I attended Bloomberg Screentime in search of vibes. I’ve got time to think about what I want to be doing next. Part of that calculus is whether the entertainment industry—television and streaming, specifically—is still the most desirable place for me to work. Evan Shapiro doesn’t mince words:
“No, you do NOT have to leave Media if you don’t want to. But if you want to keep working in Media, you HAVE TO redefine what Media means.”
That’s precisely what was on display at nya Studios last week. While traditional LA production folks were underworked, bored, and anxious about all the AI talk and enthusiasm, Creators—the podcasters, social media content producers, and influencers—had that Hollywood glow. Whether it was mega-successful Sean Evans and his Hot Ones crew holding court in one of the outdoor lounges, up-and-coming podcast producers just happy to be there, or Taylor Lorenz excitedly roaming from place to place looking for exciting stories and a phone charger that worked, they were the ones with the glint in their eye, big dreams of making it (or taking it to the next level), and often with impeccable skin.
The most confident conversation I attended was with the OnlyFans CEO and Whitney Cummings. There wasn’t any shame in being a website for “adults.” Instead, there was certainty in their strategy, their approach to growth, and their sense of what consumers and creators want today. And, there was money—so much money.
Clara Wu Tsai exuded similar confidence about the trajectory of the WNBA and the business of women’s sports more generally as she spoke to us the night before her New York Liberty would lose an instant classic overtime game against the Minnesota Lynx in game one of the WNBA Finals.
Everyone looking to the future talked and walked like they were happily strapped onto a rocket ship.
I also paid attention to who was present at the event and who wasn’t. While they didn’t appear on stage, Disney Entertainment was a presenting sponsor. Brian Roberts of Comcast/NBCU sounded like the one legacy Media boss who is sure of his approach. Matt Hopkins of Amazon Prime Video and Bela Bajaria of Netflix sounded like winners, breaking news about major deals and announcing new shows.
The other legacy media companies only appeared in “media apocalypse” style headlines on-screen or as the butt of jokes.
Hollywood veterans like Snoop Dogg, Kerry Washington, and even Jason Blum, as he suffered through the wings of death, were enthusiastic about creating music, television, and movies in this environment, though they acknowledged the challenges.
Despite all the doom and gloom, you don’t get into the entertainment industry unless your well of hope springs eternal. How else do you have the nerve to try to make popular art?
Like Evan said, though, I left the event realizing I had to open the aperture. Popular entertainment, who makes it, who distributes it, and how we want to experience it are as varied as they are personalized for each consumer.
Accept that.
Get enthusiastic about the possibilities it brings.
Or, get out.
Header image by Franz Hajak on Unsplash