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What is CBN? Benefits, Side Effects and 6 Products We Love on October 2, 2023 at 7:36 pm Us Weekly

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This is branded content. Us Weekly is not endorsing the websites or products set forth below. The use of THC in any capacity may lead to health concerns and users should consult medical personnel before consumption. Local and state laws for use and possession of THC vary by jurisdiction and should be reviewed before purchase.

Whether you suffer from insomnia or struggle to relax at night, CBN could be just the sleep aid you need. What is CBN, you ask? Cannabinol, aka CBN, is similar to another product you might already be familiar with: CBD. They’re both cannabinoids, which means they’re substances found in the cannabis plant and they’re both growing in popularity as natural supplements.

While more research needs to be done, studies and anecdotal evidence show that CBN is particularly helpful when used as a sleep aid. But other benefits have been reported, too, such as pain relief and relaxation. So if you struggle with any of those things, it could be time for you to try out CBN.

Check out our picks for the best CBN products to buy below. We included everything from gummies to capsules to oils, so there’s something for everyone. They’re made with natural ingredients and no chemicals, preservatives, or additives, so you can feel good about eating them.

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Our Picks for the Best CBN Products

Best Overall CBN Product: Evn CBN Gummies
Best for Sleep: Slumber Sleep Aid Deep Zzzs CBD Sleep Gummies With THC + CBN
Best Tasting: Extract Labs CBN Chocolate Bar
Most Potent: The Raw Botanics Co. REST & Refresh Reishi Mushroom & Hemp Softgels
Best Water-Soluble CBN: CBD American Shaman CBNight Water Soluble CBN Oil
Best CBN with Nano-CBD: Zatural CBN Gummies With Nano CBD

What is CBN?

CBN, or cannabinol, like CBD and THC, is a compound found in the cannabis plant and it was actually the first cannabinoid to be discovered. To make it even more complicated, CBN comes from THC. When THC breaks down, whether it’s due to aging or exposure to oxygen, heat and light, it creates CBN. And it can be produced naturally or synthetically. Cannabinol is much milder than THC, so it won’t give you the same high feeling (though in large amounts, you could experience some psychoactive effects).

Benefits of CBN

CBN hasn’t been widely studied yet, but research and anecdotal evidence has shown that possible benefits to taking CBN include:

Improved sleep
Pain relief
Neuroprotective properties
Reduced inflammation

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Best CBN Products in 2023

Best Overall CBN Product: Evn CBN Gummies

If you’re looking to sit back and relax after a long work day, these CBN gummies are the perfect way to unwind. Packed with a calming combo of 15 mg of CBN and 20 mg of CBD, these gummies can help lull you into a deep sleep — and leave you refreshed and ready to take on the next day.

Made with full-spectrum hemp grown in the U.S, the Evn CBN Gummies are vegan, organic and free from artificial flavors and colors. And not only that, but they also come in a delicious peach flavor.

Pros:

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Full-spectrum
Vegan
No artificial flavors or colors
Organic
Made with hemp grown in the U.S.

Specs:

Size: 30 gummies
Serving Size: 1 gummy
Strength: 15mg CBN, 20mg CBD
Flavor: Peach

Ingredients: Organic Tapioca, Cane Sugar, Pectin, Citric Acid, Full Spectrum Hemp Extract, CBN (Cannabinol) , Vegetable and Fruit Powders (color), Fruit Oils (flavor), Sodium Citrate, Coconut Oil.

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About Evn: Evn produces high-quality and all-natural CBD and CBN to help customers feel “centered, calm and balanced.” The brand also aims to educate people about the benefits of taking CBD products.

Best for Sleep: Slumber Sleep Aid Deep Zzzs CBD Sleep Gummies With THC + CBN

If you’re looking for a natural sleep aid, these CBN gummies are for you. Not only do they come in a tasty Lemon Raspberry flavor that feels like eating candy, but they’re also low in sugar and made with high-quality hemp extract.

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The gummies contain a mix of THC, CBD and CBN to reduce pain and inflammation while helping you sleep. Also, according to Slumber Sleep Aid, they contain the strongest legal hemp blend available — so you know you’ll benefit from their effects in no time.

