Welcome to Cinema Ex Machina

tl;dr a weekly newsletter documenting the AI revolution in film, TV, and video. For better and worse. Pronounced: SIN-uh-muh EKS MAH-kee-nuh...

Translated as "Cinema from the Machine," our name is a play on Deus Ex Machina: a plot device coined in ancient Greek theater.

CXM aims to follow, document, opine, cry and laugh at the intersection of my beloved craft and this technology whirlwind we're finding ourselves blown around by.

Comprised of a community of artists, filmmakers, branded content creators and creative professionals, the goal is for you to make informed, excellent decisions in your work. Or maybe you're just here for the free lens flares.

Here's what you can expect:

An Interview Series

To start, I want to talk to all kinds of content production type folks. How do they use AI, do they feel threatened, what does their magic 8-ball say?

Eventually, I'll be chasing down the decision-makers. VP of Marketing, Senior Director of Content, CMO, Executive Producer – these are the titles of folks who control the levers on what's bought and what's not - where are they at?

General News - I want this community to understand the "why" behind the "what." I’ll do the research so you don’t have to.

The Tools - What are legacy brands such as Canon, Adobe and DJI doing with AI? I’d like to consolidate much of this information that concerns filmmakers to one place.

Opinion & Reviews - for example, Kotaku decimated Arnofsky's latest AI film. Is AI editing software any good?

Originally posted at Cinema Ex Machina. Subscribe free.

About Me.

RC Cone is a freelance filmmaker with 15+ years of experience based in Bozeman, Montana. He founded Tributaries Digital Cinema and has told stories for excellent brands such as Patagonia, YETI, DECKED, NBC Olympics and more. He likes long walks with his dog and a shotgun and, somehow, luckily, he's loved by his beautiful wife Jess who likes him even better when he monetizes things.

Take 50% off an annual subscription.

What does Cinema from the Machine even mean?

According to Wikipedia , for Deus Ex Machina:

Its function is generally to resolve an otherwise irresolvable plot situation, to surprise the audience, to bring the tale to a happy ending, or act as a comedic device...The device is associated mostly with Greek tragedy, although it also appeared in comedies.

What does this have to do with AI?

With this damn thing at the forefront of every conversation, shareholder portfolio, and daily headline, us working folks find ourselves in the middle. As a filmmaker I've found the topic of AI to be divisive, scary, ridiculously stupid and poignant all at once.

Dario Amodei, who is probably the most safety-focused CEO in the AI industry, has publicly predicted that AI will eliminate 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs within one to five years. And many people in the industry think he's being conservative.

This prediction, from a recent article about the power of AI , suggests we're looking for our own kind of conclusion,

our own ACT III,

a happy ending.

As this technology and the culture it creates evolves, I realized as a storyteller and documentarian that I needed to get to work or be left behind.

Have questions about your account or how this works? Go to our support page . Are you a brand interested in reaching our audience? Read more here. You should probably read the Privacy Policy if that's your jam. Last please reach out anytime , sincerely, I'd love to hear from you.

Again, thanks for being here, I'm excited to build a community of humans that are looking for our happy ending in these disruptive, turbulent times.