raze2012's recent activity
-
Comment on AI videos have never been better: can you tell what's real? in ~tech
-
Comment on The reason movie trailers give so much away: "a necessary evil" in ~movies
raze2012 LinkI should have figured. Is the selection for such focus groups really bad, or really good and shows the contrasts between an average Joe and an enthusiast who'd voice their opinions? Well, yes....It turns out we only have ourselves to blame. Or, more specifically: focus groups.
I should have figured. Is the selection for such focus groups really bad, or really good and shows the contrasts between an average Joe and an enthusiast who'd voice their opinions?
In editing these trailers, "big" moments often elicit the strongest audience responses and also serve to remind viewers the film being marketed is unlike anything they’ve seen before
Well, yes. It's called a "climax" for a reason. But if you show your biggest moment you don't have much more to rely on for the actual theatrical run. I guess that just shows the incentives at play; "butts in seats", whether they like the movie or not is irrelevant.
Until it isn't and word of mouth overcomes the 100m ad push. Very short sighted.
What I relate it to is McDonald’s. The reason McDonald’s is a tremendous success is that you don’t have any surprises. You know exactly what it is going to taste like. Everybody knows the menu."
Comparing a directors vision to a fast food chain really proves the point some have about how the Movie industry sees itself these days.
Fast food is tolerable because it's cheap ; you can't want to "be like McDonald's" and then still charge $20+ for a ticket and $20 more for some popcorn drink combo.
"People don't like it but almost everyone that says they don't like it go[es] to see the movie," Blum told Insider in 2020. "The trailer really isn't for those people that are so tuned in, it's people who are kind of thinking they may or may not go. One of the ways to get them to go is to show them a lot of the movie in a trailer. And I thought we should have shown more of the movie in The Invisible Man trailer."
I'm ambivalent about this mentality of "well we got that audience already", but it's probably the fairest take in the piece. Horror is a particularly sticky genre, though. Not many others can get away with a nigh built-in audience, especially if they are a new IP. Would a romcom get the same appeal if you reveal all the best jokes in the trailer? I guess if they see it (and the audience) as fast food it doesn't matter.
But when the industry is complaining about declining visits, it seems self-fulfilling. Like everything else, movies got more expensive and arguably declined in quality. If you lose that prestige and at least aren't gonna be a cheap social experience, the results are obvious.
This was a frustrating read, but frank. So I appreciate that there was no sugarcoating around why they do it. Fairly concise as well.
-
Comment on ‘Elio’ box office flop: Why can’t Pixar launch original films? in ~movies
raze2012 Link ParentYes, let me be more specific. In general I don't really like that market has more than even production. I looked up the production budget and it's apparently 150m as well. I thunk it's a bit weird...Yes, let me be more specific. In general I don't really like that market has more than even production. I looked up the production budget and it's apparently 150m as well.
I thunk it's a bit weird that instead of putting 10% more budget into making the actual movie that Disney chooses to put it into putting commercials on TV.
-
Comment on Johnny Depp says he has “no regrets” about Amber Heard trial and was a “crash test dummy for #MeToo” in ~movies
raze2012 Link ParentAs I did. I'll admit I was in that rabbit hole quite a bit in those mid 2010's times, but 2016 definitely showed me how the winds were changing and that these supposed "male issues matter too!"...As I did. I'll admit I was in that rabbit hole quite a bit in those mid 2010's times, but 2016 definitely showed me how the winds were changing and that these supposed "male issues matter too!" sorts of statements were at best being co-opted by bad actors for much larger goals, or at worst never made in good faith by more major actors.
You can still argue that this is the case to this day, to some extent. Even if the culture war nature of the internet cooled dowm from those times.
-
Comment on Johnny Depp says he has “no regrets” about Amber Heard trial and was a “crash test dummy for #MeToo” in ~movies
raze2012 Link ParentThat's sadly modern social media in a nutshell. The most reverred, followed, and influential people tend to either be the (metphorical or real) grifters who spend all their time minmaxing for...With those factors in mind, the MeToo movement poisoned itself by taking on a dispute that is fundamentally incompatible with the experiences of average people.
That's sadly modern social media in a nutshell. The most reverred, followed, and influential people tend to either be the (metphorical or real) grifters who spend all their time minmaxing for engagement, or the rich who already have all eyes on them. So many of these trends and movements start because of these two, inorganic groups.
That's not necessarily a bad thing, but the actors in questions don't exactly have the betterment of society in mind. so it's no surprise society suffers as they idolize these beings. We now see this all the way up to the Oval Office, and I don't think I need to explain the results of that.
America definitely needs better role models, lest it destoys itself.
