Light, Camera, AI – Rethinking Film Making!
Do you remember the last movie you watched? Were you so engrossed in the plot that you completely ignored the editing, or the intricate design of that particularly gnarly alien species? Perhaps the answer is yes. After all, that’s the magic of filmmaking – the ability to transport us into another realm, suspending our disbelief. Today, let’s direct the spotlight onto the unsung hero behind the scenes, responsible for creating such immersive experiences: Artificial Intelligence (AI).
A Brief History
You see, AI in filmmaking isn’t exactly a new phenomenon, like sliced bread or wireless earbuds. AIs have been aloofly strutting about in the background of film production for years now, subtly enhancing our cinematic experience. But let’s flash back to 20 years ago, when my buddy, Steven Spielberg – okay, full disclosure, I may be over-fantasizing our one-time meeting – released A.I. Artificial Intelligence. The irony? Spielberg, at that time, had absolutely no AI tech at his disposal for filmmaking. Fast forward to today, and it’s a completely different story.
AI: The New Director?
AI has cut its teeth on enhancing movie special effects. Ever marvel at the lifelike portrayal of characters in films like Avengers or The Lion King? That’s AI’s doing. The secret is in algorithms that can map and animate realistic movement, creating out-of-this-world visuals that once existed only in our imaginations.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Beyond making Thanos look unbelievably real (still gives me the creeps), AI systems are now being used in script-writing too! According to MIT Technology Review, Warner Bros. signed a deal with Cinelytic to use AI for guiding movie decisions – not just on which films to make, but who to cast in them.
Editing? Say No More!
I remember my days of dabbling in amateur video editing where I’d spend countless hours to create just a minute of content. Now AI has even invaded that space, making the process orders of magnitude easier. Take the example of Adobe’s AI platform, Sensei, which uses machine learning to automate mundane editing tasks, allowing editors to focus more on the creative aspects. Imagine, no more late nights spent on laborious frame-by-frame edits!
The Future is Here
AI in film might, at first glance, seem to be infringing on a traditionally human space. But allow me to look at it from a different perspective – AI is a sublime amalgamation of human imagination and machine accuracy. It enhances our storytelling capabilities, enabling us to create narratives and visual spectacles we wouldn’t have dreamt of in the pre-AI era. So let’s embrace it – after all, don’t we all love a good movie that fires up our creativity and makes us ponder about existence?
Now if I could just get Spielberg on speed dial to share my thoughts… A guy can dream, can’t he?