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The Season 5 premiere of the Alan Smithee Round Table opens with hosts Scott Simmons, Katie Hinsen, and Michael Kammes paying tribute to icons of multiple industries before getting into the news and updates that are impacting the Hollywood business landscape.
From an industry perspective, the 2026 box office is tracking 15% higher year-over-year, while major moves from companies like Paramount, Fox and Disney are changing models at every level. On the technology front, post-production is undergoing rapid software shifts alongside new developments in AI and immersive media. Adobe’s acquisition of Topaz Labs brings advanced AI upscaling natively into its tools, while Avid’s expensive new Media Composer Enterprise requirement for project-sharing has prompted Hedge to acquire Mimic as a cost-effective alternative for smaller post facilities.
The crew also breaks down all of these stories while also discussing Michael’s practical AI integration, Katie’s visit to UCSB’s AlloSphere and what Scott has been up to with EditSwitch.
One cool thing:
Katie:
Allosphere at UCSB https://allosphere.ucsb.edu/
Michael:
Harnesses: Claude Dispatch, Hermes, OpenClaw.
https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/
Explainer: https://blueflame.ai/blog/ai-harnesses-explained
Scott:
