Producing

I think Disney did sue some AI companies, Holly Fouche.

Maurice Vaughan that only strengthens my point lol

Holly Fouche Disney being one of the most litigious companies ever - I bet the backroom discussion at least in part explored how hard they were going to hit OpenAI if they didn't get what they want. The horse already having bolted - no one can put the mouse back into the barn, so to speak. So money is the answer.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg Well when you put it like that it sounds a bit like financial/legal blackmail(ALLEGEDLY lol)

It's important to understand the scope and context of this. Here is Iger's breakdown: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/bob-iger-openai...

As a former Disney filmmaker I can completely understand why this was done, but I believe the rollout and the subsequent announcement was handled horribly.

I would bet that billion dollars also includes proprietary infrastructure for the animation studio to incorporate within the pipeline. And likely creating a VFX pipeline. Currently, most of the live action VFX is farmed out.

In a bit of kismet, I have been digging deep into a few older documentaries on the animation side, as I am producing and directing one about the shuttered animation studio in Florida. WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY and INSIDE PIXAR both lay a lot of evidence as to how Disney has ALWAYS tried to stay ahead of technology.

Meanwhile they vehemently protect their IP, the Google/MidJourney/Gemini lawsuits aside, they are known for going after daycare centers that dare paint their characters onto murals.

Where I think Iger has lost his touch and hurt the company is in the core value of its artists and stories. This is what would have Walt rolling over in his Frozen bed more than the tech.

Randall Scott White, I'm also an AI Producer! Recently also finished a Trailer for my film. You can see the link for the trailer & of course my bio for more videos using AI

https://www.stage32.com/media/3818717423226334543?ref=search

Also for more interest....AI plus simple CGI

https://www.stage32.com/media/3906910036609214094?ref=search

As far as I'm concerned.....The AI journey, has just begun!

Impressive work on your Trailer! Can't remember seeing any type of software mentioned!

Very good! Very enjoyable! You should teach an online class about how you did it, prompts used to keep consistency, etc.

Eon, I mostly use MovieFlo.ai - it has all the models in one place and is great for an all-in-one story creation system

Got that Randall Scott White! It establishes my present methods also, using mainly one software. The rest is basically commands.

I use other software and in-house techniques, with editing to achieve a variety of final results!

It's going to be a mind-blowing future and phenomenon with AI !

I've sent a network request if need to message me on any subject!

Hi, Darrell Pennington. Some producers accept cold query letters and some will read a cold query letter if the subject line/something in the letter interests them.

In my experience, all companies accept blind queries, even if their policy states otherwise. If they are interested they write back and officially solicit your screenplay so it's no longer "unsolicited".

@michaeldavid well that is very encouraging. My goal is to get 300 out by the end of the year!

Darrell Pennington That IS the standard industry response. You get around it by going through an agent, manager or lawyer who will send a query letter or call with your log line You can query them, as Michael David mentioned - but only query, send no materials - use the log line and that's about it. Then when they write back they will request it and it's no longer unsolicited.

It must be coincidence the administration held the lawsuit over Paramount's head. A miracle! The merger through when Paramount paid out the 16 mil and made concessions in a "pay-for-play."

This is the widely held understanding. Not a buncha blah-blah-blah.

At first, it was quite exciting to learn of this because of how things are shifting and changing - plus, there is no denying the influence and success of Netflix. However, there is something special about the cinema experience so, with shorter release windows before moving to the streaming platform, would anyone then bother going to the cinema?

Movie theaters are going the way of the pay telephone. Soon you may find one or still around, but they'll be damaged beyond being useful anymore. Raising prices on everything from tickets to concessions is also not the way to go. The more you raise prices, the more incentive you give your customers to just stay home and find something to watch on streaming. Let's face it, if have a tv that's 50 inches or over in your bedroom or living room, you are pretty much proportionately enjoying the cinematic experience without the regular annoyances of a general audience that can be rude, inconsiderate and in the worst possible scenario; violent.

I really don't see how lowering costs would improve traffic except for an even more unruly crowd that think, for some reason, their interruptions are why people go to the movies in the first place. Dignity and a respect for others has been replaced by boorish, selfish behavior which has no place in a civilized society. Many Left leaning politicians push this behavior and there are enough ignorant, primitive humans out there that will blindly support them. Death by stupidity..It is a common theme through history that impacts every facet of society and is universal in it's ultimate results.

Netflix has amassed enough money to buy Warner Brothers, with even the whole DC world at it's disposal, can't make things work out. Netflix isn't without it's failures given the overall lackluster impact of the $300M budgeted The Electric State and the horribly unoriginal Star Wars ripoff, Rebel Moon. The basic fact of the matter is that any project needs to bring in revenue and must be able to turn its budget into profit. Only brutally honest accounting can do that. Hollywood used to be able to fudge numbers and cook books to their advantage because cash is easy to manipulate. I don't really know how one equates minutes watched to revenue when the numbers of any particular room watching content could range from 1-10 people.

Will the Netflix-Warner Brother's merger hurt the film industry? Hard to say without knowing the specifics of what the structure will be moving forward. The simple fact is, if you keep producing crap, no matter how well intended it was meant to be, the basic consumer won't watch it and in the end, the consumer, no matter where they watch their entertainment, must be entertained.

The Entertainment Industry doesn't really get any more complicated than that. Its purpose in in it's name! Entertainment! If you focus on that, you'll be successful no matter how the industry changes. Merging two specific groups of idiots won't make things more entertaining unless you like watching car accidents on the side of the road.

As of yesterday, Paramount is making a hostile takeover bid. So WB might not get it in the end...

Philip David Lee Theatrical has fallen to ~30% of it's highest average. But the bleating you hear about revenues is from people who are used to making WILD profits from product they don't pay for, who are now just making good profits from product they don't pay for. Producers should keep in mind that theaters are not film industry people per se. They are real estate investors & landlords who make money on very short rentals of a room and screen, and on unbelievable markups on concession food. They are, at the end of the day quite profitable and won't be going anywhere soon.

Hi, Chiera McLaughlin. I’m a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. I wanted to let you know I moved your post from the Screenwriting Lounge to the Producing Lounge since it's about producing a short film. Let me know if you have any questions.

You could make a post on the Job Board (www.stage32.com/find-jobs).

You could also search for a crew in the Browse Members section (www.stage32.com/people).

And Stage 32 has free in-person Meetups that are great for networking (www.stage32.com/meetups). If you don't see a Meetup in your area, keep an eye on that page for new Meetups. And you're welcome to start your own Meetup.

Sebastian Tudores thanks for your insight. No, I don't have any rights, I was just curious because I loved this trilogy. I wondered if someone today decides to adapt, if it's too late, or if it could still benefit from an old fandom. I hoped so because I'd like to watch such a show :D

Chiara Torrisi If the book is still in print, and there is a demonstrable fanbase, that will make it stronger. If the book vanished from the market, then it's likely not very strong. But you do need to negotiate rights before doing any adaptation.

Thanks Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg

I agree with both Sebastian and Shadow, a demonstrated fan base is certainly helpful, but 10-15 years ago is (unfortunately) a long time in the adaptation business. Take for example Twilight, which had one of the most die hard fanbases out there. They rereleased in October to 1.5M in box office which is respectable: https://deadline.com/2025/10/twilight-reissue-box-office-1236603542/#:~:.... - but it's far cry from the $700M+ that the originals were making in the box office. There isn't that direct contact to the fan base that was once there 16 years ago.

Thanks Amanda Toney