TOGETHER WITH

It's Wednesday and the Sora 2 app has officially arrived—complete with its own social video feed. The catch (aside from an absolute torrent of AI slop): you’ll need an invite to gain access.

Today’s News

AI REVOLUTION

A new AI talent studio reps “hyperreal digital stars”

The AI agency: Should characters generated with AI models be eligible for agency representation? Eline Van Der Velden certainly thinks so.

Van Der Velden (aka the Founder and CEO of AI production studio Particle6) is launching a new venture called Xicoia, which will debut at the Zurich Film Festival. The AI talent studio’s goal is to build a roster of genAI creators that it can then work into film, TV, and digital production.

First up is AI-generated “actress” Tilly Norwood. Norwood’s likeness and personality were developed through Particle6 and its proprietary DeepFame engine, and the character has already established a presence on platforms like Instagram.

The response: It’s hard to say whether Xicoia presents more opportunities or philosophical quandaries—but so far, the entertainment industry seems to be leaning towards the latter.

On one hand, Xicoia’s ability to build tailor-made characters could be a valuable asset for directors, brands, actors, and studios. According to Deadline, “several Hollywood stars who wish to appear on screen as their younger or current selves” have already been in contact with the studio.

Within the halls of traditional agencies like WME or CCA, however, AI characters like Norwood are unlikely to garner a warm reception—if only because their human clients would likely depart en masse. In response to the Xicoia announcement, SAG-AFTRA stated unequivocally that it is “opposed to the replacement of human performers by synthetics,” and actors from Emily Blunt to Whoopi Goldberg have been quick to express similar sentiments.

If Xicoia hopes to survive in Hollywood in the near term, it will need to find a way to address the concerns of industry pros who are already alarmed about the rise of AI.

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HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Food reviewer Keith Lee—who claims 17.2 million TikTok followers—has signed with UTA for representation in all areas. (The Hollywood Reporter)
  
  

• Google has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit over the suspension of accounts belonging to multiple right-wing plaintiffs, including Donald Trump and Naomi Wolf. (Gizmodo)
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• Fubo shareholders have approved a deal that will lead to a merger between the live sports streaming service and Disney’s Hulu Live TV. (TechCrunch)
  
  

• Instagram has begun testing a new Reels-focused user interface in India and South Korea. (TechCrunch)

BOOK TALK

Take a look, it’s in a #BookTok: Reading Rainbow gets a reboot

The reboot: Nine years after wrapping its initial run, Reading Rainbow is making a triumphant return.

The beloved kid lit program—which was hosted by LeVar Burton from 1983 to 2006—is getting a reboot to fit the current era of children’s media. TikTok-famous librarian Mychal Threets will lead a revived version of Reading Rainbow on Sony Pictures Television‘s year-old Kidzuko YouTube channel.

After breaking out online thanks to his infectious, upbeat personality, Threets quit his job to become a resident librarian for PBS. In his new role as the host of Reading Rainbow, Threets will guide young viewers through popular children’s books with help from special celebrity guests like Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Adam Devine, Gabrielle Union, John Legend, and Chrissy Teigen.

The distribution: A few episodes from the original, LeVar-hosted version of Reading Rainbow have already arrived on Sony’s Kidzuko channel, which has shown a strong interest in high-quality kids’ fare since launching last year. Given that rights holders of classic children’s TV shows are always hunting for new ways to extend their winning IP (with Sesame Workshop’s YouTube deal being a prime example), the Reading Rainbow distribution agreement looks like a win for everyone involved. 

THE BIZ

Need a creator for your event? There’s an app for that.

The platform: As the influence of social media continues to grow, more and more people are turning to creators to chronicle major life events—including everything from weddings to bat mitzvahs.

To meet that demand, CEO Lisa Jammal has raised $2 million from family and friends to launch Social Agent: an app that seeks to make hiring a creator as simple as ordering an Uber. The new platform—which Jammal unveiled earlier this year—is a one-stop shop stocked with a stable of creators-for-rent (aka “agents”) who can show up to work mere minutes after being hired.

Initially, Social Agent’s flagship IRL service will be limited to the Los Angeles area, where clients in need of creator assistance can expect a visit within 30 minutes of submitting a request. Available agents are described as “equally qualified” and (similarly to drivers on ride-share apps) are automatically paired with clients. The cost to hire a creator is a flat rate, with a 30-minute session priced at $65.

Social Agent clients located outside L.A. won’t have access to those kinds of IRL sessions (at least, not yet), but they can still make use of the app’s content editing services. According to a press release, Social Agent users can send raw videos to creators in order to have their footage refashioned into “scroll-stopping content.”

The trend: The success of Social Agent relies on the increasing ubiquity of creators—especially in hot spots like L.A. Hundreds of thousands of workers now support themselves by creating content, and some studies have shown that as many as half of all Americans aspire to that lifestyle. In other words, whether it’s a birthday party or even the birth of your child, there will likely soon be someone nearby to turn it into a short video for your feed.

WATCH THIS 📺

Speed Goes Pro has arrived

The series: After entertaining millions of fans on a viral tour across the world, IShowSpeed is ready to tackle his next big project. The goal: going pro.

The Twitch star’s latest production is Speed Goes Pro, “a premium series produced by ‪@obb‬ in partnership with ‪@DicksSportingGoods‬” (per the video description of Episode 1). The series made its debut on YouTube last night—and Speed didn’t exactly start off slow.

His first challenge: training with two-time Super Bowl champ Danny Amendola to show NFL legend Tom Brady he “has what it takes to make it as a professional football player.” Check out the full episode here to see how he fared.

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Drew Baldwin, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen.