Filmmaking / Directing : Is Filmmaking Entering a New “Hybrid Era”? by Laquan Copeland

Laquan Copeland

Is Filmmaking Entering a New “Hybrid Era”?

In reading article (https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/technology/technology-m...)

I’ve been noticing something interesting happening across the industry lately, and I’m curious what other filmmakers here think.

It feels like filmmaking is entering a kind of hybrid era where traditional film production, creator platforms, and emerging tech are all colliding at once.

For example, studios are starting to seriously explore AI tools for production and post-production. Recently, Netflix even acquired an AI filmmaking startup designed to help production teams fix lighting issues, adjust framing, and improve post-production workflows without replacing the creative team.

At the same time, creators are building audiences in totally different ways. Podcasts, social platforms, and creator-led storytelling are becoming places where IP is born before it ever reaches Hollywood. And audiences are now watching stories across streaming, social media, and creator platforms, often treating all of it as “TV.”

Another interesting trend: even with all the new tech and AI tools coming in, audiences still seem to connect most strongly with authentic human stories and real experiences rather than purely technical spectacle.

So the question becomes:

Are we moving toward a filmmaking world where projects start smaller (podcasts, YouTube, indie shorts, proof-of-concept pieces) and then grow into films or series once an audience already exists?

In other words, instead of the old model of “studio develops → audience discovers,” are we entering a model of “audience forms → studios adapt”?

Curious how everyone here sees it.

Are these changes making filmmaking more accessible, or just more complicated?

Would love to hear everyone’s perspective.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai

Laquan Copeland We've been going there for many years. Most everyone in the industry and aspiring industry is a decade behind the actual realities of the industry and the market.

Amanda Toney

Great post Laquan Copeland - I think it's 2 different viewing styles. Short form, more digital experience vs. traditional theatrical storytelling.

Michael David

I agree Laquan Copeland . Well observed and well said.

João Pimentel

Faz sentido

Lindbergh Hollingsworth

All these new areas - podcasts, streaming - along with traditional - theaters, TV - are allowing more people to exploit. That's the way it's always been. People adapted to TV. Video cameras got more people shooting. Now each person is a mini-studio: write a script on your mobile, shoot on your mobile, edit on your mobile (or computer), and upload to a platform. Just over a 100 years ago, when the typewriter was mass produced someone said, "They'll be a flood of great novels." There was a flood, and not all of them were great. Same thing with all this tech ...

Patrik Gyltefors

A lower threshold of entrance, also means that it is becoming really had to get noticed among all the "noise". This could have the opposite effect that only big budget productions are able to survive. As for A.I., the current consensus regarding it's real value is: "For now, we see such predictions as very premature, especially given the well-documented limitations of current AI models, including a tendency to “hallucinate” false information." (https://www.gspublishing.com/content/research/en/reports/2023/10/30/2d56...)

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