Last month, the new season of the dystopian sci-fi series Black Mirror was released on Netflix to critical acclaim. However, while most viewers enjoyed Season 7, a few social media posts went viral wondering what a show with an optimistic view on tech would look like.
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Well, we just might soon find out.
Google has recently launched a new movie and TV show initiative called “100 Zeroes,” according to a report from Business Insider. Google is partnering with Range Media Partners, the production company behind films such as A Complete Unknown and Longlegs for the initiative.
According to the report, one of Google’s goals is promoting its own products. For example, a movie produced by 100 Zeroes could see its characters using an Android device instead of an iPhone.
However, product placement isn’t actually the main goal of the initiative. Google is more interested in promoting an overall positive view of technology, especially to young people.
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The 100 Zeroes initiative actually started last year with quiet contributions to the marketing budget for the Neon horror film Cuckoo. The 100 Zeroes’s logo was displayed in the opening credits based on its funding, but Google didn’t play a role in the actual content of the movie.
But, according to Business Insider, the film represents the type of projects Google wants to create: Movies and TV shows from respected indie studios that target Gen Z.
In addition, the projects that Google’s 100 Zeroes will back could get picked up and distributed by major film studios and streamers like Netflix. Google isn’t looking to bring YouTube into the fold for this initiative, but rather mainstream TV and movie platforms.
In a post on X, Google clarified that 100 Zeroes is not a movie or TV studio. “This is not a new studio, it’s an initiative driven by our Platforms & Devices team which includes Android. We’re working with Range to assist the creative community in integrating cutting-edge technologies and platforms, like XR and AI, into their filmmaking.”
So far, many creative professionals and artists have been extremely skeptical to any adoption of AI technology into the arts. With 100 Zeroes, Google will be able to promote its tools, such as its AI products, to the creatives who make movies and TV shows.
One such 100 Zeroes project to promote the use of AI has already been launched by the company. Last month, Google and Range announced its “AI On Screen” partnership, which will fund short films about AI and then greenlight a select few for full-length features.
So, those social media users who had hoped for a “tech positive” Black Mirror may soon get their wish.