[overfeed]

Technological progress does not directly result in posers. As you noted, smartphones allowed anyone to record videos, but I'm yet to see any influencer or YouTuber call themselves a director or cinematographer.

I suspect the wannabees exist in the narrow window when technology has expanded enough for non-professionals, but hasn't seen wide enough adoption that the man on the street will recognize the pretentious self-aggrandizement.

[thih9]

> As you noted, smartphones allowed anyone to record videos,

No, I was talking about photography - and people replacing a digital camera with a smartphone. For most this substitution works very well; and the whole digital camera industry has shrunk significantly[1].

The photography community has been discussing wannabe photographers ever since my uncle bought a dslr and started taking photos at family weddings.

[1]: https://petapixel.com/2024/08/22/the-rise-and-crash-of-the-c...

[jakefromstatecs]

> I'm yet to see any influencer or YouTuber call themselves a director or cinematographer

You must not be looking very hard. There are many youtubers or influencers making indie films or shows.

NigaHiga, Annoying Orange and Shane Dawson all made movies. Freddie Wong started out as a Youtuber and created Video Game High School.

[fy20]

Also look at the production quality that a single person can achieve today.

Go to Amazon and drop a few grand on mics, lights, cameras and lenses. The result is production quality beating any 90s talk show, which would have taken a whole team to do.