Pros:

Plant-based
CO2 extracted
Made with hemp grown in the U.S.
No fillers
Full-spectrum

Specs:

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Size: 30 gummies
Serving Size: 1 gummy
Strength: 3mg THC, 25mg CBD, 8mg CBN
Flavor: Lemon Raspberry

Ingredients: Organic Cane Sugar, Corn Syrup, Water, Pectin, Sucrose, Citric Acid, Full Spectrum Hemp Distillate (aerial parts), Natural Raspberry Flavor, Organic Red Color, Organic Glycerin, Sunflower Lecithin, Malic Acid and Hemp-derived Cannabinol (aerial parts)

What customers say: One reviewer with insomnia said that these CBN gummies are one of the “most effective sleep aids” they’ve used. Other customers say they like how the product “takes the edge off” without getting them high and that the gummies help them fall and stay asleep.

About Slumber Sleep Aid: Slumber Sleep Aid’s goal is to help people sleep better with natural products and without the side effects that can come from other sleep aid medications.

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Best Tasting: Extract Labs CBN Chocolate Bar

Extract Labs sells a variety of CBN products, including gummies, oil, capsules and isolate, but the best one is a CBN chocolate bar. What better way could there be to take your CBN? The gluten-free bar contains 70% dark chocolate with a blend of CBD and CBN.

Pros:

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Organic
Made with hemp grown in the U.S.
Non-GMO
Broad-spectrum
Gluten-free

Specs:

Size: 40g (10 servings per container)
Serving Size: 1 square
Strength: 78mg CBD, 20mg CBN
Flavor: Dark chocolate

Ingredients: Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Sugar, Hemp Extract, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla

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What customers say: Shoppers call this CBN chocolate a “must-have” when you have trouble sleeping. Unsurprisingly, customers also love the flavor, saying they want to eat more than the recommended amount because they enjoy it so much.

About Extract Labs: Extract Labs was founded by an Iraq veteran who became interested in using cannabis for medicinal purposes. The company works with CSU to fund research on the effects of CBD on canine glioma cells and they have a discount program to make plant-based products more accessible.

Most Potent: The Raw Botanics Co. REST & Refresh Reishi Mushroom & Hemp Softgels

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You’ll feel extra calm and sleepy with these capsules, which are specifically formulated to initiate your body’s natural sleep cycle.

Along with broad-spectrum hemp-derived CBD and CBN, they contain soothing ashwagandha and reishi mushroom. The softgels don’t have any preservatives or additives and they’re sugar- and gluten-free.

Pros:

Contains a calming blend of terpenes and adaptogens
Broad-spectrum
Made with hemp grown in the U.S.
No additives or preservatives
​​Sugar- and gluten-free
Vegan, keto and paleo-friendly

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Specs:

Size: 60 capsules
Serving Size: 1 to 2 capsules
Strength: 12.5mg CBD, 12.5mg CBN
Flavor: None

Ingredients: Hemp Extract (Flowers and Aerial Parts), Cannabinol (CBN), Linalool, Nerolidol, Phytol, Terpinolene, Borneol, Alpha-Terpineol, Alpha Pinene, Alpha-Terpinene, Gamma-Terpinene, Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) (root), Organic Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), Extract (Fruiting Body)

What customers say: One shopper called these softgels an “absolute game-changer,” and another said that they work “like magic.” Customers appreciate how well the capsules help them sleep and how they feel when waking up.

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About The Raw Botanics Co.: The company was founded by two friends who have first-hand experience with how hemp can improve your life. Their goal is to create high-quality, sustainable products and educate shoppers on how cannabinoids and natural ingredients can help them.

Best Water-Soluble CBN: CBD American Shaman CBNight Water Soluble CBN Oil

This CBN oil is made with a proprietary cannabinoid blend to encourage better sleep. The water-soluble formula makes taking the oil super simple—just drop it into a beverage and drink it. The nanotechnology process used to make the oil reduces the size of cannabinoid particles to help your body absorb them even more easily and quickly.

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Pros:

Gluten-free
Proprietary nanotechnology
Water-soluble
Made with hemp grown in the U.S.

Specs:

Size: 30mL
Serving Size: 1 dropperful
Strength: 4mg CBN
Flavor: None

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What customers say: Shoppers say that other sleep aids have left them groggy in the morning, but they wake up feeling refreshed with this CBN oil. One reviewer even said that they “slept like a rock.”

