Apparently, the Blackist script website attempted to roll out a new software program to read and evaluate screenplays submitted by members, for the reasonable price of a C-note. Holy mother of William Goldman! What will Leonard and his team think of next, to fleece their customers. Read about how this new idea was a colossal flop. Did you, or would you pay money for this? https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/why-screenwriters-rebelled-ag...
Screenwriting : Artificial Intelligence software evaluating the merits of your script? How you like that folks? by Phillip E. Hardy, Prolifique
Artificial Intelligence software evaluating the merits of your script? How you like that folks?
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Yes, I've heard of this. Logorithims will be running the future for human beings. Homo Erectus is no more. Will give it a read. Again, that's a lot of human habits to read.
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there was a Huuuuge backlash for this. and there should be, its bullshit.
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Danny: I only paid for one review at BL about four years ago. I'm certain the machine couldn't have done much worse.
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It's all crap. You can sell anything with the promise of AI. This stuff can never work. This is exactly the thinking behind people sticking to the concept that creativity has to be a formula. This stuff makes me laugh.
The entire concept of what BL is pushing here is crap.
Pierre:
What part do you think is crap? Or is your belief the whole enterprise is excrement? Personally, I must recuse myself based on a lack of impartiality.
Subliminal cut Blacklist Blows!
This was a few weeks ago and as Danny said, there was a huge backlash and people like John August and Craig Mazin called them out on it... they withdrew the 'service' very quickly.
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Phillip, my issues with BLs partnership with Scriptbook are as follows:
At this point in time, algorithms cannot predict the commercial viability of a screenplay.
For $100 or so, BL will run your script through some software. WHAT?!?! For $100 you should be purchasing your own copy of that software so you can then use to run ALL your scripts through for analysis, not a one off that you pay someone else to do. It doesn't cost $100 to run some software and this is just a scam to cash in on vulnerable suckers.
Think about this for a moment, of all the potential uses of AI, some bloke has put his brain to use, not to improve our way of life or solve some pressing dilemmas, but to tell people whether their screenplay will convert into a successful movie or not. Hmmmm.
Plus, it's a massive leap from some simple program that will find keywords and phrases in a resume. The two can't even be compared.
Given the number of "security flaws" and DDoS attacks going on at every given moment, I don't see "the cloud" overtaking much of anything - especially without nationwide Internet coverage (which will never happen in this country).
This software is great at evaluating and telling you if your screenplay is marketable....for robots. Luckily, I try to write for human beings.
My guess is that some of the features of this program will eventually wind-up in screenwriting programs like FD - the way spellcheck and word count have. But there will always be a stand-alone app you can use offline, mostly due to limitations in connectivity and those kinds of issues. It may be pared-down, with some of those features only being accessible with a connection, but that hybrid model is the only way for it to work barring global wi-fi (or whatever form that may take). That may raise the price of those programs, but I agree that the whole idea as it stands now is both pointless and overpriced.
OR a single studio will eventually own AWESOM-O. And, also, this program had better be named AWESOM-O.
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Can anyone show me a working AI? People point to simple automated tasks based on words or basic decisions. I have even worked with Machine Learning but none of this is Intelligence. Don't panic people, if this was true all the "readers" would be sacked. But we don't have queues of readers at the unemployment office. Autonomous cars only have two functions, stay on the road, don't hit things. No creativity, no need to fake the human condition or life experience and we don't have driverless cars (we will in under 10 years). This may panic people who are dictated too by formula. But most of us scoff at this.
No.
Yeah, we've heard of AI being used in going through scripts as well. We don't have a source or direct quote but we have been told that even some agencies are starting to use AI as a first method of getting through the submissions.
I saw an article this morning which claims UK police are testing an AI program to suggest "jail or bail" for suspects. I can almost get behind that one!
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No matter what happens.....Phillip E. Hardy is still The Original Writing Machine!
Bill: Thanks my brother. Interestingly enough, I just remembered a software company doing a beta test (maybe 14 months ago) contacted me and I uploaded some scripts that were evaluated. And though the software was able to organize and categorize specific, quantifiable elements, it was the non-quantifiable aspects that were problematic. I'm not sure human subjectivity/taste is something a machine can master. In any case, I'm not going to lose any sleep over whether Save The Cat is working on developing software that will spit out compelling screenplays. Jesus! Wait a minute. I think that's a good story for a screenplay right there.
The Counterfeit Raconteur
Logline:
A nebbish software engineer, develops a computer program that writes better scripts than humans, takes credit for the work, becomes famous and is left for creative dead, when the program rebels against it's inventor.
It's Adaption meets Colossus, The Forbin Project
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Phillip: there are at least three companies that I know of who are attempting to do what Scriptbook is attempting to do. Film and television studios have been doing this for years in some forms and to some degrees, and in some/many of their films/television shows: identify the common (successful) elements of a story, put those common (successful) elements in a film/television show, and repeat as necessary. Some of the studios even have their film/television show flowchart templates available online.
And as you know....some readers/producers go right to certain script pages to see if things are happening when/where they are supposed to be happening.
Be a good machine, Phillip. And remember....the bad machine doesn't know he's a bad machine, but the people at the factory know. Crikey....now I have to watch Midnight Express tonight, for like the 47th time. Heh-heh.
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Professor Costantini: Thanks, as always, for your contributions and information.
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That explains an awful lot, B Costantini!
That's a comedy in itself!
I've said this before but worth saying: AI cannot replace human feelings. I really stray from letting anything that is AI look at my scripts. Call me old fashioned but I like humans looking at my stuff. I would not pay money to this because HUMANS! lol
How would we know if they haven't already, though? :D
I really like AI the bots are friendly and are really on the verge at all time. I would'nt call it dystopyan
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It's interesting to note that the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media now has an AI tool that measures how long women are seen and heard in media products like films and television shows.
Well, at least someone... err... something will read my script?