Good morning. While you were staying up last night to listen to Taylor Swift’s new album, we were diligently crafting today’s newsletter (and…listening to Taylor Swift’s new album).
That’s The Life of a Showgirl, baby.
Creators like iJustine (middle) and Matt Navarra (right) are testing OpenAI's new app, Sora 2 (left) / OpenAI, iJustine, Matt Navarra
iJustine jumping out of a plane, Matt Navarra fronting an ’80s band, a retro Japanese chocolate commercial—these are some of the creator videos flooding our feeds since the release of OpenAI’s new social app, Sora 2.
The creator POV? It’s surreal. It’s weird. It’s something else entirely. Here’s what we know about Sora 2 and its impacts on our industry →
How it works:
Users must say three numbers, take a side profile, and look up, then the app uses AI to generate videos of the user via text prompts—from skydiving to hitting a home run to arm wrestling Ronald McDonald.
Users can also use the likenesses of other people with the “cameo” feature. Creators can make their likenesses open source (giving other users access to their avatars for videos) and put parameters around use.
Sora has restrictions on some sexual and copyright content. For example, users can make videos with Nintendo characters like Pikachu and Mario but not DC characters like Batman or Superman. Most rights holders can only opt out of their work being used in Sora through a copyright dispute on a case-by-case basis.
The creator impact: Editor Hayden Hillier-Smith told us he’s skeptical that AI video quality will improve over time and doesn’t see the Sora app as a threat to high-quality work.
“Quality is expensive and AI is designed to make things cheap. Fast, cheap, and good—you can’t have all three,” Hillier-Smith said.
Digital commentator Jules Terpak said she’s excited to see how Sora 2 could unlock creative expression for those unfamiliar with video.
“Once generative AI can more easily turn all these badass writers’ work into video content—the educational media landscape is gonna go crazy,” Terpak said on X.
Matty McTech is concerned about others using his identity for nefarious reasons, like a video of him robbing a bank.
“I’m worried about people using it to get other people in trouble,” he said in a video.
Looking ahead: Implications could run far and wide. Some say Sora 2 could turbocharge disinformation, become a fun novelty, or unlock more creative tools. In the immediate term, concerns abound that the app could rip off creators’ work without compensation. WME has already sent a memo to clients saying they’ll protect their artists’ work.
How This Creator 10x’d His Book Sales
Jacob Geller unveils his upcoming book / Jacob Geller
Gaming creator Jacob Geller recently announced his second book, a collection of essays out next summer titled You’re Not Overthinking It covering topics like art, history, and philosophy.
How he got here: Geller uses video game analysis videos to deep dive on philosophical and political topics like grief and capital punishment.
His first book, How A Game Lives, published last summer with indie UK publisher Lost In Cult, was projected to make £60K during its fundraising campaign.
Because he was working with a smaller publisher, Geller had to prove that the book would sell. And he did: Geller raised £900K—Lost In Cult’s most successful campaign to date.
“Video games are the easy sell,” Geller told us. “When I make an essay that's not about games, I really have to think about how I'm going to bring the video gaming audience into this other topic. It’s proof of people's passion.”
What makes this book different: Geller strategically chose lesser-known cowriters, illustrators, and writers he felt would meaningfully contribute to his essays (e.g. a man on death row in North Carolina for his essay on capital punishment).
“Part of the thing that's unfair about how our current creator climate is set up is that there are people who are doing incredible work, but just haven't hit algorithmic success,” Geller said. “It is my absolute pleasure to find someone who's been quietly doing really good writing for a long time and pull them into the book.”
Sponsored by Adobe
It’s Where Creativity Takes Center Stage. Adobe MAX Is Back.
Adobe MAX returns October 28–30 in Los Angeles and online.
Calling all designers, illustrators, photographers, content creators, video pros—want to know more about the latest 3D and generative AI tools, expand your skills, and future-proof your career?
Join us for industry-defining keynotes and Sneaks, fun networking events, and more than 200 sessions, labs, and photowalks.
Learn from the world’s top experts, connect with your creative community, and get hands-on with the latest updates in Creative Cloud.
Can’t attend in person? Join MAX Online for livestreamed and on-demand keynotes, Sneaks, and select sessions.
‘Reading Rainbow’ Gets a Creator Reboot
Librarian and creator Mychal Threets is the new host of the rebooted "Reading Rainbow" / Kidzuko
Take a look, it’s in a…social feed? 16 years after going off air, PBS’s Reading Rainbow is returning on YouTube, hosted by children’s education creator Mychal Threets.
Behind the scenes:
For over four years, Threets has made library-focused, short-form content for an audience of almost 2 million, emphasizing the importance of reading to his young audience and their parents.
The reboot of PBS’s Reading Rainbow is coming to Sony’s Kidzuko YouTube channel starting tomorrow, and Threets will welcome guests like Gabrielle Union, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Adam DeVine.
The next chapter: Children’s educational content has exploded on YouTube, with creators like Ms Rachel and Crash Course leading the charge. With leisurely reading among children on the decline and PBS losing federal funding, Threets is attempting to breathe new life into Reading Rainbow while meeting kids on their home turf.
🔥 Press Worthy
IShowSpeed kicks off his new show with Dick’s Sporting Goods.
The Rizzler gets his own Arizona Iced Tea flavor.
Feed Me launches a nightlife column called Political Parties.
Chef Sammy Monsour releases a food video podcast with nonprofit Heritage Radio Network.
LaurDIY is launching a pet accessories company called Fuzzboy Originals.
Kai Cenat becomes the first streamer to reach 1 million Twitch subs.
CAA merges its digital media and podcast teams into CAA Creators.
📚 Thank You for Pressing Publish
The content we’re looking forward to reading, watching, and listening to this weekend.
Read: For his Substack SatPost, Trung Phan reviews Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, One Battle After Another—sharing eight thoughts on the 4.4-star film (according to Letterboxd).
Watch: Following the passing of Dr. Jane Goodall, Hank Green highlights how her work reshaped our view of animals in relation to ourselves.
Listen: Sabrina Cruz from Answer In Progress wrote and directed an episode of podcast anthology series You Feeling This 2, which tells a horror story of an apartment search gone wrong.
