‘There’s Major Trouble on The Horizon,’ Tech Vet Michael Cioni Warns Hollywood

variety.com:

Carolyn Giardina Warning that there’s “major trouble on the horizon, ” industry vet Michael Cioni, who is CEO of AI tool startup Stada and founder of post house Light Iron, has outlined the impact of advancing tech and the creator economy while presenting a bold approach to how he believes a threatened Hollywood could survive and thrive.

During a talk at last week’s HPA Tech Retreat, Cioni urged “Hollywood” – a term he used to encompass all of professional media and entertainment – to reconsider traditions and to be a sort of bridge to the creator economy. “If we really believe the saving of our industry is going to be based on trying to get it back to where it was in 2019, we’re going to lose it all,” he warned. “The Hollywood that we can make successful, it’s not about ‘survive through 25.’ We can thrive.

We just have to admit that it’s going to look a lot different.” To the studio tech leaders in attendance, Cioni maintained that the studios have the power to steer change “because you are the most powerful. … You control so much of this.” “Your power is in exhibition and distribution and marketing.

That’s where the power of the studio really should be focusing itself, he opined. “What we need from you is not to give us script notes and not to actually give us notes on the cuts and decide if this is a good project or not.