THE INKTANK
A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE FUTURE OF STORYTELLING
The September Headline:
The Smooshening Is Upon Us.
New entertainment languages are emerging before we have even figured out what to call them. The number of stories being made has exploded, along with the number of ways we can encounter them: on personal devices, in theaters, through social media, at live events, inside games, and in physical spaces designed to be experienced and recorded at the same time.
It feels like everything is changing because everything is changing.
When Every Entertainment Company Becomes a Platform
Streaming services once competed over who had the best shows. Now they are adding podcasts, short-form video, games, sports, shopping and creator content. The next battle for entertainment may be less about what we watch than where we spend our time.
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Creators are constantly told to show up everywhere, post more, and master every new platform. A better strategy might be simpler: choose the place that makes sense for you, learn it deeply, and give yourself permission to ignore the rest.
Animation Has Always Been Complicated. AI Is Making It Complicateder.
AI is blurring the boundaries between animation, live action, and automation…but the real questions are about artists, labor, consent, and ownership. As the tools evolve, who gets to decide what should be protected?
In Which The Ad Break Eats The Show
The old commercial break was annoying but clear: the show stopped, somebody tried to sell us something, and then the show returned. Now advertising lives inside entertainment, culture, and conversation, and the audience has been cast in it.
THE SMOOSHENING IS UPON US
I can't stop thinking about how much storytelling is evolving.
New entertainment languages are emerging before we have even figured out what to call them. The number of stories being made has exploded, along with the number of ways we can encounter them: on personal devices, in theaters, through social media, at live events, inside games, and in physical spaces designed to be experienced and recorded at the same time.
It feels like everything is changing because everything is changing.
Vertical Horror
Social media could become the new midnight theater.
CBS Bought the VMAs a Suit, But It Still Wished It Smelled Like Teen Spirit
Look, the logic for moving the MTV Video Music Awards to CBS is simple: follow the money. Paramount wants its big event on the free network with the fatter ad checks. On a spreadsheet, it’s a no-brainer. But...
This Show Was a Hot Mess… and I Loved Every Minute of It.
Forget prestige TV. This is a love letter to the beautiful disasters and gloriously unhinged shows you just can't quit. Welcome to the art of the hate-watch.