Bobby Miller's Blog, page 5

The Cleanse Special Edition Blu-Ray is here!

Friends! You can now pre-order my debut feature film, THE CLEANSE, on Blu-ray! CLICK HERE. Releases May 21, 2024!

I’ve been sitting on a Dropbox folder filled with special features FOR YEARS, and all of them have been approved for this release! Plus, we recorded a brand new track with the actors exclusively for this Blu-ray.

Oh shit! The rarely seen alternative poster art!

SPECIAL FEATURES

Commentary by Writer/Director Bobby Miller

Commentary by Writer/Director Bobby Miller and Actors Johnny Galecki and Kyle Gallner

Making The Cleanse Documentary

Deleted Scenes

Proof of Concept Teaser

Creature Tests

Kyle Gallner Audition

Creature Gallery

Animatics

2 Short Films by Director Bobby Miller: END TIMES & TUB

Trailer

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Let’s get in-depth, baby!

My solo commentary track is a super-detailed, warts-and-all film school in a box. The actor track is super funny and chummy, like those John Carpenter / Kurt Russell joints!

Deleted scenes? Holy shit, you guys! There’s one featuring Anjelica Huston. A scene that we fucking LOVE and, lowkey, maybe the reason she did the movie. And it features…a…creature. Plus: DICK CITY! You don’t know what that means yet. And honestly, you might not after the deleted scene, too?

The documentary has the only known BTS footage of THE CLEANSE!

The teaser scene was instrumental in securing financing for the film. It features a slightly different creature design and vibe!

The animatics showcase alternate and never-before-shot scenes. And they’re hand-drawn and voiced by me and look really dumb! You’ll fucking love it!

For those in the know, THE TRILOGY OF TEARS was a name coined to represent my three films: The Cleanse, End Times, and TUB. All share some DNA, mostly because they feature grown men crying. Both of my short films are included with this release; thus, you’ll own THE TRILOGY OF TEARS. (Gasp!)

What else?! Kyle Gallner Audition! He nails the character instantly! It’s amazing to see! Trailer? Who hates a trailer? I don’t wanna know that person! Plus lots of BTS stuff detailing the creature creation process.

REAL TALK: This disc represents the culmination of your boy as a writer/director. As I move to fiction writing, it might become the only physical proof of my filmmaking existence.

BUY BUY BUY!!!

SPECIAL THANKS: This release would not be possible without the kind folks at Sony Pictures. Thank you to Jeremy Glassman, Amy Searles, Vinele Grana, and everyone else who helped make this dream come true!

The film finally —exists—.

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An Artist Pep Talk For Uncertain Times

I was recently at a toddler birthday party in Los Angeles and was struck by how quickly every parent conversation unraveled. Most of the parents were artists, and there was a palpable existential dread. Massive industry layoffs! AI! Eventually, the conversation turned toward late-stage capitalism and the corporatization of art.

Y’know, small talk!

We agreed the folks at the top no longer seemed to care. In the old days, there was pride in making great commercial art from industry leaders—or at least the illusion of it. But last year’s SAG/WGA strikes revealed cold and indifferent CEOs.

And this, my artist friends, is why we need you more than ever.

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Let’s talk about TikTok!

Media corporations love clutching their pearls over TikTok!

“Damn, the algorithm and our short attention spans!” they shout. "We’re losing our audiences to that damn thing!”

And listen. I think TikTok kinda sucks too.

But the reason it’s stealing eyeballs from these giant media conglomerates isn’t the algorithm or our dwindling attention spans. The reason TikTok succeeds is simple: Individuals.

Individuals are not beholden to shareholders. Not beholden to chasing trends or intellectual property. Individuals can simply create and release.

This terrifies media conglomerates. This is why they're getting their ass handed to them by a bunch of teenagers.

These corporations are no longer interested in creating great art and culture. They are only interested in short-term financial gain for their shareholders. And they’ll literally destroy their own brands to do so. (HBO Max » Max anyone?)

Patreon, Substack, and Kickstarter are successful because giant corporations have let us down. We’re desperate for something interesting and different. And we’ll pay creators directly for access to the good shit.

So, here's my plea to artists reading this: I know your backs are up against the wall. But we need you now more than ever! We need the good shit!

