Personalized Media

Recommender Systems aren't new - most of us are familiar with those run by Netflix, Amazon, etc. They're great ways to find new things you might like, based on previous preferences.

I've been wondering recently - How long until the movie/TV show/eBook itself is customized? James Bond's car, for example, might show as a different make and model depending on the iTunes account that rented the movie. It certainly seems like advertising would be the first use - change a label here, a word or two there.

What about changing a more substantial part of the content in order to try and improve the experience of the end user? I imagine all of us have walked away from a movie before thinking "I would have liked it a lot more if they had (or hadn't) done $THING". Some of the more formulaic movie plots already feel a little like Mad Libs. Perhaps we're just a few software versions away from taking the writers out of popcorn movies entirely.

Feel like watching a new movie tonight? We'll MAKE ONE for you.