-
Comment on Most US exhibition execs think traditional moviegoing has less than twenty years as ‘viable business model,’ according to new survey in ~movies
raze2012 Link ParentI imagine it's also partially cultural. Americans tend to have large households, perfect for hosting that more intimate get together of 2-8 people. In comparison, someone in a cramped apartment...I imagine it's also partially cultural. Americans tend to have large households, perfect for hosting that more intimate get together of 2-8 people. In comparison, someone in a cramped apartment for school or simply by necessity may appreciate any way to get out of the house for a while, and theaters work with that. Or people in different countries where that housing setup is the norm.
And. to be frank: while we are on a dedicated group talking about them, there's definitely been a denigration in the appreciation of media in general lately. Some of that is self-inflicted by an industry that's try to go for "art" less and less as of late, but if people are more than fine scrolling tiktok for 2 hours, why would they care about taking the time and effort to get up and get to a theater (even if cost wasn't a strong factor)? It feels a tad dramatic and even snooty to say to say, but in some regards art is dying in modern society. AI will only further accelerate that if people lose their taste for long form content.
I do agree the food can be crazy expensive though. I try to buy popcorn because I get it: theatres don't make much money on the tickets themselves. But I don't feel bad sneakig in some whoppers.
-
Comment on Most US exhibition execs think traditional moviegoing has less than twenty years as ‘viable business model,’ according to new survey in ~movies
raze2012 Link ParentIt's really sad we have to once again get to a point where art dies because people can't make money off of it. It's not like people were necessarily demanding 300m budget movies to begin with....It's really sad we have to once again get to a point where art dies because people can't make money off of it. It's not like people were necessarily demanding 300m budget movies to begin with. Just good, impactful ones with some care put it to buff out the rough edges we struggled with 30 years ago. Tech got so much more efficient, but we seemed to have used it as an excuse to explode budgets instead of streamline workflows.
and yes, this applies to more than just movies. Same seems to be happening in games and TV as well. Books and comics seem resilient because they seem to realize the matter of too many cooks; you're generally not going to have more than one main author with maybe a few asisstants producing the work.
-
Comment on ‘Elio’ box office flop: Why can’t Pixar launch original films? in ~movies
raze2012 Link ParentWell there's spending less, and then still realizing you're spending 15m dollars. I know it's chump change for Disney, but if what's apparently 10% of the production budget it spent on marketing...Well there's spending less, and then still realizing you're spending 15m dollars. I know it's chump change for Disney, but if what's apparently 10% of the production budget it spent on marketing to a waning platform instead of at least going back into production, it just makes inevitable headlines of layoffs even stupider
-
Comment on ‘Elio’ box office flop: Why can’t Pixar launch original films? in ~movies
raze2012 Link ParentGiven the directorial direction this decade form Pixar and Disney, it seems to match the idea of a more personal story. A man in the Bronx trying to make his next break, a Canadian woman...Given the directorial direction this decade form Pixar and Disney, it seems to match the idea of a more personal story. A man in the Bronx trying to make his next break, a Canadian woman discovering womanhood, two unlike elementals fall in love and overcome hardship.
They all have more to it than a quick premise pitch x but it clearly seems like (outside of Lightyear), the post - Lassenter era of animation wants to tell smaller, more relatable stories. Or at least pitch them as so.
-
Comment on ‘Elio’ box office flop: Why can’t Pixar launch original films? in ~movies
raze2012 Link ParentWhy are companies still investing tens of millions into TV ads? I don't think I need to explain how the paradigms have shifted over a decade ago now. Why does Disney, a network made up of at least...-
Why are companies still investing tens of millions into TV ads? I don't think I need to explain how the paradigms have shifted over a decade ago now.
-
Why does Disney, a network made up of at least a dozen channels, need to spend 10s of millions to show ads, which assumedly also means on their own networks?
-
-
Comment on New law in Sweden that makes it illegal to buy custom adult content will take effect on July 1 – content creators say it makes their profession more dangerous in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentI didn't know viewing a recorded naked person was sex. Why do people keep calling me a virgin in that case? I'm not even sure if this really addresses anything. Modern OF models sends "custom DMs"...I didn't know viewing a recorded naked person was sex. Why do people keep calling me a virgin in that case?
I'm not even sure if this really addresses anything. Modern OF models sends "custom DMs" but really they are to everyone subscribed and it's a paywall within a paywall.
-
Comment on The Onion calls out ‘cowardice’ of US Congress in full-page New York Times ad in ~society
raze2012 Link ParentGonna be a lot of groveling in a year's time, then. Of we make it that far. If that vluw wave doesn't happen (or some other kind of administrative shakeup), I really don't know if the US will survive.until the masses back them up against the wall.
Gonna be a lot of groveling in a year's time, then. Of we make it that far. If that vluw wave doesn't happen (or some other kind of administrative shakeup), I really don't know if the US will survive.
-
Comment on Is the AI bubble about to burst? in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentThis does succicty explain one of the two divides in AI. Those who know what the sausage is made out of vs those treating AI like a black box. If you lack the ability to understand and reason...I could only incorporate AI generated code into a project of mine after I thoroughly review it and make sure I understand it well. I have to feel confident that I can modify or extend this piece of code in the future, or else I cannot use it.
