Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1544083
j a n u a r y • f e b r u a r y • m a r c h 2 0 2 6 c g w 2 1 OUTLOOK 2026 grounds, getting everything lit, and all the other elements that go into your standard production. Most of this can be optimized. And when you make these pieces move faster in a lightweight way, it not only cuts costs considerably, but allows people to actually focus on the performance, which is what ultimately makes or breaks the project. The starter's pistol in the current transformation was virtual pro- duction, which kicked open the door and removed the need for crews to always be on location or build a physical set. For a while, this was still pretty expensive. Now you can do it with an iPhone. The next development was the rise of affordable, production scanners like XGRIDS, which specialize in rapidly creating Gaussian Splats. Again, one person could go on location, get a workable, light- weight scene, and save lots of time and money. Then AI hit. While this space is still evolving, it's the 'world model' tech like World Labs' Marble that is particularly exciting for filmmakers, as it will allow teams to prompt their way to a location in minutes. This is revolutionary for previs, but could potentially be great for the right productions depending on the vision. Most of this tech isn't that expensive to acquire or use. When bud- gets have fewer zeros, filmmaking is instantly within more people's grasp, and we meet people all the time that are bypassing the studio system to make it their way. The new pipelines are leveling the play- ing field, even in its early stages. This is why I think this might be the most exciting time in the his- tory of Hollywood. All the pieces are in place for an artistic explosion: a studio system in need, trained artists dying to make something new, and thousands of creators and budding filmmakers looking to branch out or crossover into the feature and series world. The tech is already there, and will only get better. If the industry leaps at it, you'll see more stories audiences want to see, at a pace that will blow your mind. We've been thinking about this new world while building Spark, which connects all these new tools together so filmmakers can plan, shoot, and keep track of what they create. (Nothing scales without organization!) No need to wait, however; going from a concept to a Gaussian Splat to a shot test can happen in minutes, right now. Everything from early ideation to what you pitch can move at this speed. This year is the beginning. With fully capable end-to-end tool- chains hitting the market in 2026, the first series and films to use them should follow in 2027-2028. The big question is how much of the progress will be made by first-time filmmakers. The winds are at their back. And while the next few years aren't going to come with- out hardships - no one is getting out without a few bruises—they will also radically change who gets to make big, original stories. So if that sounds like you, take your shot. The world wants to see it.