The Reading Garden: 4/11/25
What We’re Reading, and Why It Matters to Legacy Media
Welcome to the Reading Garden, where every Friday we spotlight three must-read (and sometimes must-watch!) pieces we're paying attention to and explore what they mean for legacy media.
Let’s dive in…
Matthew Gielen has spent his entire career building media companies in the digital video space, and now he’s laying out his thesis on where it’s all headed. You’ll want to read this one as it’s packed with white space opportunities for legacy media.
In short, Matthew argues that digital media companies need to build with with creators/celebrities, not just around them—developing shows, movies, and IP in partnership. Why? Because every major media company in history has been built on the backs of characters or personalities. That’s Hollywood’s core strength.
But if a business is tied solely to one individual (as many creator models are today), there’s a ceiling. Enter creator studios: centralized operations that amortize and reduce costs, pool knowledge, quickly find scalable revenue models for IP, and professionalize the entire process.
Does this all sound familiar? It should. It’s the exact model Hollywood already knows how to run.
Plenty of folks are claiming credit for the wild success of “A Minecraft Movie". And fair enough, the box office numbers speak for themselves (though shoutout to the theater workers managing the mayhem at some screenings).
But consultant Mike Shields makes a great point: while the track record of creators working with studios is mixed, this phenomenon shows how powerful the synergies can be when it clicks.
Our favorite takeaway? Treat creators as co-architects, not just amplifiers. Rather than bringing them in to hype the movie during the marketing campaign, invite them early to help shape the story and build audience engagement from the ground up.
Been meaning to catch up on Doug Shapiro’s recent work? This your lucky day. In a TED Talk-style presentation, Doug runs through his big picture thinking about the past, present, and future of legacy media, all in under 25 minutes!
His main point? The last decade was defined by disruption in the distribution of media, this next one will be defined by disruption in the creation of media.
We urge you to stick around for the end, where he breaks down the new moats legacy media can build: great stories, fandom & community, premium IP, and more. Solid food for thought for legacy media as we navigate what’s next.
See you next week.