But, Bobby, you say, I have a family. I need to earn a living. Yes, 100%. First, you need to survive. Do whatever you can to get whole. And find comfort in the notion that everyone, people you might not expect, is feeling it.

But once you figure out how to survive, I need you to find time. Wake up early. Stay up late! Create something that speaks to the moment and excites you.

Do it for you first. The rest will follow.

Let’s look at the alternatives:

You could pitch a concept to Warner Brothers. Maybe even base it on their most iconic intellectual property. Say, Looney Tunes. You could even shoot and edit the film with the best talent. Get great audience scores…

But, even then, you’re not safe. Even then, someone at the top could turn it all into a corporate tax write-off.

So, why play the game anymore?

For a while, audiences were resigned. This is just the state of entertainment! Everything has to be regurgitated leftovers and IP slop! But the audience is showing signs of fatigue—so much so that even Bob Iger admitted Disney is making too many sequels.

So — Forget everything you know about how a project must work. Forget structures. Forget institutions.

Be like Sam Pink, an author/artist who self-publishes directly to his rapt audience.

Be like Vivienne Medrano, whose animated series Hazbin Hotel was Patreon-funded on YouTube and created a bidding war at Amazon.

Be like Luca Galante, who developed the Indie Game Vampire Survivor with his own money and resources.

Be like Liam Finn, a New Zealand musician who live-streamed the making of his new album and cultivated a fanbase. (He plans to withhold the entire album from streaming platforms to actually sell an album!)

Be like Andrew Bowser, a filmmaker who forged a path online and successfully raised $610,467 to make a feature film. (It premiered at Sundance 2023.)

Yes, this means more work. More long-term planning and patience. But long-term planning is exactly what the giant corporations aren’t interested in. They’re playing checkers right now. So play chess!

The future of art is not AI and risk-averse executives. It’s passionate human individuals who see the crumbling institutions as an opportunity. Brick by brick, it's time to remake the art world the way we'd like to see it. It’s time to rekindle that spark that brought us all to this moment. It’s time to create and release.

Prove to the world you’re better than AI-generated slop.

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Why are Tech billionaires obsessed with Doomsday bunkers?

We all know Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk have a hard-on for colonizing Mars. And hey, if you can afford the intergalactic travel, it makes sense? I mean, there’s gotta be so many things…to…do…there. But, for many tech bros, Mars isn’t attractive. No, the world’s richest men are all quietly building doomsday bunkers.

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Mark Zuckerberg spent $100 million on a compound in Hawaii. Here’s a picture of the guard tower overseeing the compound. Pretty cute, right?

Peter Thiel, one of the OGS of Silicon Valley, is trying to build a bunker in New Zealand, a place he believes is safe from environmental collapse. His plans were met with backlash, as they would have (ironically) messed with New Zealand’s environment.

And then there’s Sam Altman. The founder of OpenAI is a well-documented doomsday prepper. So, I have to know! What are his bunker dreams?

“I have like structures,” he joked in an interview, “but I wouldn’t say a bunker.”

Pretty funny joke!

(Reports suggest he and Peter Thiel have an agreement.)

But wait, what agreement? What are all of the richest men concerned about?

Take a seat, dear reader, and gaze upon this burning self-driving taxi.

photo Anirudh Koul

Richard Rushkoff’s book, “Survival of the Richest,” posits that the world’s wealthiest men are concerned about one thing. Hell. I wouldn’t even call it a concern. These billionaires are obsessed with the moment their technology leads to massive job loss and societal collapse. The reason for their underground bunkers and large guarded compounds is clear. They have to keep out the angry poor people when shit hits the fan.

The WSJ recently reported that Sam Altman wants to raise 7 trillion dollars for computer chips. His company’s artificial intelligence plans are so resource-intensive that if he wants to get to AGI (the moment computers are more intelligent than humans) — he will need much more computing power.

But this drive toward automation is nothing new. Richard Rushkoff’s book reveals that every startup company looking for venture capitalist cash in Silicon Valley has one major requirement. They must prove their business will eventually become fully automated.

You won't get that money if you can’t prove you're eliminating humans.

So, not only are the richest men in tech rapidly pushing for AGI, which they believe will lead to societal collapse, but they’re also indoctrinating this worldview into every new startup that enters Silicon Valley. Very cool!

