I just spent two days at Amazon/MGM Studios in Culver City at AI on the Lot, the biggest AI filmmaking conference in the world. Paul Schrader, the man who wrote Taxi Driver, among other classics, stood up and walked the room through how he's writing with AI now. Studios that wouldn't say the word two years ago were on the main stage with their names on the work. Films are shipping. This isn't a prediction. It's happening, right now, in Culver City. And I want to say something to those of you who've been dragging your feet, or worse, nursing a grudge about it. I've made this argument before. When the Avid came out, I was one of the first to cut a studio project on it, and I spent a lot of time telling my friends to learn it before it passed them by. Some did. Some crossed their arms, said "That's not real editing," and waited it out. You know how that turned out. I'll be straight with you: the Avid was an easier sell. It obviously made our job better, faster, and more our own. This one's harder, because it doesn't feel like a new tool, it feels like it's coming for the job itself. I understand why that's scary. But hear me: it is not coming for you. Not if you're the one driving it. Here's the part nobody's saying: AI doesn't erase the editor. It puts the editor at the center. Everything becomes post. The person who knows story, rhythm, and how to finish a piece becomes more valuable when the tools get faster, not less. But only if you pick them up. You don't have to love it. You don't have to use all of it. You just have to stop pretending it's going away, sit down, and learn enough to have an opinion based on the tools instead of the fear. I wrote up the whole conference, every session, in this week's AIography newsletter. Read it. Not for the clicks, but so you can see with your own eyes that the people in our business are already doing this. Here is the link to the full newsletter.

I wanted to share something that’s come across my radar as a potential work opportunity, especially for anyone feeling the slowdown in traditional film and TV right now. There’s a new market exploding around vertical shorts / micro-dramas. You’ve probably seen pieces of this already on TikTok, ReelShort, DramaBox, ShortMax, etc., but what’s happening behind the scenes is interesting. These platforms are producing scripted, episodic content designed for mobile: - Episodes are typically 1–3 minutes - Seasons can run 30–75 episodes - Content is bundled and sold directly to users inside apps - And yes — these shows are being edited by real humans This isn’t a gimmick. It’s becoming a full-on production ecosystem with producers, production companies, schedules, deliverables, and post workflows. Different from long-form TV, obviously — but still very real work. Here’s a link to the search I did which gives you a broader overview of the space so you can get the lay of the land:👉 CLICK THIS LINK If things are slow for you right now, I’d strongly encourage you to: - Click through all the source links - Start noticing producer names and production companies - Look up where they’re based - And yes — do the footwork and get your resume in front of them Just like any other corner of our industry, opportunities don’t magically appear. You have to follow the breadcrumbs, make connections, and show up prepared. Is this the same as cutting a studio feature or prestige TV series? No. Could it be a way to stay working, build relationships, and gain experience in a rapidly growing sector? Absolutely. At the very least, it’s worth understanding where parts of the industry are heading — especially when audience behavior (mobile-first viewing) is driving real dollars and real production. Hope this helps some of you see another door that might be worth knocking on.