When Limbic released Spinal Storytelling, skepticism loomed over yet another generative AI tool aiming to disrupt creativity. However, as a pioneer in brain-computer-interface (BCI) technology, Limbic knew Spinal Storytelling's potential was undeniable. The innovation married a BCI (tuned to track a user's emotional responses) and a dynamic script model, adapting content in real-time, based on neural data, to enhance viewer engagement. Neulu, a Disney subsidiary, recognized this potential and swiftly commercialized the technology. The platform quickly gained traction, marking a significant shift in entertainment from 'For You' recommendation systems to 'By You' generative algorithms, heralding a new era of hyper-personalized content.

While Netflix's recommendation algorithms refined audience targeting, Limbic and Neulu integrated user experience with real-time creative output. They pioneered the concept of the infinite show to virtually guarantee a positive user experience. Shows utilizing Spinal Storytelling improved viewer engagement by adapting content to particular viewers. Neulu was confident that they had cracked the code for producing universally-appealing content, and early indications supported their belief. However, as users delved deeper into the Neulu experience, more nuanced narratives surfaced. Behind the curtain, Neulu and Limbic were utilizing deeply personal data for lucrative advertising deals, often through nearly undetectable product placements and the promotion of embedded perspectives that influenced public opinion. Further, the individually-tailored nature of the content left a void, with users yearning for the days of more communal viewing experiences that they could experience and discuss with others.

Groups such as the American Federation of Audiences (AFA) and Cine46 rapidly emerged. The AFA functioned as a hybrid consumer protection agency and union. Through a landmark IP lawsuit, they secured compensation rights for users of Neulu and similar neural entertainment technologies, acknowledging the value of the data they contributed to the platform and its affiliates. Their argument centered on viewers' integral role in the content creation process, advocating for royalties on data purchases by third-party advertisers. The case was adjudicated in the Ninth Circuit Court, resulting in a victory that allowed individuals to join the AFA and earn money by consuming content. While this initiative aimed to dignify the viewer experience, it also catalyzed a burgeoning economy centered around platform engagement, further entrenching entertainment addiction for some individuals.

While Neulu, Limbic, and the AFA duked it out in the courts, a grassroots group dubbed Cine46 emerged. Their breakout moment came with the infamous hack of Neulu's algorithm, and the broadcast of a provocative short film condemning platform practices. This event marked a significant cultural shift, garnering widespread attention. Bolstered and emboldened by this early success, Cine46 expanded their activities, establishing algorithm poisoning centers, funding communal entertainment events, promoting media literacy, and offering filmmaking classes. While their hacktivist approach raised eyebrows, their insights proved prescient. They recognized that as platforms prioritized personalization and data, the resulting stories became lackluster, creating an opportunity to return to more impactful, challenging storytelling.. Finally, they tapped into a growing sentiment of discontent with mainstream production companies, creating a rapidly growing community for those feeling exploited.

THE WORLD

In the challenging landscape of film and television, where production costs are high and profitability is uncertain, the industry perpetually looks to emerging technologies for solutions and excitement (e.g., the crazes around 3D). Broadcast television eased the distribution of shows and movies. Digital filmmaking technology lowered costs and eased constraints created by celluloid film. Recent advancements have honed in on audience engagement. Techniques like testing trailers with facial expression monitors and EEG wave recorders, along with streaming platforms meticulously tracking user experiences, are now commonplace in an effort to predict the success of a show or film. This data not only guides trailer selection and show recommendations but also influences content creation decisions. From determining profitable storylines to selecting buzzworthy actors, from structuring scripts to editing scenes, every aspect of entertainment is quantified for audience appeal and de-risked decision-making.

Moreover, we now inhabit a realm where artificial intelligence doesn't just inform decisions but instantaneously makes them. Generative AI platforms craft narratives, visuals, and audio by mining and manipulating data. Despite recent contractual safeguards implemented by the Writers Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild, and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers against AI intervention, generative AI is becoming deeply integrated into the creative process.

With hyper-detailed data collection and emerging generative tools, a new era of entertainment looms, where productions may simultaneously be more tailored to individual preferences and yet become formulaic.

THE CONSTRUCTION

In exploring this future of entertainment, I imagined and built a network of companies and organizations emblematic of the evolving landscape. Each entity was represented through a diverse array of artifacts, spanning advertisements, legal documents, physical objects, videos, and more. These artifacts provided entry points for critical discourse on the trajectory of film and television. Designing and building them enabled me to grasp the essence of each organization and anticipate how nascent trends might manifest.

