’s decision.

Here is the current MuchFACT.ca and what it used to look like two days after the CRTC’s decision.

My take: I’m saddened by this news. I’ve been a recipient of a BravoFACT grant, so I know how important that funding can be to a short film. What maddens me about this news is the change management aspect. The Department of Canadian Heritage is in the midst of redesigning Canadian media in the digital landscape and has said the Broadcast Act will be overhauled this Fall. The CRTC is under its mandate. The disconnect comes when they claim: “More than ever before, our creators are ambassadors for our country. They are our inspiration at home, and reflect who we are to the rest of the world. Our new approach must continue to support a domestic space and market for Canadian content. Only by remaining strong in our approach at home will we succeed internationally. Only by playing to our strengths, by telling our stories, will we stand out in the global marketplace.” Proper change management would be to bring new programs on first before axing old ones. We just jumped off one raft and are hoping another one appears before we fall — I hope you all know how to swim!