The End of Hollywood’s Nepo Baby Era
"Beyond the barrier to access to industry gatekeepers, it’s also a lot easier to afford the cost of content creation. Gone are the days when you need an entire studio production team to put together a high-quality video. Advancement in technology has made high-quality equipment affordable and accessible. The phone most of us carry around in our pockets was enough to film Olivia Rodrigo’s new music video which was shot exclusively on an iPhone. Making high quality content truly can be done by one individual with a phone — something that was not remotely possible before the 21st century and will only continue to be more true as technology advances.
Not only is production more affordable than ever, but distribution too has become more democratized due to social media. Social media has completely changed the way creators can share their work with an audience. It completely cuts out the middleman and allows creators to speak directly to their audience. Creatives can build real careers out of what they share on social media platforms. On YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, no one knows who you are related to and many use gamertags and pseudonyms; instead, you are largely judged by the quality of your content — is it engaging, is it relatable, is it informative, is it entertaining?
As the obstacles continue to crumble, underrepresented voices and stories that did not have a place in traditional Hollywood now have a chance to be told. Creators from diverse and previously overlooked backgrounds are sharing their experiences and stories on social media which is leading to new narratives being told in the industry. This in turn is not only expanding the range of stories told but also provides much needed representation in an industry that historically lacks diversity."