Eric Olsen

The sun's hidden power: Geomagnetic Storms. The Weather Channel's immersive design team shows how these events test the fragile tech we rely on. #SpaceWeather #TheWeatherChannel #unrealengine

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The Wall Street Journal piece reads less like an industry analysis and more like a damage report. Veteran animators, sound designers, writers, production managers, and small business owners all tell the same story: Work didn’t just slow down, it vanished. Since 2022, Los Angeles has lost tens of thousands of entertainment jobs. Production hours are down sharply. Entire support ecosystems, from caterers to cookie shops, have collapsed alongside the shows they once served. This wasn’t caused by a lack of talent or ambition, it was caused by math. For years, Hollywood’s studios chased streaming scale, burning cash while assuming production volume would eventually stabilize. When investors flipped the switch from “growth” to “profitability,” spending dropped hard. Fewer shows were greenlit. Budgets tightened. When executives looked at where to cut costs, Los Angeles immediately lost. L.A. is expensive. Its tax credits were smaller, slower, and more restrictive than competitors. Meanwhile, the rest of the world made a clean offer. Georgia. Canada. The U.K. Eastern Europe. Simple, aggressive rebates with fewer strings attached. Capital followed incentives. Once production leaves, it rarely comes back at scale. Creative density breaks. Careers fragment. The middle class that sustained Hollywood for decades dissolves. Even James Cameron, one of the most successful filmmakers in history, is openly acknowledging the structural collapse. Hollywood is fighting three forces at once: shrinking theatrical demand, streaming economics that don’t justify excess production, and global competition that outbid Los Angeles on cost. Prestige can’t fix that. History can’t fix that. Hard to see. Born and raised in LA. I'm literally posting this in Hollywood...

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Please, consider not using AI voices, or internal resources for your concepts, pitches, animatics, etc... Let's find a way to use the same human talent (hopefully) you'll consider for the final!! Even the "union rate" for demo reads is pretty low, AND it gives you the chance to start the connection between talent, copy and client. If your client deserves YOUR creative talents... imagine the value added by a trained human artists! Cast them early! Have them standing by. Another tool in your toolbox, ready to make the project shine. In 2025 I worked on several projects that I was able to negotiate attractive demo-fees, so the producer could afford multiple adjustments or even full re-writes as we worked toward the final spot. When that final session date came, it was like old friends walking the path THEY CREATED! Smooth, tested and pre-approved! Adding VO doesn't have to be last minute every time. It can be early, and part of the creative process. 😉

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For everyone who is not attending GDC: Relax. It’s not a big deal. You’re not missing any "incredible opportunities." Your opportunities come from how great and desirable your products are, not from the conferences you attend. Networking matters, but it’s not just about party invites. Your online presence is just as powerful (if not more). P.S. And yes, I'm not attending GDC either. Instead of spending days on flights and nights in overpriced hotels, I’d rather get some work done.

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AI tools promised to save us time — but now we’re spending lots of time just trying to write the perfect prompt. In this new article, I dig into why this is happening, how it’s impacting creators and professionals, and what we can do to fight back. ⚡️ Plus: 5 practical ways to reduce prompt fatigue right now. 👉 https://lnkd.in/gt5t4pbz

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In 2026, Design is no longer static mockups. It is code. AI can generate UI fast, but it is design blind. That’s where Anima comes in.

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