The Alan Smithee Round Table (“An End of One Era As Another Unfolds”)

Art of the Frame

Welcome to the Alan Smithee Podcast in which hosts Scott Simmons, Katie Hinsen & Michael Kammes talk about the latest news in production, post production, entertainment, tech and beyond. In this episode, the gang chat about the challenges facing the Visual Effects industry, the power of the Youtube streaming platform, how it helps a new generation of content creators and, how AI might help or hinder us production folk in the years to come. And of course, there’s a bunch of really cool things to get excited about.

Show notes:

Adobe Introduces AI-Powered Features in Premiere ProThe Verge

• Brief Summary: Adobe launched new AI-driven functionalities in Premiere Pro, including a visual recognition search that allows users to find video clips by describing their content, enhancing editing efficiency.The Verge
• Direct Link (Article): https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/22/24349299/adobe-premiere-pro-after-effects-mediaintelligence-search (validated within date range)
• Publication Date: January 22, 2025

Adobe Launches AI Video Tool to Compete with OpenAI

• Brief Summary: Adobe released Firefly Video Model, an AI video generation tool integrated with Premiere Pro, offering 1080p clips and aiming to enhance film and TV production workflows.Reuters
• Direct Link (Article): https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/adobe-launches-ai-video-tool-compete-with-openai-2025-02-12/
• Publication Date: February 12, 2025

https://www.provideocoalition.com/adobes-new-firefly-generative-ai-video-model-is-live/

Media Composer 12.2024 finally works natively on Apple silicon…but the Nexis client does not, and running 12.2024 means you have to run a newer OS that the black trash cans can’t run.

https://www.provideocoalition.com/avid-media-composer-is-now-apple-silicon-native/

No more MiniDVs (and recordable blurays):

https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/sony-is-halting-production-of-recordable-blu-ray-minidiscs-and-minidv-cassettes-140030225.html

More people are watching YouTube on connected TVs than mobile devices:

https://www.newscaststudio.com/2025/02/11/youtube-connected-tv/

HPA

https://variety.com/2025/artisans/news/michael-cioni-hollywood-hpa-1236321816/

Technicolor Closing

https://variety.com/2025/film/news/technicolor-begins-to-shut-down-1236319436/

Mill employees offered new jobs:

https://deadline.com/2025/02/technicolor-the-mill-dream-machine-fx-1236300387/

Life After Pi:

https://youtu.be/9lcB9u-9mVE?si=isWCTyX_B3XJLyO8

One Cool Thing:
KH Igor Ridanovic used notebookLM to take the raw dataset from the 2024 rates survey and make a podcast (YouTube link):

2024 U.S. Post Production Salary Survey Report (Unofficial)

MK: Quickture shows assembly/radio edits inside Premiere Pro and Media Composer. Analytical AI vs GenAI. Audio only, computer vision coming soon.

https://www.quickture.com/

SS: The mock trailer that helped sell Cobra Kai (Twitter/X link):

https://x.com/jonhurwitz/status/1895163930118393978