There are talks of a Gladiator 2, of remaking American Psycho, of another John Wick or Fast & Furious ...
It feels like art has begun to repeat itself more than before. That's not to say we've never had copycats or derivative works ... but that as media has become more ubiquitous, its influence has become more heavy-handed.
It feels like there isn't a place in the current market for mid-budget films targeting a niche market and a release that makes a bit of money... Instead, it's all blockbusters or straight-to-DVD (now straight to streaming.)
While it "feels" that way, the data agrees with that belief.
via Adam Mastroianni
I'm using movies as the benchmark, but if you go to Adam's article, You can see it's true for authors, musicians, the silver screen, and more.
Media, like the news, and capitalism, has arguably become an oligopoly.
It's interesting to see because, in all three scenarios, the internet has led to the rise of indie initiatives. There are more entrepreneurs than ever. There are more independent news sources than ever, and by a large margin, more "art" is being created than ever before.
Access to ears, creation, and opportunity has never been more widespread.
And yet, the vast majority of dollars and eyes have congregated on a select few. Like the dwindling middle class, art seems to be moving away from the mid-market.
Mastroianni offers various theories, but I'd love to hear yours ...
What do you think is causing this shift, and what do you think it would take to create a more equal distribution?
Is it even possible? Does human nature prevent it?
