Are Netflix and the Like Dying?

[jpmcwjr]

In a few years, it will be possible to make an entire film with no sound stages, no on location shooting, and with actors who don't exist in the flesh. Not desirable, but quite possible. And Sturgeon will still prevail.

I am guessing that Poor Things went part way there. Anyone with opinion on use of AI or CGI?

 

[mingc]

In a few years, it will be possible to make an entire film with no sound stages, no on location shooting, and with actors who don't exist in the flesh. Not desirable, but quite possible. And Sturgeon will still prevail.

I am guessing that Poor Things went part way there. Anyone with opinion on use of AI or CGI?

Poor Things was actually shot on huge sound stages in Budapest, including the house and street outside, Paris, Lisbon, the ship etc. The sky was a giant LED board.

 

[Zero]

I kinda agree with The Critical Drinker "...CGI has definitely got it's place in film making, but it's supposed to be used to enhance rather than replace real locations. It should be used to do the things that are impossible with practical effects, not as a lazy crutch to avoid having to step outside that lovely air-conditioned soundstage and maybe get your hands dirty once in awhile..." there's more, and his take on the cast of Rings of Power is pretty funny.

Gonna watch Poor Things today.

 

[Alejo R.]

In a few years, it will be possible to make an entire film with no sound stages, no on location shooting, and with actors who don't exist in the flesh. Not desirable, but quite possible. And Sturgeon will still prevail.

I am guessing that Poor Things went part way there. Anyone with opinion on use of AI or CGI?

I didn't see Poor Things but I can say something about the misuse of CGI. The opening scene of the latest Indiana Jones movie. Having a character so present in popular culture, they could have used a body double and shown glimpses of the character, his whip, his hat and jacket. Spiced it up with milliseconds of Harrison Ford's CGI-rejuvenated face and it would have been interesting. On the contrary, they decided to do a whole scene with the protagonist's rejuvenated face that ended up looking like a bad video game.
It's strange, with Steven Spielberg involved. He himself, who with the impossibility of having a functional shark for his film, achieved a masterpiece NOT showing the character.
I guess the temptation to go the easy way is too strong in today's cinema.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Poor Things was actually shot on huge sound stages in Budapest, including the house and street outside, Paris, Lisbon, the ship etc. The sky was a giant LED board.

Interesting! Thank you.

What physical objects were on the sound stages?

 

[sablebrush52]

Anyone with opinion on use of AI or CGI?

Speaking as one of those poor sots who rode the digital wave in the early '90's, co-founding Warner Digital Studio as its senior Art Director I know that digital tools opened up a lot of possibilities for telling stories. But they are NOT the story, just a toolbox for talented artists. As Goerge Lucas said, nothing is more boring than a visual effect.

On the other hand, AI has great potential to expand storytelling, but at a huge cost to jobs, an estimated 200,000 in the VFX and animation fields over the next several years.

Because much of its data uses the stolen creativity of gifted artists it allows mediocrities to look like geniuses, at least till the repetition of its creative limits winds up with its eating its own tail.

Personally I would like to see these AI companies made to pay for their stolen assets with at least some of that going to help artists, whose jobs are made redundant by this tech, transition to a different career path.

My advice to artists is to embrace the tech, master using it, and market that skill. They will make beaucoup bucks for a few years before advancements replace them.

When digital technology hit the field of VFX I didn't waste a nanosecond moaning about it. I taught myself new skills and rode that wave to new opportunities. AI will be more destructive.

Studio execs and Wall Street love it because AI will cut costs and boost profits even as it dulls creativity. They understand profit and loss, not creativity. It doesn't have to be that way, but we're dealing with human beings and they rarely do things well.

