Future of Entertainment Post-Strikes Clash of Trash and Treasure
Future of Entertainment Post-Strikes Clash of Trash and Treasure
The Talkies: A Revolution in Media
Imagine stepping into a movie theater, having only watched silent films, and suddenly, you are greeted with the vibrant sounds of talking pictures. The black and white images on the screen come alive with dialogue, music, and sound effects. Charlie Chaplin’s iconic pantomimes are out, replaced by the dramatic performances of Clark Gable. The arrival of “talkies” in the early 1930s was hailed as a scientific marvel, revolutionizing the entertainment industry. It created stars, shattered corporations, and turned Hollywood into a powerhouse that shaped our dreams and influenced our culture.
Fast forward ninety years, and here I am, lying in bed with the sound turned down on my phone, mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, where influencers have become the modern-day silent film actors. Every swipe, every like, shapes the algorithm and fuels my addictive feed. But here’s the catch: what I perceive as superstars mean absolutely nothing to my wife, who will wake up in a few hours and scroll through her own completely different timeline. Gone are the days when we watched ABC’s Modern Family together on good old broadcast TV. Now, we are viewers of actual modern families creating their own movies on platforms like TikTok and YouTube.
This shared experience is a viewing revolution, comparable to the introduction of the “talkies” back in the day. Smartphones have turned everyone into potential moviemakers, and streaming platforms have granted access to an endless variety of stories throughout history. It’s a whirlwind of change that has completely upended the media and tech landscape.
As someone who has been covering media for nearly two decades, I have witnessed firsthand the disruptions within the industry. From starting my own blog, to working at The New York Times and CNN, I have seen the tides of change wash over the media landscape. Now, I find myself writing this from the green room at 30 Rockefeller Center, the iconic skyscraper that houses NBC. Back in 1933, when this building first opened its doors, NBC was America’s first radio network. The vast Studio 8H, now famously known as the home of Saturday Night Live, once hosted symphony orchestras that were only heard, not seen. But the future holds endless possibilities. SNL performances of tomorrow won’t just be heard and seen; they might be felt and even manipulated through groundbreaking technologies. If NBC can’t figure out how to do it, giant tech companies like Apple and Meta surely will.
“The future of media is all of the above: trash and treasure streaming side by side for eternity.” This resonates profoundly as we witness the dramatic shifts in the industry. The writers at SNL, along with thousands of other film and TV writers, recently went on strike, fearing that advances in artificial intelligence could ChatGPT them out of their jobs. While a tentative deal has been reached, it can’t stop what’s coming: an infinite stream of AI-generated audio and video content available 24/7. We might not even realize that the content we consume is robotic in nature unless, of course, we become part of the entertainment ourselves. Movie studios are already discussing how to insert paying customers into movies and digitally replace the faces of characters.
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But fear not, for I believe that many of us will still seek out human-made stories and communal experiences—and we’ll gladly pay a premium for them. There is an art to storytelling that distinguishes professional work from the endless sea of amateur content. However, the future of media is a glorious mishmash of everything: a blend of trash and treasure streaming together for eternity.
For consumers like us, the prospect is both thrilling and overwhelming. As futurist Alvin Toffler predicted in his book, Future Shock, people of the future may suffer not from a lack of choice, but from an overwhelming array of options. We desperately need a new TV Guide to help us navigate this media mayhem. And as this problem gets solved, the value of Hollywood’s vast libraries will skyrocket.
Weaker companies will attempt to merge their way to relevance, but most will fail, while established corporations will adapt and develop new systems and formats. The concept of Hollywood will expand beyond our wildest expectations. Picture platforms like Roblox, Twitch, and OnlyFans becoming powerhouse studios, creating celebrities who exist outside the traditional system, while well-known corporations shrink and fade away. In this brave new world, power will be wielded not only by creators and platforms, but also by curators and remixers who help people navigate the chaos of consuming content on every possible device. There will be a million versions of NFL RedZone catering to each unique affinity group.
And you, dear viewer, will have a front-row seat and a voice in this grand transformation. Your attention and your dollars will shape the future of media. Just like viewers during Hollywood’s silent era had to supply voices and sound effects, you too will be an active participant in this evolving creative process.
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Charlie Chaplin, one of the biggest stars of the silent film era was supplanting by the introduction of movies with sound. Image Source: United Artists//Getty Images
For us, the viewers, this future promises excitement and exhilaration. Yet, it may also be overwhelming. As Alvin Toffler once said, “We may suffer not from an absence of choice but from a paralyzing surfeit of it.” The challenge of deciding what to watch next is real, and we desperately need a modern-day TV Guide to tackle it. The better we solve this problem, the more valuable the libraries of Hollywood will become.
Some companies will attempt to merge their way to relevance, but most will fail. Stronger players will embrace and develop new systems and formats. The concept of Hollywood will expand to include platforms like Roblox, Twitch, and OnlyFans, which will become powerhouse studios, generating their own celebrities outside the confines of the traditional system. Meanwhile, established corporations will shrink and fade away. In this brave new world, power will be held not only by creators and platforms but also by curators and remixers who guide people through the vast landscape of content consumption on every imaginable device. From a million versions of NFL RedZone for various affinity groups to personalized content experiences, the choices will be endless.
As a viewer, you will have a front-row seat and an active voice in shaping this future. Your attention and financial support will determine the course of the media industry. Historian Scott Eyman once wrote about the silent film era, “Viewers had to supply the voices and sound effects; in so doing, they made the final creative contribution to the filmmaking process.” Today, once again, we will all be united as participants in this evolving media landscape.
About the Author:
Brian Stelter is the Walter Shorenstein Media and Democracy Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy. He is a former anchor of CNN’s Reliable Sources and a former media reporter at The New York Times.
