The motion picture feedback loop
We often perceive culture as something that happens to us rather than something we help create. Let’s flip the script.
I came across this Note on Substack last week:
I agree with his point. This isn’t a good sign for our culture. I went further and asked, “Is it the culture that’s stagnated, or is the industry stagnating the culture?”
The TLDR answer is: it’s both.
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What's creating this stagnation?
I want to put forth three1 primary drivers for what studios currently produce and the resulting list of top grossing major motion pictures:
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1. The industry is minimizing its risk.
It costs an average of $100 million to produce and market a major motion picture. Google AI (still experimental) says that the average is $120 million in 2024 with “a significant portion of that budget allocated towards marketing costs, often exceeding the production cost itself.”
The folks investing the money to produce a motion picture want to see it turn a profit or at the very least, not lose the studio any money. The emphasis on marketing spend reeks of fear — fear that without significant fanfare, you will not see the film.
With all this money on the table, the safest card to play is one you already know wins.
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2. The industry is doing what makes it the most money.
Thinking more strategically, the studios can also be seen as investing in their IP. The CEO of Mattel made the statement “We aren’t a toy company. We’re an IP company.” This framing made producing major motion pictures like Barbie a smart move: it would raise visibility for their existing products, give them a reason to make new products, and bring in revenue through the film itself both immediately at the box office and in perpetuity through licensing deals.
It’s no different than what Disney is doing with Star Wars: milking that universe for every Republic credit it’s worth.
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3. We like these stories and their retellings and spinoffs.
It’s also completely possible that we truly love having our favorite stories told over and over. Maybe we really do enjoy having the universe of our favorite characters expanded. And maybe it’s a grand idea to retell a classic so that a new generation can experience it.
The question we need to ask ourselves is: Is this sufficient to develop a thriving culture?
We have one ugly feedback loop
The conclusion I draw from these drivers is that the industry is doing what’s either strategically advantageous or risk mitigating. The only reason producing “reheated leftovers” works is because we keep showing up and paying for them. In fact, we’re showing up and paying for them more than any other option based on the top ten grossing films of 2024.
These motion pictures influence our culture beyond the film itself through an increased emphasis on extensive (or at least expensive) marketing campaigns. Whether you wanted to think about Barbie or not, it was hard to ignore the pink everywhere.
The scale of these efforts contributes to our sense that culture happens to us.
It’s essential to recognize that not only is that not true, but you can make choices to change the feedback loop. You can show the studios that reheated leftovers alone won’t sustain us. And you don’t have to be a filmmaker or a Hollywood mogul to do it.
Here are five ways that you can provide input to the movie culture loop:
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1. Don’t see something you don’t want to see more of.
Realize that whatever becomes a hit today will most likely be reheated and reserved. Keep that in mind when you choose what to see.
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2. Try something new.
I read recently that at a certain point in our lives, we become increasingly averse to new experiences. I know I’m living proof as I rewatch movies far more than I watch something new.
Unfortunately, it’s exactly this behavior that keeps leftovers on the menu every day and twice on Sundays. Try something new.
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3. Think about what you show your kids.
I fully support sharing your favorite films with your kids. I fondly remember watching Star Wars for the first time during a family trip to the Jersey shore. I remain an avid fan.
I was also fortunate to have parents and grandparents with vastly different tastes. Yes, I watched Star Wars, but I also watched On Golden Pond (and don’t forget Rudy). Giving me a sampling of different things meant I was open to more things as I grew up. Try to do the same for your kids.
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4. Think about what you talk about.
Some movies we watch and never discuss. Those we do permeate our shared culture more deeply. When you see something that makes you think or makes you feel, tell someone about it.
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5. Read more.
It’s difficult to have a strong storytelling culture without reading. Reading requires us to create the picture in our minds. Movies spoonfeed everything to us including how we’re supposed to feel via the music playing. The weaker our storytelling muscles, the less rigorous our films.
Don’t put your fingers in your ears and turn away. Go push them back so we get a better sound.
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You could add a fourth driver: that there’s nothing new to create. We’ve told all the stories in our collective imagination — or enough of them that anything else we create looks like a knockoff of one kind or another.
I don’t buy this driver but I think about it often. We create an astounding amount of arguably new stories every year, yet I appreciate that it’s hard to create something that doesn’t have a “it’s been done” feel. It’s also far riskier for the studios to try something new so it’s likely we’re not investing the time or resources to make it happen.