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Rob Tonkin

September 3, 2025

Think back to the last time you mindlessly scrolled through TikTok. You probably saw a highly polished ad seamlessly transition into a raw, funny clip from someone’s kitchen, followed by a snippet of a big-budget movie trailer remixed with a trending sound. That is where we are right now: a fascinating, sometimes chaotic, collision of media formats. This is what inspired me to write what some might call a “think piece” — packed with links for deeper dives — about the current media landscape and how it’s likely to evolve in the coming years, driven by shorter user-generated content, influencers, easier editing, and artificial intelligence.

For years, we had relatively distinct categories: the big-screen spectacle of cinema, the serialized storytelling of television, and the bite-sized, authentic (or sometimes performative) content of social media. Each had its own creators, its own consumption habits, its own feel. But things are starting to shift subtly. Look closely, and you’ll see cracks in these traditional walls. High-production value commercials are adopting the visual language of TikTok. Netflix uses AI behind the scenes to optimize workflows. Influencers are creating content that rivals the production quality of early YouTube channels, sometimes even landing their own deals with traditional media. The change is starting in the very tools and techniques being used across the spectrum. The democratization of powerful editing software and the ubiquity of high-quality smartphone cameras have significantly leveled the playing field.

A perfect illustration of this is the burgeoning world of “branded entertainment.” For instance, a recent social media campaign for Pure App, a dating service, created a short, humorous “bit” featuring Amanda McCants. In the sketch, McCants plays two distinct characters: one embodies the dating scene in New York City and the other represents Los Angeles. The humor comes from the contrasting stereotypes and experiences, with McCants showcasing her acting range. This approach mirrors another example in the branded content sphere: the clothing brand Cuts producing short, high-quality videos starring established actors, such as Jeremy Piven, alongside influencers like McCants. These aren’t just quick commercials; they often feature mini-narratives and aim to be entertaining and shareable in their own right. The goal is to create content so compelling that viewers engage with it and share it without feeling like they’re watching an advertisement. The brand isn’t just buying ad space; it’s becoming a media company, producing its own programming with a cast that blurs the line between traditional celebrities and digital creators.

True blending is happening on multiple fronts. Some platforms have emerged to specifically serve the short film market, acting as professional curators and distributors. Services such as ShortsTV, Short of the Week, and Klipist are carving out a niche for high-quality, independent short films. Major distributors such as Mubi are also acquiring and streaming curated shorts alongside their feature-length titles.

It’s tempting to think this means the major streaming networks will just start showing anything from anyone, but the reality is more nuanced. The shorts you see on major platforms such as Netflix and Paramount+ are not typically unsolicited user-generated content. Instead, they are professionally produced pieces from emerging filmmakers. Netflix, for example, has collections such as “Fresh Perspectives,” a series of shorts from U.S. and Canadian filmmakers, and its popular animated anthology “Love, Death + Robots,” which showcases short-form science fiction stories by established studios. These strategies generally focus on exclusive, high-quality content to drive subscriptions, and most streaming services have explicit policies that exclude unsolicited submissions from the general public.

However, a new model is emerging that bridges these two worlds. Companies are now acting as curators, bringing the best of user-generated content to a more traditional streaming environment. In a recent move, FilmRise launched a new service on Amazon Fire TV that features curated short-form videos from popular social media creators such as Preston and Brianna, Uncle Roger, and Unspeakable. While this isn’t an in-house production by a major network, it represents a new way of professionally distributing user-generated content on a streaming platform, signaling a shift toward recognizing the value of these creators’ libraries.

Beyond the content itself, new business models are disrupting the industry from the ground up, and the format and perspective of the content itself define them. This is the phenomenon of verticals — not in the business sense of owning a supply chain, but in the sense of the vertical video format that dominates our phone screens. These aren’t just short videos; they are a new class of hybrid media that’s thriving by monetizing a level of obsession that traditional, horizontal-screen entertainment can’t. Examples of this model are everywhere, from companies that produce cinematic-quality dramas to those that create episodic reality TV, all designed to be consumed on a phone. The goal is to hook viewers with a bingeable, interactive narrative that’s ideally suited to their mobile viewing habits. These businesses can charge a premium for their services, because they’re not just selling content; they’re selling access to a complete, optimized entertainment experience.

