Hollywood Gathers for AI in Filmmaking
"AI on the Lot" conference attracted hundreds of Hollywood professionals, showcasing both excitement and concerns about the future of creative collaboration.
At the “AI on the Lot'' conference, a significant portion of the industry gathered at a downtown Los Angeles production studio to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) could be leveraged for their next film or TV show. It is the second year of the event, drawing 850 registrants. Attendees packed into a theater, meeting center, and a nearby sound stage designed for virtual production to delve into the details of workflows, opportunities, and challenges brought by the new AI tools.
Josie Kaye, a seasoned Groundlings performer and actor/writer/cinematographer, expressed her feelings of being behind in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. She began using AI in January and has since utilized these tools to create social media content and music videos. Her experience reflects a growing trend in Hollywood, with more professionals starting to explore AI's possibilities post-strike. There is also an “optimistic hesitance” among creatives, as noted by Adobe’s director of product marketing for pro video & film and a former filmmaker, Meagan Keaner. She emphasized the importance of awareness about AI’s capabilities, particularly after the strikes.
Throughout the conference, participants showcased their sophisticated use of various AI tools. Renard Jenkins, president and CEO of I2A2 Technologies, Labs and Studios, highlighted the rapid advancements and updates in AI tools that are already transforming industries from farming to healthcare. Jenkins pointed out that the entertainment sector is no exception, with significant changes in fashion photography, 2D and 3D animation, and more.
Adobe’s suite of software, powered by its Firefly AI, offers capabilities like generating still images from text, selecting the best take of a scene, and assembling rough edits. Keane mentioned that by year’s end, Adobe’s Premiere Pro video editing software would enable users to extend video scenes to improve their flow, aiming at enhancing peak productivity.
Startups are also contributing to this AI revolution by offering specialized capabilities such as upscaling video resolution, cloning voices, matching video to audio, and creating sound effects. Jenkins discussed the tool Viggle 2.0, which has been a game-changer in creating still images, offering a glimpse into the future of AI in filmmaking. He also deconstructed a widely viewed Sora.ai video clip, critiquing its animation but acknowledging the significant improvements since its initial release.
Director David Slade, known for the interactive “Bandersnatch” episode of Netflix’s “Black Mirror,” shared his mixed feelings about AI. During the strikes, he experimented with AI tools and appreciated the possibilities but missed the collaboration with actors and other creatives, which he sees as crucial to the industry’s success.
Despite the excitement surrounding AI’s existing and potential capabilities, the concerns about its impact on jobs and the creative process remained a significant topic of discussion.