About CBD American Shaman: CBD American Shaman’s products are made with the brand’s proprietary nanotechnology that makes cannabinoid particles extra small, allowing the body to more easily and quickly absorb them. The company offers a Compassionate Care discount program for certain customers that may need financial assistance.

Best CBN with Nano-CBD: Zatural CBN Gummies With Nano CBD

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These watermelon-flavored gummies are made with water-soluble nano CBD that absorbs into your body more easily, making it highly effective and fast-acting. Zatural products are organic and free from chemicals and additives.

Pros:

Gluten-free
Made with water-soluble nano CBD
Organic
No chemicals or additives

Specs:

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Size: 60 gummies
Serving Size: 1 gummy
Strength: 15mg CBD, 5mg CBN
Flavor: Watermelon

Ingredients: Corn Syrup, Water, Sugar, Pectin, Citric Acid, Natural Watermelon Concentrate (Water, Gum, Acacia, Natural Flavors, Citric Acid), Natural Red Color (Plant Extract), CBD, CBN, Purac

What customers say: One reviewer noted that they fall asleep within 20 to 30 minutes after taking these CBN gummies. Shoppers have also commented that they help them relax before bed and stop them from tossing and turning.

About Zatural: A naturopathic doctor founded Zatural to provide natural remedies to her patients. Zatural sells oils, gummies, edibles, topicals and more and they’re all made with organic ingredients.

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How We Picked the Best CBN Products

In order to find the best CBN products for you, we dove into a few key areas: reviews, testing and quality ingredients.

Reviews

We know that getting the opinions of people who have actually used a product is super important to making your decision, so we read through customer reviews to see what real shoppers have to say.

Testing

All our products have been tested by third-party laboratories to ensure they’re safe to consume and to verify the amounts of CBN, CBD, THC and other cannabinoids.

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Quality ingredients

All of our CBN picks are made with hemp grown in the U.S. and with organic, non-GMO and/or natural ingredients. They also don’t have unnecessary additives or anything artificial, like chemicals, colors, or flavors.

What to Look For When Buying CBN Products

When you’re looking for the best CBN product for your specific needs, there are a few things you should look out for, including the products form (ie. a topical vs a gummy), the potency and the price point.

Form

What form you decide to take is entirely up to your own preference. Some common types of CBN are gummies, oils, capsules and tinctures.

Potency

If you’re new to the CBN game, you might want to start with a lower potency and dose until your body gets used to it.

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Flavor

Picking a flavor you like is key to finding a CBN product that works for you. CBN, like CBD, has a grassy hemp flavor that can taste unpleasant, so if you’re not a fan, be sure to look for a flavor you’ll enjoy.

Price

CBN products can run a little pricey at times, so you may want to search around for different brands if you’re shopping on a budget.

Potential Side Effects of CBN

Like we mentioned earlier, CBN hasn’t been that widely studied as of now, but many of the possible side effects are similar to those you’d have when taking CBD. Plus, many CBN products also have CBD.

Some side effects you might experience include:

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Drowsiness
Dry mouth
Diarrhea
Changes in appetite
Irritability
Agitation
Fatigue
Lightheadedness
Nausea

Cannabinoids like CBN can interact with certain prescription medications, so talk to your doctor before trying it if you take any medicines. You can also develop stronger side effects (like drowsiness or dizziness) if you take CBN with alcohol, so you should be careful when drinking, too.

FAQs: 

Is CBN similar to CBD?

Since CBN and CBD are both cannabinoids, there are some similarities, including certain potential benefits, such as improved sleep, reduced inflammation and relief from pain. That’s because both substances come from hemp and cannabis and interact with the endocannabinoid system. Both share similar side effects, too, like drowsiness and nausea.

One major difference is their FDA approval status. A CBD medication, Epidiolex, is approved by the FDA to treat severe epilepsy. CBN, on the other hand, isn’t currently approved to treat any medical conditions.

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Here’s a quick cheat sheet on the main differences between CBN and CBD.

CBN:

Mild psychoactive effects
Not as readily available to buy because of limited research
Present in smaller amounts in cannabis
Limited research

CBD:

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Not psychoactive
More well-known and easy to find
More abundant in the cannabis plant
More extensively researched compared to CBN

Is CBN legal?

Thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp-derived CBN that contains less than 0.3% THC is federally legal. CBN that comes from marijuana or other non-hemp parts of the plant is still illegal.

Will CBN make me high?

Even though CBN does have psychoactive properties, its effects are significantly milder than THC, so you’re not likely to feel the effects. If you take a lot of CBN, you could possibly experience some effects.

Can you take CBN and CBD together?

Yes, it’s safe to take CBN and CBD together. In fact, you’re taking both when you use a broad- or full-spectrum product, since those types of cannabis products contain a variety of cannabinoids.

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Ready for calmer nights and better sleep? You’ll get just that with any of our CBN picks. From gummies to oils to capsules, you’ll find your perfect CBN product in our list.

Related: 11 Best CBD Gummies for Sleep: Top Products for Epic Snoozing in 2023

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These natural CBD gummies can help lull you to sleep so that you get a proper rest and wake up refreshed in the morning — details

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Entertainment

Vertical Films Changed Everything. Are You Ready?

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People don’t watch films the way they used to—and if you’re still cutting everything for the big screen first, you’re losing the audience that lives in your pocket.

Every swipe on TikTok is a tiny festival: new voices, wild visuals, heartbreak, comedy, and chaos, all judged in under three seconds. In that world, vertical films aren’t a gimmick. They’re the new front door to your work, your brand, and your career.

The movie theater is now in your hand

Think about where you’ve discovered your favorite clips lately: your phone, in bed, in an Uber, between texts. The “cinema” experience has shrunk into a glowing rectangle we hold inches from our face. That’s intimate. That’s personal. That’s power.

Vertical video fills that space completely. No black bars. No distractions. Just one story, one face, one moment staring back at you. It feels less like “I’m watching a movie” and more like “this is happening to me.” For storytellers, that’s gold.

The old rules still matter—but they bend

Film school taught you:

  • Compose for the wide frame.
  • Let the world breathe at the edges.
  • Save the close-up for maximum impact.

Vertical filmmaking says: bring all of that craft… and then flip it. You still need composition, rhythm, framing, and sound. But now:

  • The close-up is the default, not the climax.
  • Depth replaces width—what’s in front and behind matters more than left and right.
  • Micro-scenes—60 seconds or less—must feel like complete emotional beats.

It’s not “less cinematic.” It’s a different kind of cinematic—one that lives where people already are instead of asking them to come to you.

Your characters can live beyond the film

Here’s the secret no one tells you: audiences don’t just fall in love with stories; they fall in love with people. Vertical video lets your characters exist outside the runtime.

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Imagine this:

When someone feels like they “know” a character from their feed, buying a ticket or renting your film stops feeling like a risk. It feels like catching up with a friend.

Behind the scenes is no longer optional

Vertical films thrive on honesty. Shaky behind-the-scenes clips. Laughing fits between takes. The director’s 2 a.m. rant about a shot that won’t work. The makeup artist fixing tears after a heavy scene. That’s the texture that makes people care about the final product.

You don’t have to be perfect. You have to be present.
Ideas you can start capturing tomorrow:

  • “What we can’t afford, so we’re faking it.”
  • “The shot we were scared to try.”
  • “One thing we argued about for three days.”

When you show the process, you’re not just selling a film—you’re inviting people into a journey.

Think in episodes, not posts

Most people treat vertical video like a one-off blast: post, pray, forget. Instead, think like a showrunner.

Ask yourself:

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  • If my project were a vertical series, what’s Episode 1? What’s the hook?
  • How can I end each clip with a question, a twist, or a feeling that makes people need the next part?
  • Can I tell one complete emotional story across 10 vertical videos?

Suddenly, your feed isn’t random. It’s a season. People don’t just “like” a video—they “follow” to see what happens next.

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The attention is real. The opportunity is bigger.

We’re in a rare moment where a micro-drama shot on your phone can sit in the same feed as a studio campaign and still win. A fearless 45-second monologue in a bathroom. A quiet scene of someone deleting a text. A single, wordless push-in on a face that tells the whole story.

Vertical films give you:

  • Low cost, high experimentation.
  • Immediate feedback from real viewers.
  • Proof that your story, your voice, your world can hold attention.

