The hottest topic that won't go away... AI in PROFESSIONAL film production. I want to know how YOU use it. Yes, I do expect you use it already, in some manner, if you are a professional filmmaker. Here is my take right now, and I include an abstract from a paper published today by the IPG on the topic.
Generative AI - We do use this for advertising backgrounds and as a starting point (ONLY a starting point) for social media posts. However, with all due respect to those reading this who think AI is about generative images & video, or scripts - that is only the smallest part of AI in the industry, and it's not a good one. These tools are NOT going to make you into a filmmaker. One view of the AI generated images posted here and on other sites should suggest to you why you should NEVER use them in a pitch deck or for promotion. If they don't - check out the wikipedia on "AI slop" and do some research on market reaction to AI images and text. For myself - I get pitch decks all the time and lately with AI images which all are not only similar but in one case IDENTICAL. Imagine how professional producers assess you when they see that kind of thing in images and in your script.
Other tools We Use In House: 1. Deep Research (where we know the area well, since AI is really stupid and lies a lot). Sometimes saves weeks of painstaking effort. We do a lot of research on market, analysis of specific film revenues and marketing, the effects of Google search algorithms, etc and much more. 2. Editing Tools - vocal cloning is now built into your standard editing platforms - so we don't have to bring in an actor to loop a line. 3. Frame Interpolation - also now being implemented into standard editing platforms, AI will interpolate frames from one cut to another so that edits can be smoother. This tech is far from perfect yet, not much better than the AI slop you see, so it can only be used for the simplest cuts. But it is getting better, 4. Sound Cleanup & Color Matching - AI makes that much, much easier. 4. Transcription, automated meeting notes - we no longer need a logger or human transcriber in our post work flow. Saves lots of money and even more time. 5. Ideation - specifically for potential titles, etc.
How do you use AI today? How do you expect you will use it tomorrow? As promised, here is the summary of the article published today - it reveals how the professional industry is using AI right now:
AI applications utilize specialized, enterprise-grade models that are achieving efficiency gains of up to 80 to 90 percent in foundational Visual Effects (VFX) and 3D asset creation tasks. This transformation is driven by automation across every stage of the production pipeline:
- Pre-Production Efficiency: AI systems rapidly analyze entire scripts, automatically performing budget estimations, risk assessments, and schedule optimization, which saves considerable time and money before filming even begins.1
- Technical Post-Production: AI automates tedious labor, providing measurable savings. This includes ensuring consistent color matching across scenes 3 and eliminating unwanted visual elements via Content-Aware Fill. For complex tasks, automated rotoscoping can reduce labor time by up to 65% in intricate genres like Sci-Fi.4 Furthermore, AI is vital for restoration, using neural interpolation to seamlessly recreate missing frames in damaged archival footage 3 and performing surgical audio reconstruction to rebuild damaged dialogue and eliminate noise.6
- High-Precision VFX and 3D: AI accelerates critical geometric tasks such as automated match-moving and point cloud generation, which dramatically reduces the time needed to track cameras and create digital environments.7 It also optimizes the technical integrity of digital assets through automated topology cleanup, ensuring 3D meshes are ready for simulation and animation.
- Generative Continuity: Generative AI is used for digital de-aging and high-fidelity vocal cloning (voice replication).8 This ensures the continuity of valuable intellectual property, allowing flexible performance adjustments without requiring the actor to return to the studio.10 The use of digital likenesses is strictly governed by new industry standards that mandate explicit consent and fair compensation .
If interested, read and download the whole paper here: https://independentproducersguild.org/paper-ai-in-the-professional-film-...
1 person likes this
AI makes us all smarter, and more valuable to investors when we can show real numbers. As a writer, my expertise in the legal, pitch and other elements is rudimentary, I watch, learn shoot and edit because of what I have learned from real industry pros. But the legal, pitch, and refinement aspects - complete newb, and AI has shown me things about all the elements I am weak in and helped me to be a better producing story teller. Now when I come to the table, it's made me a much more coherent participant.
2 people like this
TOM SCHAEFER Good points. Someone here (I wish I could recall who) said that AI will make the best of us better and the worst even worse. That's my observation so far.
2 people like this
I am currently producing an AI shortfilm and encourage crew and cast to use as much AI tools as possible and be creative about it. I, or better together we will look at the output and see if it will bring the good stuff we envision as talent filmmakers. I personally do work with ChatGTP as much as possible and have had several (including breaking) professional succes with it.
1 person likes this
This site acouple of months ago: Total AI FearThis site now:
Wizard Of Oz - "it's ok children, the AI won't hurt you, c'mon out now".
2 people like this
TOM SCHAEFER The whole AI thing is reminiscent of the not-so-long-ago Unreal Engine 5 buzz, and the much earlier public advances in 3D animation platforms. One part of the industry cries out in existential fear, while those who have only dreamt of being a filmmaker exclaim that now their creative genius will be seen by the entire world because all they have to do is press a button. At no time in the past has technological advance brought anyone to the fore, who hasn't already got what it takes to be a filmmaker. The AI experience isn't going to be any different.
1 person likes this
I think it's a great tool and adjunct to what I already have in hand. It becomes both a mirror and amplifier of the large language model in your own mind ... or should I say howver large the language model is in your own mind, can have fantastic results. Claude is the best with novelty.