AI Takes Center Stage in Hollywood

How AI is Transforming Hollywood’s Creative Landscape

Listen: AI in Hollywood

Summary

• AI has taken center stage in Hollywood, with the recent “AI on the Lot” conference drawing a sellout crowd of 850 attendees eager to explore how AI can revolutionize filmmaking.
• The industry stands on the brink of a new era as AI tools become more integrated into the creative process.  As AI continues to evolve, Hollywood’s engagement with AI is just beginning, and there are boundless possibilities for innovation in filmmaking.

A year ago, Hollywood found itself at a standstill, with widespread strikes fueled partly by concerns over artificial intelligence. Fast forward to today, and the landscape has dramatically shifted. This week, Hollywood insiders flocked to a downtown Los Angeles production center for the second “AI on the Lot” conference. With 850 registrants, the event at Los Angeles Center Studios was a sellout, drawing attendees eager to explore how AI could revolutionize filmmaking.

Embracing AI in Filmmaking

Josie Kaye, a seasoned performer from The Groundlings, encapsulated the sentiment felt by many: “I feel like I’m so far behind,” she confessed. Kaye, who began using AI tools in January, has already integrated them into her work, creating social media content and even music videos. With the recent resolution of the writer and actor strikes, more Hollywood professionals are now venturing into the world of AI, albeit with a sense of “optimistic hesitance.”

Adobe’s Meagan Keane, Director of Product Marketing for Pro Video & Film, emphasized the importance of awareness. “Coming out of the strikes especially, it’s important for all creative disciplines to be aware of what AI can do. But really, creatives are hungry to be creative. When we dig in with professionals, there’s a lot of optimism about how much they can create.”

Transformative Tools on Display

The conference buzzed with discussions on AI’s transformative tools, which are rapidly evolving and becoming increasingly sophisticated. Renard Jenkins, keynote speaker and President and CEO of I2A2 Technologies, Labs, and Studios, highlighted how AI is disrupting various sectors, including fashion, photography, and animation. Jenkins noted that cutting-edge tools like Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and OpenAI’s ChatGPT are now widely used.

Adobe has integrated AI capabilities into its suite of software through Firefly AI, offering features like generating still images from text and selecting the best take of a scene. By year’s end, Adobe Premiere Pro will introduce the ability to extend video clips for better pacing, further boosting productivity.

“Creatives are fearful, I get that, but there’s so much that AI can be doing to give them time back to be creative,” said Keane.

Specialized Startups and Emerging Tools

Numerous startups are also making waves, offering specialized capabilities such as upscaling video resolution, cloning voices, and syncing video to audio. The industry is now in what one attendee described as the third stage of its AI era—finding ways to integrate these tools to create real shows.

Jenkins pointed to Viggle 2.0 as a game-changer in creating still images, providing a glimpse into the future of AI in filmmaking. Tools like Leonardo.AI, Pika Labs, Runway, CapCut, Suno, MusicBed, SyncLabs, D-ID, Envato, and Eleven Labs were instrumental in the creation of “Our T2 Remake,” a tongue-in-cheek remake of Terminator 2.

Matthew Wenhardt, a “gen AI filmmaker” involved in the T2 project, shared his experience: “I’ve learned a lot. That was my first AI-stylized video. I would definitely change my workflow next time, perhaps incorporating some live-action footage.”

The Road Ahead

As AI continues to evolve and improve, it’s clear that its potential in the creative industry is vast. Jenkins provided an insightful critique of a widely circulated Sora.ai video clip featuring a Dalmatian puppy, highlighting areas where traditional animation could enhance AI-generated content.

Hollywood’s engagement with AI is just beginning, and the possibilities for innovation are boundless. As AI tools become more integrated into the creative process, the industry stands on the brink of a new era in filmmaking.

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If you want to learn more about integrating AI into your creative projects or need assistance navigating this evolving landscape, feel free to reach out.