Recently I was walking through the park with somebody I know, and he brought up the subject of film, and his fascination with the motion picture. I was at the time beginning to attend an online seminar on film, and photography. And so was happy to share my thoughts on the subject. Eventually the conversation began to turn to Charlton Heston, and his display of acting chops in the seminal, Roman, classical masterpiece Ben-Hur. Heston, someone I would meet in 2003, during my first stint in Hollywood. Had, by the time I met him, become heroic action figure come to life. As the titular movie star, and the then namesake of the National Rifle Association. A Republican leaning Washington run Gun Control Advocacy, and International Lobby. My expectations when first meeting him, Heston, were not at all unlike others, whom would broach a conversation with him at the time. His svelte, and smooth, almost figurine like charisma, and leading man archetypal body type. Along with his bright blue eyes, chiseled jaw line, and approachable good looks and smile. You sometimes wondered out loud, at this more youthful, and exuberant age, as I was, whether a career in cinema, was truly something which was meant to occur for only people like him. And whether this “A-List”, included yourself as its own. As I spoke to him, however, I could tell that even at the advanced age he was at, me being just nineteen at the time. That his reputation preceded him, and that his strength, wit, and acuity, were just as strong then, as they were in his heyday.

But as I was saying, as I spoke to my friend about this meeting, and just, movies and politics in general. I eventually began to elaborate on Heston, and the individuals whom made the Epic Movie Ben-Hur become a reality. Epic’s, at the time were some of the most expensive, complicated, and time consuming projects of Movie Cinema at the time. Akin to our modern day versions of Steven Spielberg led “Jurassic Park”, or Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Terminator” Franchise. And their skill and craft, necessitated that their budgets were often into the millions of dollars, and required years of prepositioning, and planning, an order to execute. This was true of Ben-Hur, which aside from a few other select films, Ridley Scott Born “Spartacus” not excepted. Were the only ones that truly existed.

At the beginning of the 1970’s, the movie industry was in transition. Metro Goldwyn Mayer, the, at the time, most prestigious, and vaunted movie making studio, and the vehicle for countless A-List movie stars. Had found itself in a decided slump releasing just two Oscar winning films over the course of three years. This, which worried the executives at the head of the then transitioning corporation. Were rattled even more by the inclusion in the mix, of several relatively unknown, but then seasonal Oscar winning studios which had recently been created, after a United States Supreme Court Ruling, that guaranteed the freedom of speech of several important actors, and actresses in the Movie, and Entertainment Industry. Whom were frustrated by the way they, and their intellectual property were being treated by the “big three” studios, MGM, Warner Bros., and 20^th century Fox. Whom were at the time, in control of almost every single American Movie Making Contract, and Movie ever made in the Industry.

This pronouncement by the high court, meant that almost every single movie that was ever made throughout the time of the formation of the studios, to then, would have to be released, or re-released through accompanying subsidiaries. However, rather than continuing to concentrate power into the hands of this handful of studios, as the court had originally intended. It instead “spun off”, at least three high profile “little three” studios, Paramount Pictures, Tri-Star (United Artist) Pictures, and Universal Pictures. Which were then free to release, and re-release the content, at a premium to eagerly waiting consumers, and movie goers. A similar event occurred at the apex of the invention of the video tape.

These, and other worrying events, including a backlash in global, and world affairs to Hollywood movie making (The Tet Offensive, Iran Hostage Crisis), sets the stage for the acquisition of, and chief executive tenure of Bob Evans. The one-time Hollywood leading man. Evans, someone who grew up around those with the means, and knowhow to create films. Quickly rose through the ranks of the Hollywood establishment, and soon found himself burgeoning on the mediocrity, of chairmanship of one of the largest movie producing filmmakers of the twentieth century, Paramount Pictures.

But before Evans could take the helm, it was incumbent upon him to both satiate the studio execs appetite for successive films, as well as anticipate audiences, and their quickly varying taste. In a stroke of both science, as well as artistic genius. He wins the chairmanship by promising not one, but two filmmaking “Epics” within his first year at the helm. One which would be directed by a well-known filmmaker, would eventually become the movie which he eventually acquired from MGM, and re-released, the Charlton Heston led Ben-Hur. The other, which was a project which centered around the Vietnam war, Platoon, would take another decade before release, and be the second directorial debut from a young and upcoming filmmaker named Francis Ford Coppola. And in a twist of magic, which only Bob Evans, could truly encapsulate, he at the last minute for the executives, debuts a third “upcoming” film which was only half finished by the young Ford Coppola. But starred a face which was immediately recognizable to the heads of the studios involved, the reclusive, brilliant, and enigmatic Marlon Brando, as the title character for the movie “The Godfather”. This scene, which includes the first fifteen minutes of the Francis Ford Coppola Directed “The Godfather”. Is one of the most famous in movie making lore, and by the time Brando steps onto the stage, to collect an Oscar, for one of his most dramatic, and endearing roles ever in 1973. Evans, had firmly supplanted the “big three” studios, and had on the way, accidentally reinvented the filmmaking industry, while making Columbia, Tri-Star(United Artist), and Paramount, Billions in the process.