In the near term (the next year or two), we can expect to see more experimentation like this. Traditional media companies, feeling the pressure of short attention spans and the allure of “authentic” content, will dabble more with short-form formats and user-generated aesthetics within their professionally produced content. Meanwhile, brands will continue to double down on their role as content creators, competing directly with television and film for our attention on social media.

Looking further ahead (over the next five years), I predict a more significant blending of these trends. The rise of sophisticated AI tools will empower individual creators to produce content that rivals studio quality in certain aspects. This doesn’t mean the end of big-budget filmmaking, but it will likely redefine its purpose. Large studios may focus more on immersive experiences, live events like The Wizard of Oz in AI, or truly groundbreaking visual spectacles that are beyond the reach of individual creators. Meanwhile, a new generation of media platforms may emerge — hybrids that expertly curate and perhaps even incubate high-potential user-generated content, giving it a platform alongside more traditional fare. The skills that make someone a successful social media creator — authenticity, direct audience connection, and an understanding of what goes viral — are now becoming as valuable as a film degree.

How will this affect us as viewers? Our media diet will become even more personalized and fragmented. We’ll flit between highly polished shows and the seemingly unfiltered lives of individuals, consuming content that caters to our specific interests at any given moment. The very definition of “entertainment” might broaden to include more interactive and participatory experiences.

For content makers, the landscape will be both exciting and challenging. The barrier to entry for creating content is lower than ever, but standing out in an increasingly crowded space will be tougher. The old gatekeepers of Hollywood are now looking to social media platforms as the new talent pool. The traditional career path in the entertainment industry might become less linear. We can expect to see more hybrid creators who blend their own independent work with collaborations on larger productions, and new roles will emerge for individuals such as AI-assisted storytellers and community managers who bridge the gap between creators and audiences.

The entertainment industry at large will face an intriguing transformation. Specific traditional roles might be challenged, such as the need for large teams for visual effects or basic video editing, as AI tools become more sophisticated. In this new era, certain traditional film roles are at risk of being automated or outsourced. Sound editors, 3D modelers, and concept artists are among those whose work may be partially replaced by AI tools that can quickly generate visuals or audio. Similarly, entry-level jobs such as storyboarding and some post-production tasks can now be streamlined by AI, potentially making it harder for aspiring professionals to get their foot in the door.

However, this doesn’t mean a mass exodus from the industry. It means a necessary transition. As AI takes on the more repetitive and technical tasks, new roles are emerging for people who can master the art of collaborating with AI. These roles bridge the gap between AI’s generative power and the human needs for authenticity, engagement, and ethical oversight.

New roles such as AI-assisted storyteller, AI creative director, and prompt engineer will focus on using AI as a tool to enhance, rather than replace, human creative vision. An interactive narrative designer will use AI to create dynamic characters and adaptable plots for immersive stories. In the creator economy, roles such as community manager and creator operations manager will be more crucial than ever, focusing on building authentic human connections that AI cannot replicate. Beyond the creative sphere, new jobs such as AI integration specialist and AI ethics officer will guide organizations through the process of adopting AI responsibly, ensuring systems are transparent and unbiased.

Ultimately, history tells us that media formats don’t die — they evolve. The advent of photography didn’t kill painting; it pushed it toward new forms of expression. The explosion of the internet hasn’t killed traditional media, but it has forced it to adapt. We can expect a similar pattern here. High-budget productions and user-generated content won’t necessarily replace each other. Still, they will instead find new ways to coexist and influence one another, ultimately giving us a richer, more diverse, and perhaps more overwhelming media landscape. The key will be adaptability, both for creators and the industry itself, to navigate this great media mashup.

Rob Tonkin is a radio and music industry marketing veteran with a keen interest in film and media. A California native, he is a consultant, advisor and speaker who started in Sacramento radio at the age of 14 and rose to lead the Marketing Factory, producing the two-decade-long Honda Civic Tour, which included The Black Eyed Peas, blink-182, and One Direction. His memoir Asshole documents his self-destruction and eventual redemption.