 

[gubbyduffer]

I find too much cgi takes me out of the scene. It feels massively over used. There was period in film making in the 90's where there was a perfect crossover with large parts of effects still done practically. The cgi and practical effects in Terminator 2 still hold up, with the exception of the models used to show the nuclear bomb. Cameron again showed what was possible with The Abyss. When I watch Jurassic Park, which is over 30 years old, I am amazed at how good the cgi looks, particularly the T-Rex paddock escape scene, and am aware how the low lighting and rain setting helped with this. Watching it recently, I forgot how much of it was practical. CGI shots are extremely fleeting.

 

[bobomatic]

Remember back in the day when we just had the three networks? ABC,CBS,NBC and the rabbit ears? My dad mandated my role as "channel changer" also known as a remote. I also remember when cable was being talked about, it's promise was no commercials. Yeah, we know how that turned out.

 

[mingc]

Interesting! Thank you.

What physical objects were on the sound stages?

I was so taken with the movie that I watched a lot of the Director, cast and crew interviews, and behind-the-scene shorts, on YouTube. Apparently, the props were extremely detailed. Wilem Defoe mentioned that he pulled a random book from a set bookshelf and found a period correct volume of anatomical drawings. I expect it made it easier to get into character with that much detail. There are videos of the sets and sound stages in YouTube.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Great reference. Thanks. Less use of AI than I thought, but still....

 

[renfield]

In Orwell’s “1984” the telescreens couldn’t be turned off and were used to monitor the populace. We’re about halfway there.

 

[Briar Lee]

Remember back in the day when we just had the three networks? ABC,CBS,NBC and the rabbit ears? My dad mandated my role as "channel changer" also known as a remote. I also remember when cable was being talked about, it's promise was no commercials. Yeah, we know how that turned out.

I was born in 1958 and my baby pictures show a television in the living room.

My first memory of it, was Alan Shepard in Freedom 7, when I was three.

Mercury-Redstone 3 - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

There were two channels, 3 and 10, then later 27.

The laundry soap and cigarette and coffee companies financed all the outrageously good shows then, from Gunsmoke to Bonanza to the Beverley Hillbillies and Mayberry RFD.

We are living in the golden age of television today, in the present.

I do wish Sheriff Matt Dillon would have married Miss Kitty, like Sheriff Andy did his girlfriend.

And if I could have back just one show, of course it would be Porter Wagoner.

My first love was Pretty Miss Norma Jean

 

[username]

The problem with streaming is its gotten to be or is depending n what you want As as expensive as cable. I just dont watch much streaming anymore outside of Amazon prime which I have as a family plan with my dad. We just got rid of netflix. I just find I dont watch as much tv/movies as I used to.

 

[alexishector]

The radio interview I heard about CNN+ made the decision sound like more of a "keeping the network on track" decision, instead of based on sales sorta thing.

Netflix is having issues with loss of revenue based upon people sharing passwords. With people leaving cable in droves here, I see more and more people turning to Netflix, Hulu, Roku, etc... I really don't think they are in any danger of becoming extinct just yet, but cable networks... yeh, F 'em. Let the cable companies bleed out, IMO.

Quality of movies? IMO, movies have never been better. Give me series with lots of blood, violence, and nudity. I don't think anyone wants to go back to Lavern and Shirley or Family Ties type of series again. Heck, I can't stand cable based series where you'd have to sit through commercials or watch a show at a day and particular time again. On Demand is where it is at.
I think that most viewers prefer a series, where you can binge a story over 50+ hours at a time than a movie where you only get 120 minutes and its over. But, even movies... best ever, IMO.

Maybe a contributing problem is how many streaming services there are now. Everyone is making a new streaming APP Junk Removal Arlington wa... and APPs are so yesterday. Starz, Premier, HBOMAX... if I can't get them in a Prime or Roku package, I am not about to pay to download an APP.

But quality... I can't even think of a pre-streaming series that comes close to Yellowstone, Game of Thrones, Ozark... nope, nothing comes to mind.