This changing of the guard, which famed filmmaker, and director Ridley Scott at first acquiesced to, by releasing the rights, and privileges to an updated digitally “colorized” version of his 1959 “Ben-Hur” epic classic. Remains one of the most mysterious moves a filmmaker has made over the course of the 20^th century. After all Ridley Scott, formerly of “Spartacus” fame, already knows that Ben-Hur is one of the highest grossing, but also costliest films to have ever been created. And to add further doubt, and cloud his actions in mystery. He, Scott, had just signed a contract with 20^th Century Fox, an order to create at least two more epics over the course of the next twenty years. A Paramount Pictures rival. As for Heston, the re-releases, and its release on Video Cassette Tape, a then newly formed media, later in the decade. Only enhances his, Heston’s, stature, and career. And with the accompanying grosses from the movie sale. Makes him one of the richest men in Hollywood for the next thirty years.

Joel Schumacher, the famed 1980’s producer, and of a similar movie making lineage as Evans. Makes his movie making fortunes off the sale of Ben-Hur to Bob Evans, and Paramount Pictures as well. As he at the time was selling movies, in cassette form from his car out in Los Angeles. And it was said by him, in a later interview, that the receipts from “Ben-Hur alone”, were enough to fund the later John Hughes films, whose rights were acquired from the aforementioned Ridley Scott, whom found Hughes to be “childish”, and “amateurish”, in his approach. But whom would later become the basis for Hollywood pop cultural references, and careers of multiple “Brat Pack” actors, and filmmakers, throughout the 80’s, and early 90’s.

If there’s one thing that could be said about this, is just how much the movie industry is genuinely connected to one another. And how, the most seemingly simplest things, the changing of a CEO, and the invention of the cassette tape. Can transform the entire ecosystem, and landscape of a growing, and evolving, and burgeoning, now Artificially Intelligent Movie Making Industry.

Before I conclude this piece, this seeming happenstance in the movie, and entertainment industry, elucidates a broader, and more salient point about Artificial Intelligence, and change in the Movie Industry.

I want to talk about the big three and their original intentions for Movies, and the movie distribution system, or digital mediums, and inherently the internet itself. There biggest worry at the time, was that the Intellectual Property which they owned. And therefore, the amount of monies, and thereby movies which they could make, would dry up, driving a stake into the heart of the movie making industry as a whole. With the advent of online file sharing websites, and applications. First delegitimated, and then coopted, and legitimated. While being backed by some of the biggest studios in the movie making industry. Along with digital physical media rising. And then co-opted by Microsoft, Apple, and Netflix, into digital arts, and entertainment empires. Has the movie industry worried again about the idea of Artificial Intelligence, and the wherewithal that it will play in the future of cinema. Both here in America, as well as in the future, in other countries, such as China, which may wince at the idea of artificial character creation, and even plotlines, and movie culture as a whole. I feel now, and I do now so as well feel, that the line between art, and fiction are never as clearly delineated, as would be allowed in an earlier time in human history. Therefore, the securing of Intellectual Property rights, and the maintenance of additional United Nations Copyright Laws, and even cultural identity. Play a role in upholding the civil, and moral rights of all citizens of the United States, and indeed, including those whom come from different parts of the World, and some of whom are not even born yet. I call on Congress to help research, and enact customized Intellectual Property laws for this Artificial Intelligence revolution which we are at now going through. And to help secure the intellectual, and property rights of all Americans. From the very wealthy and powerful, to even individuals who are maybe independent in their outlook, but are just as rigorous with the rights, and privileges which they give their intellectual property, as any other would be.

In the past it has been argued that the current state of monopolization of intellectual, and property rights, precludes the idea of intelligence, charisma, and creativity, an order to be successful.

I don’t believe it.

The state of Intellectual Property rights has never been stronger, and the utmost of care can, and should be taken an order secure a soft landing, in this ever evolving landscape. I trust that Congress sees the ideas that have taken root. And while most are legitimate. Some are coercive in their manipulation of names, images, and likenesses. Which is why stronger laws are required an order protect all whom seek to express themselves in the communicative commons of the internet, and beyond. Therefore, the curtailing of these kinds of forces which seek to delegitimize others, and only legitimize untold of untruths, and fallacies, should be included in any pending legislation which is promulgated by the media, the tech industry, or any and all others, whom have a stake in this volatile, and changing landscape.