This does succicty explain one of the two divides in AI. Those who know what the sausage is made out of vs those treating AI like a black box. If you lack the ability to understand and reason about the problem, AI will feel like magic if it can get anywhere in the ballpark. If you work that craft yourself: that's when you find the odd fingers in the art. The incomrehensible, unmaintanable code in the logic. The inhumanity in the writing.
To be blunt: AI culture rewards mediocrity and "results-oriented" mindsets. Something that is sadly common in a society that is filled with distrust and anxiety.
-
Comment on Nexus Mods ownership changing hands: An update from Dark0ne in ~games
raze2012 Link ParentTbh I feel these scenes work best when small and disparate anyway. These are some of the most prone sites to be taken down, so it works best as a hydra than as one centralized monolith. I know...Tbh I feel these scenes work best when small and disparate anyway. These are some of the most prone sites to be taken down, so it works best as a hydra than as one centralized monolith.
I know people like to have all their eggs in one basket, but the current structures just don't support it properly
-
Comment on Nexus Mods ownership changing hands: An update from Dark0ne in ~games
raze2012 Link ParentI don't blame Daek0ne for wanting to get out. I'm sure that was years of strain and at some points more of an expense than anything. But it's a real shame the changing of hands is probably to one...I don't blame Daek0ne for wanting to get out. I'm sure that was years of strain and at some points more of an expense than anything. But it's a real shame the changing of hands is probably to one that doesn't have the best interests of the site in mind.
-
Comment on Is the AI bubble about to burst? in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentYeah, turns out humans, even in places like the US, are relatively cheap compared to trying to maintain a perfect, potentially more efficient, more obedient robot to do it all for you. Trying to...Yeah, turns out humans, even in places like the US, are relatively cheap compared to trying to maintain a perfect, potentially more efficient, more obedient robot to do it all for you. Trying to threaten the creative landscapes was easier than trying to replace plumbers (who themselves are already expensive, typically making 6 figures once established).
Despite falling costs for robot hardware — often cited as evidence that automation would accelerate — the true expense lay not in acquiring robots but in integrating them into production systems. Programming, optimising, and maintaining industrial robots typically costs three times more than the machines themselves, meaning that only large firms producing highly standardised goods could justify their widespread use. Small and medium-sized enterprises, which tend to specialise in customised, small-batch production, saw little incentive to automate.
There's a lot of good explanations and breakdowns of culture here as well, but this cold economic reality should make it clear why things aren't moving as fast as billionaires want it to.
-
Comment on Donald Trump humiliated as disappointing crowd turns up for Washington DC military parade in ~society
raze2012 Link Parenthttps://www.theverge.com/policy/685690/big-tech-trump-military-parade-america250 Nothing the public can really boycott except Amazon. I did what little I could by cancelling prime a few months...https://www.theverge.com/policy/685690/big-tech-trump-military-parade-america250
Nothing the public can really boycott except Amazon. I did what little I could by cancelling prime a few months back.
But yes. I've seen plenty of military marches given my background and it was truly surreal seeing part of an otherwise typical routine cut to saying "sponsored by Coinbase". We truly have embraced Idiocracy.
-
Comment on Donald Trump humiliated as disappointing crowd turns up for Washington DC military parade in ~society
raze2012 Link ParentIn all fairness, this is likely similar to what a NK parade really is like for the people. Minus the need to pretend to be happy in fear of their lives.In all fairness, this is likely similar to what a NK parade really is like for the people. Minus the need to pretend to be happy in fear of their lives.
-
Comment on Democratic lawmaker killed and another wounded in Minnesota in apparently ‘politically motivated’ attacks in ~society
raze2012 Link ParentClick bait not uncommonly used as of late. I believe just yesterday sherrifs were threatening the protests with more or less, "shoot a few and they'll scatter"? Though if you're using direct...If it were the headline of a news article, it would be clickbait.
Click bait not uncommonly used as of late. I believe just yesterday sherrifs were threatening the protests with more or less, "shoot a few and they'll scatter"?
Though if you're using direct quotes, is it really click bait at that point? I suppose my main point is that we're in an environment that facilitates violence and it only takes one out of hundreds of millions to do this.
-
Comment on Democratic lawmaker killed and another wounded in Minnesota in apparently ‘politically motivated’ attacks in ~society
raze2012 Link ParentAnd people are wondering why it's dangerous for ICE to move around in unmarked vehicles, masked, with no ID. Almost like any dude with a gun can pretend to be the police (and have, several times...And people are wondering why it's dangerous for ICE to move around in unmarked vehicles, masked, with no ID. Almost like any dude with a gun can pretend to be the police (and have, several times this year) when you don't follow procedure.
I'd rather make regulation to disclose when a video is generated mostly with AI. Best way to remove a gift is to make them honest.
If people still don't care from there... Well, not much surprises me in 2025.