While creating new movies seems like something that only used to happen, there are still studios out there who are looking to get back into production. And there are some interesting ideas, including the new partnership between Lionsgate and media company Buzzfeed. They are teaming up to try and create films for the young adult set, a crew that may be obsessed with Tik Tok at the moment, but which the companies think they can bring back to some longer-form content. As this article quotes:
“We are expanding our strategy to include long-form content, with a slate that celebrates identity, diversity and youth culture, and concepts that highlight themes and characters not typically at the center of pop movies…”
It is a bold strategy considering how hard it is to even get older adults to sit through a whole movie nowadays. But if done correctly this could have significant implications for how content would be produced for that particular demographic. The question is, how do the studios hit the core tenets of their strategy while also creating legitimately good content?
If they’re not looking to use AI, then this should absolutely be their next move.
Determining what content, and what inside the content, truly impacts an audience is already immensely difficult. But trying to figure that out for young adults, who interact with content so much differently than anyone over 30, is even more complex.
Looking back through the history of cinema, studios have often been caught flatfooted when trying to figure out what those damn kids will actually want to watch. They have had no faith in future blockbusters and put way too much money into massive flops. This has been true for all kinds of movies, but it seems that nailing down the tastes and preferences of those who grew up with the internet is tough without some truly superhuman insights into what they really want to see.
But a Lionsgate/Buzzfeed partnership means that they are able to use a platform like Resonance AI to analyze both past film performance and web content performance to determine what exactly is resonating with a younger audience.
By breaking down the elements of this content, tying it to viewer metrics, then using machine learning to make millions of connections between them, Resonance AI is able to pinpoint what keeps the attention of those whose attention is being pulled in a million different directions.
And this is the kind of analysis that can be done quickly, and reliably, to make quick decisions backed by the data.
This wouldn’t tell creators what to make, but rather give them a deeper, richer perspective on what is working and what isn’t. It’s the kind of tool that is essential when trying to bridge the generational gap and find the essence of the content that will keep them watching.