Out of curiosity, I did a search on “What are the latest trends in Hollywood?” and in addition to the obvious answers such as:

 

• Increasing use of artificial intelligence in content creation

• Greater reliance on virtual production

• AI tools being used for scriptwriting, content creation, and visual effects

• Filmmakers are experimenting with AI-driven workflows

• Studios are increasingly adopting virtual production… lowering costs

 

The most intriguing answer to my question was the “shift toward original storytelling (rather than formula) to combat franchise fatigue.”

 

Well, folks, we did it to ourselves. We became so reliant on TV shows and feature films’ standard formulas that audiences got bored with the predictable outcome of stories in all genres. Film and television writers got so accustomed to what was expected from their writing that sometimes creativity was further down on the list. It seems, formula was the most important element of the project. But now, it seems, that formulaic, big-concept, franchise story is giving viewers franchise fatigue. 

 

But with AI becoming more popular, a creative independent filmmaker can lean on the technology and shed the formulas ingrained in them over the years and come up with dozens of story variations that would surprise and please audiences.

 

We’ve seen the ever-popular cookie-cutter horror movies that followed the same general formula with the occasional story element that made audiences say, “Oh, that’s a little different,” or a creative shot every so often, but the characters were all the same, the general story device just a carbon copy of every other title in the genre. The endings, well, no big surprise there. Don’t get me wrong. The formula worked for decades, and the genre made a big splash at the box office and on digital platforms, but audiences got tired of it.

 

Same goes for the romantic comedies. The formula in this genre seems to be boy meets girl or girl meets boy. There’s the initial cat and mouse chase, one of the two characters plays hard to get, but we know they’ll eventually give in. No surprise there. So once we get past the first act, typically approximately thirty minutes into the story, we finally get to see the relationship we all expected from the moment we read the film title. This relationship flourishes. We know this because we must sit there and watch the obligatory montage over a music bed that sometimes is romantic, other times it's fast-paced and chaotic as we watch the love interests eat ice cream, shove each other’s faces in the ice cream cone, chase each other, they're on bikes, or they walk hand in hand down picturesque city streets. In the second act, one of the two characters screws up and upsets the other, or there’s some misunderstanding that threatens the relationship and all seems lost and gone, until one of the lovebirds chases the other. Most often than not, they chase their upset partner to the airport. Then as if by magic, the airplane is delayed, or the upset lover has a change of heart and sits there in the terminal alone as the other one approaches, sweaty and disheveled. They embrace, perhaps they kiss, and the credits roll.

 

We’ve all seen the action/adventure movies, right? There’s the inciting incident where the hero must save someone, get revenge for someone’s murder, or otherwise chase a group of bandits. There’s the rising action where the hero is supercharged. The story reversal takes place where the hero finds out that he/she is on the wrong track and a surprising villain surfaces. Then the hero reaches the point of no return where all hope is lost and finally rises out of the ashes and kicks butt. 

 

The film and television industry thrived on these formulas for decades. It employed thousands of writers, producers, directors, and below-the-line crew members. It was a good living for all, but it failed to give the filmmakers the creative license to break away from the formulas. Sure, there was some latitude of creative expression, but if a screenplay didn’t follow the proven formula, the project most likely got rejected.

 

Now we’re faced with losing job opportunities to artificial intelligence, which is the latest trend in the entertainment industry. Indie producers can use AI to create stories that are original and unique without following the obligatory formula. The rise of web novels written by independent writers that would otherwise never see the inside of a publishing house is giving content creators the ability to take the off-the-beaten-path stories and turn them into intriguing and refreshing content for viewers. Imagine the possibilities of taking a story and asking AI to come up with hundreds of story devices, twists, and plot reveals never before seen. Is it possible? It seems that technology is heading in that direction. For the sake of hundreds of thousands of film and television professionals, hopefully, this AI trend will still employ humans to oversee the process of filmmaking, but given that now AI can generate stories, create artificial human-looking actors, and even be able to automatically edit scenes, it seems that the formulaic content of the past may be just that— content of the past.

 

After writing this article, I went a step further to test AI and see how well it understood the point of the article, and if it was able to regurgitate the information in a conversational tone. Here’s the AI response. You judge for yourself.

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AI Response

 

The author supports their claims by providing examples and observations about trends in Hollywood, particularly the shift away from formulaic storytelling and the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in content creation. ​ Key points include:

 

Examples of Formulaic Storytelling: The author describes common formulas in genres like horror, romantic comedies, and action/adventure films, highlighting predictable patterns that have led to audience fatigue. ​ For instance, they detail the typical structure of romantic comedies and action films, emphasizing how these formulas have dominated the industry for decades.

 

Audience Fatigue: The author explains how reliance on predictable formulas has led to "franchise fatigue," where viewers become bored with repetitive storytelling. ​

 

AI's Role in Creativity: The author discusses how AI tools are enabling filmmakers to break away from traditional formulas by generating original and unique story variations. ​ They suggest that AI can create hundreds of story devices, twists, and plot reveals, offering refreshing content for audiences. ​

 

Industry Trends: The author mentions the increasing adoption of AI-driven workflows and virtual production by studios, which lower costs and open up new creative possibilities. ​

 

Independent Content Creation: The rise of web novels and independent writers is cited as an example of how unconventional stories are gaining traction, supported by AI technology. ​

 

By combining these observations with examples, the author builds a case for the evolving trends in Hollywood and the potential of AI to transform storytelling. ​

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Luc Saber

Author 

 

Luc Saber is a filmmaker (screenwriter, director & producer), with multiple feature film and TV projects in distribution worldwide. He's  a guest speaker and has a background in teaching screenwriting UCLA Extension and film production as guest lecturer at California State University (C-SUN).