At first, slop was a widely derided format, the kind of clicky nonsense churned out by content farms or trolls. But, in September, with the launch of OpenAI’s Sora app, a social network and feed for A.I.-generated videos, the company set about convincing users that slop was something we should all be making for fun. - The New Yorker
The TV network ABC will continue to broadcast the ceremony through its centennial edition in 2028. From the following year through 2033, YouTube will retain global rights to streaming the Academy Awards, including pre-ceremony red-carpet coverage. - AP
With the rejection official, Paramount will need to persuade WBD shareholders to tender their shares at that price, or to submit a higher bid than its $108 billion offer that would shift the outcome of the dealmaking. - The Hollywood Reporter
“For Warner, what was missing was a clear declaration from Paramount that the Ellison family” — Paramount Skydance chief David Ellison and his father, tech mogul Larry Ellison — “had agreed to commit funding for the deal.” - Los Angeles Times (MSN)
You couldn’t avoid the irony: The drama for how traditional Hollywood will be devoured is now as entertaining as anything Hollywood could ever come up with. - The Hollywood Reporter
The AI had taken elements of similar recipes from multiple creators and Frankensteined them into something barely recognizable. In one memorable case, the Google AI failed to distinguish the satirical website the Onion from legitimate recipe sites and advised users to cook with non-toxic glue. - The Guardian
“It takes place in the dead of winter, ... when the awards season race … is nearly over. Perhaps as a result, the festival has, in recent years, been somewhat overshadowed by its sister events (in Cannes and Venice). A new director, Tricia Tuttle, is trying to change things.” - The New York Times
“The US president alleged the broadcaster 'intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively' edited his 6 January speech before the insurrection, in an episode of Panorama just over a year ago.” He is seeking $5 billion for defamation and $5 billion for violating Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. - The Guardian
"Disaster, catastrophe and nightmare. That's how Hollywood's creative workers describe the fall of the once mighty Warner Bros, as Netflix and Paramount battle to buy the historic studio and tinsel town braces for more upheaval and job losses.” - BBC
“Everything on set revolved around the hawks’ well-being. Filming took place between October and January, to avoid molting season. Everyone in the crew wore drab, dark colors, because that’s what the birds were used to. Microphones were hidden because the birds didn’t like booms.” - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo)
And hey, why not learn three keys to financial literacy from one of the most highly played Christmas movies in the world? (Actually! This is a great article. Read it.) - Fast Company
“One of my friends has cultivated a list of 30 movies about ‘Fucked-Up British People,’ while I made ‘crash out cinema,’ a collection of films to watch when you’re in the throes of a maybe-unrequited crush.” - The Guardian (UK)
“Short-form video, autoplay feeds, and video podcasts are reshaping our attention, our politics, and even our sense of self—turning podcasts into background ‘wallpaper’ while nudging more of us into broadcasting our lives.” - The Atlantic