So, what do we do with this information? Besides, say, inquiring about a Xanax prescription?

Oh, hey, remember that burning self-driving taxi?

This was San Francisco last month, where a crowd set a self-driving taxi on fire. A taxi made by Waymo.

I’m no fan of self-driving vehicles. I don’t trust them on the road with my family. Waymo’s vehicles in particular have already struck cyclists. And city workers don’t seem into them either.

But I believe the unrest in San Fransisco is related to human job loss. The way I see it:

Uber/Lyft can drive taxis out of business. And we’re fine with it.

Uber/Lyft can spend millions of dollars in political ads to stop drivers from gaining basic employee rights, and we’re fine with it. Hell, we’ll vote for it in California because the ads were misleading.

But if you eliminate a class of drivers you created by replacing them with a self-driving taxi…Your shit is getting set on fire.

video Anirudh Koul

On Friday, I was driving in Los Angeles and saw a curious sight. A man driving a Waymo self-driving taxi. Huh? What was that about?

That night, at midnight, the Los Angeles Times posted this:

And Kudos to Waymo. Having this unpopular news drop at midnight on a Friday before Super Tuesday. Chef’s kiss.

But, as my city reaches unprecedented levels of unhoused people, with multiple industries decimated by late-stage capitalism. I wonder, dear reader, how Los Angeles will react to a job-killing car?

What are your thoughts? Message me directly or leave a comment below!

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My Apple Vision Pro needs swirly insurance :(

Hey guys,

I LOVE my new Apple Vision Pro. As Casey Neistat said, it’s the greatest piece of tech I’ve ever used. It makes Pokemon Go look like a pile of shit!

I’m having so much fun augmenting my world that I’m literally erect for hours at a time.

(Painfully, I might add.)

However, there is one problem. And it’s a big one…

Swirlies.

Yesterday, I wore my Vision Pros out for a fun day in the city. But as I was ordering my morning coffee at Starbucks, two strangers spied my headgear and forcibly lifted me from the counter. I was carried toward the men’s restroom, where I quickly learned to hold my breath inside a toilet bowl.

My new Vision Pros were soaked.

I thought swirlies were an old-fashioned form of bullying. Something out of step with our times. But, apparently, putting someone’s head into a toilet bowl and flushing…is back in style. All thanks to Apple’s latest gadget.

I contacted the tech giant about the issue, but they brushed me off. One Apple Genius even guffawed. According to him, Applecare will never have an option for swirlie insurance. Wedgies? Forget it.

Luckily, my Vision Pros still functioned, and I was able to see a movie while checking my email and chatting with friends. I have no idea what the film was about, but I sure loved the dopamine hit, having multiple streams of content feeding my eyeballs. At one point, a man patted me on the shoulder. From there, it was a blur, but long story short, my head was in the goddamn toilet again.

To be honest, while wearing Apple’s latest gadget, I spent most of the day in the confines of a public toilet. Eventually, my Vision Pro sputtered unseemly water and died.

Tim Cook, I know you read this site. Please. I’m getting swirlied and wedgied within an inch of my life. Please update your applecare offerings. I can’t take another mouthful of toilet water.

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A new job, a new industry

Friends,

I’m starting a new job as Voice Director at Rockstar Games this month. I’m very excited! It still doesn’t feel real, especially considering how often I’ve watched the GTA 6 trailer (below).

IN OTHER NEWS

I finished my debut novel late last year and am currently querying agents and publishers. I had some nibbles before 2023 closed out, which was a great relief! I’m confident it’ll find a home soon.

WHAT IS THE BOOK ABOUT?
It’s a satirical science fiction book and very “of the moment.” I think it contains some of the funniest things I’ve ever written. But what the fuck do I know?

IN OTHER OTHER NEWS

I spoke with Sony recently, and THE CLEANSE is still set to release on Blu-Ray in 2024. I’ve handed over a TON of special features to put on the disc. I’d argue even if you didn’t like the movie, there’s value to be had! That’s right, folks. They don’t call me Bobby “added value” for nothing!

Anyway, it should be out in time for early summer.

LASTLY

Thank you for reading. I’m excited to try new things with this Subtack in 2024, and I hope you will be along for the ride.

