We live in the era of the “explainer movie” — a creation like those in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Dune ecosystem, Star Wars constellation and, on the television side, the Game of Thrones series that has sweeping and sophisticated fictional worlds, extensive background lore and complex (or, at least, many) narrative arcs. - Washington Post (MSN)
Some tastemakers say today’s music scene is a soulless algorithmic wasteland — others say it’s more vibrant than ever. However you find it, don’t just rely on your Spotify or Apple Music algorithm to introduce you to new artists. - Washington Post
"The rain-soaked video game on (lead designer and writer Dhruv Jani's) computer screen, Folds of a Separation, is just one of many that Studio Oleomingus has created about India’s postcolonial history and its contemporary political climate." - The New York Times
“We see these celebrity replicas happening all the time, but our own data – us, the small people of the world – is being harvested at exactly the same rate … It’s not really the capacity of the technology , it’s the way flawed, dumb, evil people choose to wield it.” - The Guardian
"They had begun making their lives there around a date in December 2012 coinciding with the 5,125-year cycle of an ancient calendar, widely reported as a 'Mayan apocalypse.' ... Le Bloc had begun at the world’s end, they would say. The squat picked up where the world had left off." - The Paris Review
Although open-access advocates and library groups support the move, opponents argue the new policy will limit researchers’ ability to maintain control of their published work—and cut into the $19 billion academic publishing industry’s profit margins. - InsideHigherEd
"AI is already curating museum shows and biennials. Could it change how we approach, study, or regard art of the past, too? When it comes to AI and art history, it’s important to remember that, for many, this is not just a technological question, but an urgent ideological one too." - ARTnews
Fmovies launched in 2016 and racked up 374 million monthly visits more than 6.7 billion visits from January 2023-June 2024. Data from SimilarWeb ranked Fmovies as the 280th most visited website in any category and the 11th most popular TV, movies and streaming website. - Engadget
As she approaches her not-entirely-amicable departure after 45 years, the 73-year-old artistic director discusses the challenges she faced as a woman in the industry, her favorite memories (and her biggest disaster) and what her future in the theater may look like. - The New York Times
In 2024, both main parties recognise the positive power of music. While campaign songs and rally playlists encourage a sense of unity, they also send important messages to the wider electorate, reinforcing and differentiating the identity of the party and leader. - The Conversation
There are very legitimate concerns which such agreements can protect against, so an NDA shouldn't be rejected on general principle. Here's what to look for to make sure that the document is safeguarding creative product and personal security rather than covering up malfeasance. - Dance Magazine
"The chair of the OA board, Rod Sims, said that Davies’s contract was prematurely severed by mutual agreement … due to 'differences of opinion about how Opera Australia should successfully balance artistic innovation, audience development and commercial imperatives moving forward'." Sources say a mediator had to be brought in. - The Guardian
"Embedded in the newsroom throughout the year, the person will aim to 'ratchet up our ‘joy’ quotient across platforms,' according to an internal memo." - Bloomberg
After examining over 5,000 NFT collections and collecting 5 million transactions from NFTScan, researchers found that the overwhelming majority are dead (zero trading volume or social media activity), 43% of NFT holders have lost money on them, and the average loss is 44.5%. - NFTevening
"The Hamilton Family Charitable Trust, which contributed about half of UArts’ $62 million endowment, is not in favor of that money going to Temple as part of the deal, which largely appears to be sinking it. … Temple did not want to engage in a legal battle with a charitable trust." - The Philadelphia Inquirer
