⚡️TikTokers invented an 80s horror movie
PLUS: ChatGPT acquires Global Illumination
Clayton Hester
August 18, 2023
Happy Friday, creatives!
Hope it’s shaping up to be a good day for you.
Today, we’re diving into the weird, wild, wooly world of internet sensations — and how they’re blurring the line between real and fake 80s movies.
Plus, we’re taking a look at a new song settlement from music streaming apps.
Oh, and OpenAI making an acquisition — a big first.
And we’ve got origami designs getting a new application.
—Clayton
IT DOESN’T EXIST… YET
One of the most interesting pieces of the internet — as it continues to drive collaborative fiction forward in interesting ways — is how unreal things become real.
A few years ago, the Verge profiled this amazing fan wiki… about a fake show from the 70s.
Sometimes, as those of us with too many ideas know all too well, the ideas may be interesting without needing to become a show, per se.
I’d say that’s the case here.
Excalibur was a British show that (sadly) only lasted two seasons and brought together the legends of King Arthur, the devilish occultism of Crowley, and spacey stuff.
Other examples of this Wikipedia-type fiction include Neurocracy, which is a murder mystery.
With generative AI, faux-photography has become it's own sort of art form.
We’re also entering the age of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality.
It’s an age where the lines of fact and fiction are blurring.
Oh and don’t forget Goncharov, Martin Scorsese’s 1973 film which never was.
Wikipedia tells us it was set “in Naples in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, it is said to star Robert De Niro in the role of the protagonist, Lo Straniero, also known as Goncharov, who is a Russian hitman and former discotheque manager.”
Now, there’s a new one: Zepotha.
It’s a fictional 80s horror movie.
Zepotha has allegedly made it onto VHS.
It starts with emilyjeffri.
In the course of a week, a lore has developed around this fake movie.
This is the power of a viral campaign.
This feels like it’s definitely going to be made into a movie franchise, don’t you think?
SONG SETTLEMENT
A big payday is on its way to songwriters and publishers.
The Copyright Royalty Board has finalized its Phonorecord III rate structure, concluding a four-year dispute between publishers and streaming services.
Billboard estimates a potential underpaid mechanical royalty windfall of up to $250 million.
Major digital services (Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, Pandora) have six months to review and adjust past payments based on the new rates.
ORIGAMI APPLICATIONS
An art wall installation titled "Abundance" by Adam Nathaniel Furman has transformed Paddington station in London with vibrant colors and designs inspired by kinetic artist Carlos Cruz-Diez.
It’s inspired by origami.
NEW TOOLS
Adobe Express is upping their game with new generative AI features.
PODCAST RELEASES
Near Allied: “If Not For My Art: Beethoven loses hearing but keeps mission”
Redshift: “The Constellation of History”
Square One: “Building Eternity | The Works of the Ancient Egyptians”
OPENAI ACQUIRES CREATIVE TOOLS
OpenAI, known for ChatGPT, has acquired Global Illumination, a New York-based AI startup focused on creative tools and digital experiences.
This is OpenAI's first public acquisition in its approximately seven-year history; terms are undisclosed.
Sparky is our newsboy - delivering the Spark to our readers far and wide. Do Sparky a solid and forward the Spark to a friend!
