Matt Gibson

Things I’ve noticed while applying to entertainment industry jobs for over a month now: •the pay rates offered for most roles have not changed since I was applying 5+ years ago. Truly disheartening. •I am qualified/overqualified for most jobs and continually see over 100+ applicants for most job posts. Are these applicants just throwing spaghetti on the wall or actually qualified? Very curious to know this. •attaching a PDF of my resume AND having to do the autofill (then correct the mistakes of the autofill) is time-consuming, superfluous, and frustrating. •if you’re asking for a Cover Letter and actually read it, that’s great. But overall, asking for Cover Letters seems so outdated when we know social media profiles are basically the new Cover Letters. •the extra dense/verbose job descriptions seem unnecessary. Companies should exercise being more succinct and concise about what’s expected. And if you’re going to have a long winded way to describe what in actuality is a simple task, just give a “for example” in parentheticals. It’d be helpful. Don’t have us guess what our job would entail. •biggest gripe recently: there was a somewhat high-level position offering less than what a server makes hourly by waiting tables in West Hollywood. SMH. Respect your applicants and employees! Offer competitive wages!

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TikTok is set to shut down in the US this Sunday, after the Supreme Court upheld the law forcing to sell it or ban it. That's a pool of ~2.5 billion hours of monthly engagement and ~65m daily active users suddenly up for grabs. Where will that time go? Instagram (2b hours), Snap (<1b), and YouTube (11b) would appear to be the most obvious substitutes from a product perspective. But there's also an opportunity for all streamers, especially those who courting the 'come for a minute, stay for an hour' use case. For context: TikTok's 2.5b hours happen almost entirely on mobile—a platform most streamers haven't truly mastered. But as I wrote last summer, mobile is the key to winning the engagement battle: the main players there (TikTok, YouTube, Instagram) have daily engagement rates of 75-80% (DAU/MAU), which are nearly impossible to replicate on TV sets. During the pandemic, TikTok reshaped behavior: users would come for a minute and stay for an hour, stealing time from all media —even podcasts, YouTube and Meta (until Shorts and Reels launched). Netflix and other streamers had a problem: their 'minimum use case' was 20 minutes for a sitcom. They decided not to enter the war for short-form, but they did launch games as a way to drive daily engagement on mobile. Over the last few months, other platforms from Peacock to Tubi have also rolled out their own versions of games or shorts. Now, with TikTok's absence and the upcoming changes at Instagram/Facebook inspired by X streamers have a unique moment to seize share. Spotify (not included in this chart as I don't have enough data to estimate their time spent in the US) could also gain share. They're early in the rollout of their video product, and are courting creators and advertisers just at the same time as two other players are in flux. Podcasts should reclaim time TikTok absorbed during its rise. Who do you think will benefit most, and what should they do? Did I miss anyone?

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Rembrand's $23 Million Flex: Turning Ads Into "Did That Belong There?" Moments In a move that makes ad-skipping couch potatoes everywhere groan, Rembrand just scored $23 million in Series A funding to double down on its futuristic mission: making ads so sneaky, you’ll barely notice they’re there. This round was led by super{set}, with big-name backers like The Trade Desk, Naver D2SF, and L’Oréal’s BOLD fund lining up to join the fun. Existing investors like Greycroft couldn’t resist either, showing that when it comes to virtual product placement, everyone wants a slice. Omar Tawakol, Rembrand's CEO and co-founder, didn’t hold back on the victory lap. “We’re thrilled to have the backing of such a distinguished group of investors,” he declared, probably while envisioning how to drop your favorite soda into next year’s biggest Netflix hit. “This funding will enable us to accelerate our growth, expand our team, and continue to innovate our technology platform to meet the evolving needs of advertisers and content owners across the broader video marketplace.” Translation: your favorite show’s main character is about to be best friends with the hottest new beverage brand, whether the script originally called for it or not. Rembrand is taking AI-powered product placement to the next level. Picture this: you’re watching a crime drama, and in the middle of a tense interrogation, there’s a casually placed box of cereal on the counter that wasn’t in the original shoot. That’s Rembrand’s handiwork. Their tech slides brands into video content so seamlessly, it’s almost an art form—think Monet meets Madison Avenue. For advertisers, it’s a win. More brand awareness? Check. Longer screen time? Double-check. Non-intrusive but attention-grabbing placements? Triple-check. Meanwhile, audiences get to pretend these ads are just part of the story. It’s the digital equivalent of sprinkling MSG into every meal—you don’t know it’s there, but it makes everything pop. Tom Chavez, co-founder and general partner at super{set}, spelled it out: “Rembrand is at the forefront of a major shift utilizing AI in advertising, and we are excited to partner with them as they scale their business and transform the way brands connect with consumers.” And with The Trade Desk and L’Oréal joining the mix, it’s clear the advertising world is waking up to this game-changing approach. Naver D2SF’s involvement shows they see global potential, while Greycroft’s continued support says, “Yep, these folks know what they’re doing.” CTV Is the Playground The Connected TV (CTV) space is where this gets real. With the rise of streaming platforms, traditional ads are out, and clever integrations are in. Viewers are done tolerating pre-roll ads, but sneak in a product during their favorite show? Suddenly, it’s palatable—barely noticeable, even. Rembrand is positioning itself as the king of this hill, ready to dominate a market that’s growing faster than your Wi-Fi bill.

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