Been using Netflix for almost a year. Using CellC 50meg fibre line, ethernet-linked to X96 Mini Android box. Last week I started getting error message 3.2 stating "We're having a problem connecting to Netflix. Please try later or try and alternative network connection. (3.1)". Troubleshooting blames either VPN or proxies - I have none. Eventually Netflix tells me it is because we are running IPv4, and Netflix requires IPv6.
All my other devices connected to same router still plays Netflix. If I link x96 box to my cell phone as hotspot, then Netflix works. Weird! Netflix's refuses to answer or assist in any further way, just stating that is you run IPv4, you MAY encounter this problem, and the fact that my other devices are still running is according to them just because their system haven't "picked them up yet".

CellC is saying they don't support IPv6. So, basically I am screwed!

Is someone bull-%^& me?? Anyway, more of a theoretical debate, because I refuse to give my money to such a pathetic and unhelpful company - cancelled my sub immediately!

 

[Sigmund]

I simply cant stand network tv and the 8 million commercials in between a show...or is that 8 minutes of show between commercials...I cant tell. Pause rewind and captions are great. Especially with new stuff where they feel compelled to put audio with huge amounts of ambient noise. Maybe its proof that people really dont have anything to say when they put that much noise in a show.

 

[mawnansmiff]

and with actors who don't exist in the flesh.

I think the only benefit in that would be no more Oscars, Golden Globes etc and that really would be a blessing.

On late night TV last night, both the BBC & Sky had so called journalists gushing over who might and who might not win at the forthcoming awards ceremony.....it nearly put me off my glass of Makers Mark .

BTW John, I'll bet you were delighted with the Spurs win over Aston Villa t'other day, four nil if memory serves .

Jay.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Been using Netflix for almost a year. Using CellC 50meg fibre line, ethernet-linked to X96 Mini Android box. Last week I started getting error message 3.2 stating "We're having a problem connecting to Netflix. Please try later or try and alternative network connection. (3.1)". Troubleshooting blames either VPN or proxies - I have none. Eventually Netflix tells me it is because we are running IPv4, and Netflix requires IPv6.
All my other devices connected to same router still plays Netflix. If I link x96 box to my cell phone as hotspot, then Netflix works. Weird! Netflix's refuses to answer or assist in any further way, just stating that is you run IPv4, you MAY encounter this problem, and the fact that my other devices are still running is according to them just because their system haven't "picked them up yet".

CellC is saying they don't support IPv6. So, basically I am screwed!

Is someone bull-%^& me?? Anyway, more of a theoretical debate, because I refuse to give my money to such a pathetic and unhelpful company - cancelled my sub immediately!

I don't have any idea what you are talking about, ha ha. When we dropped cable and just used Spectrum for WIFI, I just called them and the installation guy made sure our Roku TV worked before he left. I find these guys are able to work miracles when you dangle one hundred dollar bills in front of them.

 

[bobomatic]

The problem with streaming is its gotten to be or is depending n what you want As as expensive as cable. I just dont watch much streaming anymore outside of Amazon prime which I have as a family plan with my dad. We just got rid of netflix. I just find I dont watch as much tv/movies as I used to.

Pretty much the same here. I got rid of netflix because 9 out of 10 times I'd be watching a movie and just couldn't get through it. I did that on almost every movie I tried watching. I got bored with it. Also, I'm seeing content on there, that just rubs me the wrong way, so in the end, I didn't feel like supporting that. Felt better to just drop it altogether.

 

[fireground_piper]

I dropped Disney and Hulu last year from the list. Still don’t use Netflix.

There’s been lots of talk on Paramount merging with someone, but who that someone is keeps changing.

Of course, my cable service went up $15 per month this year so that offset the savings from dropping Disney/hulu.

 

[anantaandroscoggin]

Remember back in the day when we just had the three networks? ABC,CBS,NBC and the rabbit ears? My dad mandated my role as "channel changer" also known as a remote. I also remember when cable was being talked about, it's promise was no commercials. Yeah, we know how that turned out.

An old Maine humorist known as The Humble Farmer once quipped something about: "Who needs a remote control? When I get too lazy to tell the old lady to get up and change the channel I might as well die."