You don’t have to wait for permission, a greenlight, or a perfect budget. You can start where you are, with what you have, and let the audience tell you what’s working.

So, are you ready?

Some filmmakers will roll their eyes and call vertical a phase. They’ll keep making beautiful work that no one sees until a festival says it exists. Others will treat every swipe, every scroll, and every tiny screen as a chance to connect, teach, provoke, and move people.

Those are the filmmakers whose names we’ll be hearing in five years.

The question isn’t whether vertical films are “real cinema.” The question is: when the next person scrolls past your work, do they feel nothing—or do they stop, stare, and think, “I need more of this”?

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What Kanye’s ‘Father’ Says About Power, Faith, and Control

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Kanye West’s “Father” video looks like a fever dream in a church, but underneath the spectacle it’s a quiet argument about who really runs the world. The altar isn’t just about God; it’s about every “father” structure that decides what’s true, who belongs, and who gets cast out.

The church as power, not comfort

The church in “Father” doesn’t behave like a safe, sacred space. It feels like a headquarters. The aisle becomes a catwalk for power: brides, a knight, a nun, a Michael Jackson double, astronauts, Travis Scott, all moving through the frame while Kanye mostly sits and watches. The room doesn’t change for them—they’re the ones being processed.

That’s the first big tell: this isn’t just about religion. It’s about systems. The church stands in for any institution that claims moral authority—governments, platforms, labels, churches, media—places where identity, status, and “truth” are negotiated behind the scenes. Faith is the language; control is the product.

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Kanye as the unmanageable outsider

In this universe, Kanye isn’t the leader of the service. He’s a problem in the pews. The wildest scene makes that explicit: astronauts move in, pull off his mask, expose him as an “alien,” and carry him out. It’s funny, surreal—and brutal.

That moment plays like a metaphor for what happens when someone stops being useful to the system. If you’re too unpredictable, too loud, too off‑script, the institution finds a way to unmask you, label you, and remove you. But here’s the twist: once he’s gone, the spectacle continues. Travis still shines, the ceremony rolls on, the church keeps doing what the church does. The message is cold: no one is bigger than the machine.

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Faith vs obedience

The title “Father” is doing triple duty: God, parent, and patriarchal authority. The video leans into a hard question—are we following something we believe in, or something we’re afraid to disappoint?

Inside this church, people don’t react when things get strange. A nun is handled like a criminal, cards burn, an alien is dragged away, and the room barely flinches. That’s not devotion, that’s conditioning. The deeper critique is that many of our modern “faiths”—political, religious, even fandom—have slid from relationship into obedience. You’re not invited to wrestle with meaning; you’re expected to sit down, sing along, and accept the script.

Who gets meaning, who gets sacrificed

The casting in “Father” feels like a visual ranking chart. The knight represents sanctioned force: power that’s old, armored, and legitimated by history. The cross and church setting evoke sacrifice: whose pain gets honored, whose story gets canonized, whose doesn’t. The Michael Jackson lookalike signals how even fallen icons remain useful as symbols long after their humanity is gone.

In that context, Kanye’s removal reads as a sacrifice that keeps the system intact. Take the problematic prophet out of the frame, keep the music, keep the ritual, keep the brand. The father‑system doesn’t collapse; it adjusts. Control isn’t loud in this world—it’s quiet, procedural, dressed like order.

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A mirror held up to us

The most uncomfortable part of “Father” is that the congregation keeps sitting there. No one storms out. No one screams. The church absorbs aliens, icons, arrests, and weddings like it’s a normal Sunday. That’s where the video stops being about Kanye and starts being about us.

We’ve learned to scroll past absurdity and injustice with the same blank face as those extras in the pews. Faith becomes content. Outrage becomes engagement. Power becomes invisible. “Father” takes all of that and crushes it into one continuous shot, asking a bigger question than “Is Kanye back?”

It’s asking: in a world where power wears holy clothes, faith is filmed, and control looks like normal life, who is your father really—and are you sure you chose him?

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The machine isn’t coming. It’s aleady the room.

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The machine isn’t coming. It’s already in the room.

Indie creators debate AI tools vs. authenticity. Built for your exact audience.

Picture this: you spend two years writing a script. You hustle funding, build a team, reach out to casting. Then somewhere inside a studio, a software platform analyzes your concept against fifteen years of box office data and decides—before a single human executive reads page one—that your film is too risky to greenlight.

