Et tu, Martin Scorsese?
The “Goodfellas” director shocked Hollywood last month by embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help him craft storyboards, used by filmmakers to flesh out scene-by-scene moments.
When one of the industry’s biggest names touts AI, it’s clear Tinseltown will never be the same. And that might make the 83-year-old auteur happy, but it’s miserable news for an industry facing one body blow after the next.
Sure, theaters are booming thanks to “Obsession,” “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and “Toy Story 5,” but LA employment figures tell another story.
The “Goodfellas” director shocked Hollywood last month by embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help him craft storyboards, used by filmmakers to flesh out scene-by-scene moments. John Salangsang/Shutterstock
TheWrap reports that film and sound recording industries shed 3,600 jobs last month. “The Pitt” star Noah Wyle recently noted that LA has shed 42,000 entertainment jobs in just the past few years.
Call it a Hollywood disaster epic.
Hollywood’s jobs crisis was a hot topic in the recent California primary, playing a role in the debates for California governor and LA mayor. Candidates tried to one-up each other in offering meatier incentives to keep productions in-state.
Enter AI. The technology may help Hollywood stay profitable at a tricky economic moment, but it could also cost many artisans their livelihoods.
In a tragic irony, some currently employed artists are helping train AI systems, likely to the point where the computers will soon replace them.
The technology may help Hollywood stay profitable at a tricky economic moment, but it could also cost many artisans their livelihoods. Miramax/Dimension Films/Kobal/Shutterstock
And for all the industry’s tough talk against the new technology, like Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro saying he’d rather die than use AI, others are following Scorsese’s lead.
Look at Ben Affleck, who quietly sold his three-year-old AI film production company, InterPositive, to Netflix. (He’s staying on board as a senior advisor.)
Ask Tilly Norwood, or at least the team that created her from a series of prompts.
Norwood is a prominent AI actress. She’s forever young and beautiful, and she won’t insult half of her potential audience, à la Rachel Zegler of “Snow White” fame. Nor will she cry “Free Palestine!” at the next awards show.
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Norwood’s set to “star” in her first feature film, a meta affair called “Misaligned” about an AI creation who becomes more “human” as the story marches on.
Only time will tell if audiences are ready for a fictitious actress on the big screen, but she’s not alone. An indie movie studio is bringing the late actor Val Kilmer back to life, courtesy of AI.
The upcoming “As Deep as the Grave” revives Kilmer, with the approval of the late actor’s estate. Imagine all the iconic actors who could be reborn with AI technology, from John Wayne to Marilyn Monroe.
Even if audiences reject AI performances, they won’t blink at special effects tweaked with the new technology. Angel Studios and Wonder Project just released “Young Washington,” a film that deployed AI to enhance the visuals to compete with larger, more entrenched studios.
The upcoming “As Deep as the Grave” revives Kilmer, with the approval of the late actor’s estate. Imagine all the iconic actors who could be reborn with AI technology, from John Wayne to Marilyn Monroe. ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
So far, audiences aren’t complaining.
“Young Washington” scored an impressive $19 million in its opening frame, sparking talk of a “1776” sequel. That film’s director, Jon Erwin, heads the AI company Innovative Dreams, which blends AI technology with old-school filmmaking.
Animated movies could be radically transformed by AI, which could lead to more job cuts at the studios. One report suggests those numbers may reach 90%.
Even fledgling animators can flex AI software to create compelling animated clips. Josh Daws’ “The Continuing Adventures of Mary Sue” delivered a smart, satirical 90-second video without a studio to guide him. The video, poking fun at woke storytelling tics, generated north of 500,000 views on X alone.
AI is handing the storytelling keys to creators who lack the financing to make content in the old, pre-AI world. Now, almost anything is possible for them, which could expand the range of stories currently being told.
And they don’t have to call LA home to do it.
After all, the city’s sky-high gas prices, homeless encampments and political unrest have also contributed to the existing employment swoon.
You don’t need a ChatGPT prompt to see what’s coming next.
Christian Toto is the founder of HollywoodInToto.com and host of The Hollywood in Toto Podcast.
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