Hollywood as We Know It Is Over
I live in Los Angeles, specifically the west side; hardly a day goes by that I don't see a Ferrari pull out of the Sony Studios facility, a 50-person crew filming 2 actors talking next to a cafe, or an action scene that closes down part of a freeway, with 100s of police, security, helicopters, etc. around.  Many scenes of Grey's Anatomy are filmed in what is almost my back yard, and they often involve a dozen camera-crew trucks, staff of 60+ people, etc.  I just cringe when I think of the cost.<p>What most people want is a great story, and great dialog.  I'm not talking about the audience for a Transformers movie, I don't watch them but some do; that is a different story, and the animation can be done, and is being done, more cheaply outside of Hollywood already.  But what I'm saying is that if you can write a great script and have a great story with great dialog, there are plenty of hungry, often young (age isn't relevant BTW) people with RED 4K cameras who can film and edit and put together a great product for $3M, not $30M or $100M.<p>The days of Brad Pitt getting $30M for a movie, of Julia Roberts getting $25M, are coming to and end.  It might take 5 years, or 10 years, or even a generation, but it will happen.  Same thing to studio execs; the days of drinking champagne for breakfast and lighting Cuban cigars with $100 bills will end.  IT JUST IS NOT SUSTAINABLE, NECESSARY, OR COMPETITIVE ANYMORE.  (Sorry for shouting, but that is the crux of my point).  30 years ago, there was no internet to speak of, there were no RED (or Canon, etc.) cameras, there were no "prosumer" drones with HD cameras, non-western countries were isolated and not part of the global workforce, etc.<p>That has all changed.  It is just very easy to put together a great product for less, and all must adjust.  It happened to IT, computing and programming, and it's happening to entertainment.