This isn’t a Black Mirror episode. This is Hollywood in 2026.


The Numbers Don’t Lie

The generative AI market inside media and entertainment just crossed $2.24 billion and is projected to hit $21.2 billion by 2035—a 25% annual growth rate. Studios like Warner Bros. are running platforms like Cinelytic, a decision-intelligence tool that predicts box office performance with 94–96% accuracy before a single dollar of production money moves.

Netflix estimates its AI recommendation engine saves the company $1 billion per year just in subscriber retention. Meanwhile, over the past three years, more than 41,000 film and TV jobs have disappeared in Los Angeles County alone.

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That’s not a trend. That’s a restructuring.


The Moment That Changed Everything

In February 2026, ByteDance’s AI generator Seedance 2.0 produced a hyper-realistic deepfake video featuring the likenesses of Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Leonardo DiCaprio. It went viral instantly. SAG-AFTRA called it “blatant infringement.” The Human Artistry Campaign called it “an attack on every creator in the world.”

Then came Tilly Norwood—a fully AI-generated actress created by production company Particle 6—who was seriously considered for agency representation in Hollywood. The first synthetic human to knock on that door.

Matthew McConaughey didn’t mince words at a recent industry town hall. He looked at Timothée Chalamet and said:

“It’s already here. Own yourself. Voice, likeness, et cetera. Trademark it. Whatever you gotta do, so when it comes, no one can steal you.”

James Cameron told CBS the idea of generating actors with prompts is “horrifying.” Werner Herzog called AI films “fabrications with no soul.” Guillermo del Toro said he would “rather die” than use generative AI to make a film.

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But here’s the thing—not everyone agrees.


The Indie Filmmaker’s Double-Edged Sword

At SXSW 2026, indie filmmakers made something clear in a packed panel: they don’t want AI to make their movies. They want AI to “do their dishes.”

That’s the real conversation happening at the ground level.

Independent filmmaker Brad Tangonan used Google’s AI suite to create Murmuray—a deeply personal short film he says he never could have made without the tools. Not because he lacked talent, but because he lacked budget. He wrote it. He directed it. The AI executed parts of his vision he couldn’t afford to shoot.

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“I see all of these tools, whether it be a camera you can pick up or generative AI, as ways for an artist to express what they have in their mind,” he said.

In Austin, an independent filmmaker built a 7-minute short in three weeks using AI-generated video—a project that would have taken 3–4 months and cost ten times more the traditional way. That’s the version of this story studios don’t want you focused on.

At CES 2026, Arcana Labs announced the first fully AI-generated short film to receive a SAG-approved contract—a milestone that proves AI-assisted production can operate inside union protections when done right.


The Fight Coming This Summer

The WGA contract expires May 1, 2026. SAG-AFTRA’s expires June 30. AI is the headline issue at the bargaining table—and the last time these two unions went to war with studios over it, Hollywood shut down for 118 days.

SAG is expected to push the “Tilly Tax”—a fee studios pay every time they use a synthetic actor—directly inspired by Tilly Norwood’s emergence. The WGA already prohibits studios from handing writers AI-generated scripts for a rewrite fee. Now they want bigger walls.

Meanwhile, the Television Academy’s 2026 Emmy rules now include explicit AI language: human creative contribution must remain the “core” of any submission. AI assistance is allowed—but the Academy reserves the right to investigate how it was used.

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The Oscars and Emmys are essentially saying: the robot didn’t get nominated. The human did.


What This Means for You

If you’re an indie filmmaker between 25 and 45, you’re operating in the most disruptive creative environment since the camera went digital. AI can cut your post-production time by up to 40%. It can help you pre-visualize shots, generate temp scores, clean up audio, and pitch your project with a sizzle reel you couldn’t afford six months ago.

But the machine that helps you make your film is the same machine that could make studios decide they don’t need you to make theirs.

Producer and director Taylor Nixon-Smith said it best: “Entertainment, once a sacred space, now feels like it’s in a state of purgatory.”

The question isn’t whether AI belongs in your workflow. It’s whether you’re the one holding the wheel—or whether the wheel is slowly being handed to an algorithm that has never once felt what it means to have a story only you can tell.

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