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2023: My year of social media disintegration

For years, social media was the bane of my existence. A necessary evil for an artist to "build an audience." Facebook was the first to feel boring and dead to me. Instagram used to be fun when you could actually see what your friends were posting. And then there was Twitter, the unholiest of the platforms. We all complained about using it. Sure. It was a toxic dump, but it was our toxic dump. It scratched a dopamine itch that only the most problematic social media could.

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During the pandemic, I became more interested in fiction and the idea of writing a novel. Twitter was one of the first places I turned to learn about the industry. I began reading way more independent presses, interacting with authors, and being consumed by a new art form. Everyone was so kind and welcoming, offering tips for querying, getting the first draft done, revising. It felt like a blessing. And I put all of my energy into the platform.

But then Elon took over, and everything changed. There were several exoduses to competing platforms. Mastodon, Bluesky, Substack Notes. People left for all sorts of reasons, some moral, some not. My stance has always been neutral. I’m not paying Twitter for the service, and have never clicked on an ad. I’m using them, not the other way around. Why should I leave?

The cosmic irony of everyone leaving Twitter is watching them find faults with their new platform of choice. I logged into Threads yesterday and saw someone complaining about the rise of problematic posts. Same for Substack notes. Everyone fleeing for safe ground that will never exist.

For a moment, I thought maybe Bluesky would be my one-stop shop for social media. But just as I was doubling down, Threads launched, and I was exhausted. Was I really going to post the same dumb jokes on multiple platforms?

I did for a while. And the engagement was flat. What used to get many likes or comments on Twitter, "the town hall," was gone. The dopamine hit was gone, too. It seemed pathetic to see one person like a thing on Bluesky.

But as 2023 closes, I realize maybe all of this was a good thing. A necessary thing. For the first time in years, I don't feel the bottomless need to post something on social media. In a way, it feels like freedom.

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My New Year’s resolution? No more AI talk.

If you’ve muted me on social media for frothing at the mouth about AI, congrats. War is over (if you want it).

I’m officially putting the issue behind me.

Happy Holidays!

Will I privately seeth about the slow destruction of artist jobs? Oh, you know your boy is gonna be seething!

But will I waste more time fighting windmills on this site?

Nah.

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I never intended this Substack to be an anti-AI rant zone. I thought I’d be posting more short fiction!

In fact, AI has a comic throughline in my debut novel, and I think that’s where I want to work these issues out. Less rants. More art.

I also felt compelled to post something new every week, and that desire, too, has shifted. I receive so many junk emails! The last thing I want is for this to be junk too.

One year in, and it’s time to pivot!

I’m excited about several artistic endeavors on the horizon and I look forward to sharing them when the time comes.

To that end, I’d love for this site to be more about art and the artistic process and less hand-wringing about something I can't control.

To loosely quote the new Godzilla movie: “My (AI) war is over.”

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Is Qobuz the best music streaming service you've never heard of?

I was one of the last folks to join Spotify. Something always bothered me about paying one price for infinite music. There was no way it could be fair to recording artists, and I was right. But, eventually, I got off my high horse and joined. It was fun at first, but I kept getting the sinking feeling that Spotify didn't actually like musicians. Especially “indie” ones. Their dubious move into podcasting, and ho-hum sound quality. It was time to switch.

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I moved to Apple Music earlier this year and found its audio quality noticeably better. (Spotify has teased the idea of uncompressed high-res audio for years. But never pulled the trigger.)

But, then something happened. I bought a Walkman. Yeah, they still exist! With this purchase, I was compelled to re-examine the streaming services available. Luckily all of them have free trials.

Qobuz instantly stood head and shoulders above the rest. Tidal was close, Apple Music too. But, something about Qobuz…the music felt more lush and alive. It was exciting.

I had never heard of this service before. Don’t even know how to pronounce its name! But, I was hooked on sound quality alone. Digging deeper, I became intrigued by their algorithm. Or should I say the lack of one.

The beauty of Qobuz is that human beings drive it. I’m delivered new album picks by real people weekly. On top of that, there's a "magazine" section with interviews and editorials. The whole thing feels more adult, not just recommending the latest and greatest. But, older, eclectic stuff too.

At this point in my life, I'm over computers telling me what I might like. Give me a human being with a different life experience and different tastes to recommend something to me. Get me out of this algorithm hell.

