Internet non-commercial encyclopedia Wikipedia.com co-founder Jimmy Wales has recently told Hollywood’s studios that they were doomed, but it wouldn’t be piracy that killed them, and nobody would care.
Jimmy Wales, during his speech at the Internet Society’s INET convention in Geneva, claimed that Hollywood would most likely follow the fate of Encyclopedia Britannica. The latter shut down its print operation in 2011 after selling only 3,000 copies a year before. Wikipedia’s founder predicted that Hollywood would be destroyed and nobody would even notice. However, according to Wales, it won’t be Wikipedia or Encarta that will kill the movie making industry. He pointed out that collaborative storytelling and movie making could do the same to Hollywood as Wikipedia did to Encyclopedia Britannica.
Highlighting the rapid progress of technology, the video and mastering editing software age we live in, gaining outstanding success – particularly in the youngest sectors of society, Wales brought up the fact that his own daughter was already adept at iMovie at her 12, and even won a local award for a short film she created.
Therefore, just as Wikipedia showed that collaboration on the Internet is possible, the young generation will easily find ways of entertaining themselves by cooperating online to make films. Moreover, their films will contain impressive special effects, CGI, and remote actors.
Movie industry may not take Wales’ predictions seriously, but even if they sound a little “futuristic”, you can never know what can really happen in dozen years. In fact, if that’s the case, the industry won’t even see the punch coming…
Jimmy Wales, during his speech at the Internet Society’s INET convention in Geneva, claimed that Hollywood would most likely follow the fate of Encyclopedia Britannica. The latter shut down its print operation in 2011 after selling only 3,000 copies a year before. Wikipedia’s founder predicted that Hollywood would be destroyed and nobody would even notice. However, according to Wales, it won’t be Wikipedia or Encarta that will kill the movie making industry. He pointed out that collaborative storytelling and movie making could do the same to Hollywood as Wikipedia did to Encyclopedia Britannica.
Highlighting the rapid progress of technology, the video and mastering editing software age we live in, gaining outstanding success – particularly in the youngest sectors of society, Wales brought up the fact that his own daughter was already adept at iMovie at her 12, and even won a local award for a short film she created.
Therefore, just as Wikipedia showed that collaboration on the Internet is possible, the young generation will easily find ways of entertaining themselves by cooperating online to make films. Moreover, their films will contain impressive special effects, CGI, and remote actors.
Movie industry may not take Wales’ predictions seriously, but even if they sound a little “futuristic”, you can never know what can really happen in dozen years. In fact, if that’s the case, the industry won’t even see the punch coming…