Throughout the project, numerous research and creation sessions were followed by the writing of fictional news articles. I shifted from the role of a designer to that of a reporter as a means of further interrogating my world. Writing became instrumental in consolidating insights and gaining a deeper understanding of the universe I was shaping. The dialogue between designer and future reporter sparked the culmination of the project: a curated collection of research from the viewpoint of Larry Hoo, an investigative journalist immersed in the film industry, functioning as a quasi-alter ego throughout the endeavor. Rather than delivering full-fledged articles, I chose to utilize Hoo's notes to elucidate the artifacts. By showcasing the designed objects within Larry Hoo's investigative process, the aim was to foster increased audience inquiry, thus facilitating the emergence of novel perspectives and understandings, extending beyond those initially conceived by me, the designer.

COMPANY EXPLANATIONS

Limbic illustrates the technological bedrock underpinning a transformative movement in media. Throughout history, technological innovations propel shifts in the entertainment industry – from the printing press to digital platforms driven by algorithms. A fictional patent, testing videos, and advertisements illuminate Limbic's ambitions. The patent covers and protects an artificial general intelligence-driven narrative structure called a Spine, which morphs as it interfaces with users' neural signals via a BCI to craft fully-personalized stories. Advertisements brazenly illustrate the technology's purpose - to collect valuable data derived from a user's brain in real time. This technology, known as Spinal Storytelling, hyperbolizes today's media landscape – one increasingly driven by technology, aiming for an optimized, seamless viewer experience steered by platforms.

Neulu exemplifies how a company might introduce a novel technology to the public. The first step was to rename the technology to make it more acceptable to consumers.

Instead of referring to it as Spinal Storytelling, its technical name, Neulu marketed the technology as "By You," offering users a sense of control over their content. Even in today's landscape, platforms collect valuable data under the guise of user-centric language like "For You." By presenting everything as tailored to the individual, they obscure the reality that every user interaction primarily serves the platform's interests. The Neulu experience is depicted through their iconic patches, packaging, advertisements, and show thumbnails. These thumbnails showcase the varying perspectives different users might encounter, while the advertisements reveal the subtle manipulation of language to conceal data-driven business motives. Meanwhile, the physical patch and packaging provide tangible insight into the potential immersion of this technological world.

The American Federation of Audiences represents a form of capitalist resistance or consumer pushback, leveraging legal and market-mechanisms to foster a more equitable viewing ecosystem. The group's presence is manifest in various materials, from the lapel pins bestowed upon members to summaries of their legal battles and recruitment commercials. However, the allure of getting paid to watch content proves too good to be entirely true. While addressing the ethical concerns of data harvesting and the possibility of compensation, it fails to comprehensively tackle broader issues surrounding entertainment consumption, societal engagement, and the role of production companies. The emergence of the AFA also prompts reflection on the future role of authors. In a landscape driven by data, questions arise about who deserves credit for the final product and whether audiences desire such a central role in content creation.

Cine46 stands out as a beacon of grassroots resistance within the film industry, passionately advocating for the essence of quality filmmaking in today's rapidly evolving landscape. Despite the controversy surrounding some of their methods, such as the utilization of the BCI Poisoning kit, their endeavors often entail sophisticated technological interventions, ranging from digital billboard takeovers to the hacking of Neulu's algorithm. However, amidst these endeavors, Cine46 is equally recognized for its commitment to fostering community engagement. Through in-person screenings hosted by Cine46 filmmakers, they facilitate meaningful dialogue and connections, which to them is the heart of storytelling. In a flooded entertainment market, Cine46's persistent efforts to amplify distinct voices resonate deeply, reflecting society's enduring appetite for innovative, director-driven, and communal entertainment experiences.

CONCLUSIONS

Through the construction of this future, I cast light on a complicated constellation of issues around the trajectory of entertainment. As platforms increasingly rely on data to shape content creation, audience preferences can usurp the creative instincts of creators. Alongside, I illuminate how attempts to mitigate risk in an industry founded on creativity and intuition may prove counterproductive. While production companies lean more heavily on data-driven approaches, such as refining recommendation algorithms or implementing technologies like Spinal Storytelling, they risk losing sight of the essence of entertainment.

The future of entertainment, for both creators and audiences, transcends the mere capability of AI to replicate human creativity. Data-driven films do not guarantee success, and algorithmically-predicted failures often surpass expectations. True entertainment cannot be reduced to audience reactions and user preferences or superficial appeal. It hinges on risk-taking, innovation, serendipity, and shared experience. Thus, despite the emergence of companies akin to Limbic and Neulu, there remains ample space, perhaps more than ever, for maverick production companies to inject fresh perspectives into the discourse, fostering community, dialogue, and delight.