Qobuz feels like walking into a record store and someone excited about music pulling you along and describing all the new stock they have. You can feel it all over the app, especially in the album descriptions.

The one downside to Qobuz is Apple Carplay. It’s unfortunately very spotty. And I can’t use Siri to call up songs. I’ve sent an email to the company in hopes they can work on this feature.

Bonus: Data from 2020 suggests Qobuz pays artists the most.

I wake up earlier than my wife and kid, and that time is usually reserved for writing. But, I finished my first book, and I wanted to do something recreational for a change. I wanted to listen to music without looking at social media or emails. I wanted to be absorbed.

I've been listening to music on my Walkman for a few weeks via Qobuz and love it. Look forward to it. It's the first time I've felt this intimate relationship with music since college. Before streaming services and all-access smartphones obliterated that bond.

Oh. And I finally figured out how to pronounce it.

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Sam Altman is a wolf in sheep’s clothing

Sam Altman. The CEO and co-founder of OpenAI was fired Friday. His company is responsible for ChatGPT and DALL-E. I’m a fan of neither.

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The firing was mysterious, with tech bros and blue checkmark sycophants rushing to Twitter to thank Sam for his “service.”

OpenAI was a non-profit company before Sam decided to create a “for-profit arm.” The decision was profitable immediately. Microsoft spent billions for 49% of the company.

Emboldened by venture capitalist cash, Sam rushed ChatGPT to market with little guardrails. The public and Wall Street ate it up. Other corporations saw $$$ and decided to shove AI down our throats.

Workers across industries lost their jobs, healthcare lost its mind, and Hollywood suffered two protracted strikes.

All the while, Sam has kept an odd profile. Testifying to Congress that AI could mean the end of civilization while also parading his many “accomplishments” on social media.

Why was Sam fired from his own company? The company he raised so much cash for? It seems the board believed OpenAI was moving too fast. That Sam wasn’t being “candid” with them. OpenAI was supposed to be a non-profit committed to ethical use of the tech. Maybe some of them grew a conscience.

The Atlantic recently asked Sam whether decisions made by OpenAI’s leaders might one day lead to massive unemployment.

“Jobs are definitely going to go away, full stop,” he replied.

Sadly, the corporate greed of Microsoft and its investors forced the board to consider re-hiring Sam. OpenAI’s board rejected the offer and Microsoft hired Sam to lead “advanced AI development”. Days later OpenAI fired its board and rehired Sam.

Sam Altman's push to rush generative AI to the masses has thrown multiple industries into upheaval, ripped off a century of artists' work, and will lead to massive job extinction.

And OpenAI? They just fired the people who cared about safety.

11/22/23 UPDATE: According to Reuters, “several staff researchers sent the board of directors a letter warning of a powerful artificial intelligence discovery that they said could threaten humanity.”

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Don’t feel bad for Sam Altman

Sam Altman. The CEO of OpenAI was fired yesterday. His company is responsible for ChatGPT and DALL-E.

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The firing is mysterious, with tech bros and sycophants rushing to Twitter to thank Sam for his “service.”

OpenAI was a non-profit company before Sam decided to create a “for-profit arm.” The decision was profitable immediately. Microsoft spent billions for 49% of the company.

Emboldened by venture capitalist cash, Sam rushed ChatGPT to market with little guardrails.

The public and Wall Street ate it up.

All the while, Sam has kept an odd profile. Testifying to Congress that AI could mean the end of civilization while also parading his many “accomplishments” on social media.

Why was Sam Altman fired? Rumors suggest the board believed the company was moving too fast. That Sam wasn’t being “candid” with them. Maybe some of them grew a conscience.

My prediction?

Sam will land on his feet. He’ll become the supervillain he’s casually hinted at this whole time. Enraged by his firing, he’ll start a new company that’ll move faster, with less guardrails. He’ll fleece Wall Street some more. Why not? It's easy for him.

He’ll succeed again because the whole world is asleep. Numb to the idea automation will replace their ability to earn a living.

That’s fine. Maybe it’s what we deserve for our big tech complacency. Maybe we should let a handful of doomsday prepper tech bros control our fates. Fine.

But please don’t feel sorry for the guy.

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