Navigating any app or social media platform or tuning into the news without encountering the buzz around artificial intelligence (AI) is impossible. This revolutionary technology has emerged as a colossal, transformative force across various industries, and the film industry is no exception. AI's contributions to scriptwriting, visual effects, deepfakes, and voice creation are nothing short of awe-inspiring, and it's clear that it's beginning to reshape the very fabric of movie-making.
However, is AI regarded as a creative tool to enhance the movie-making experience, or is it a threat to human-created storytelling and creativity? One group consists of filmmakers and studios who embrace AI for its efficiency and ability to create what a human cannot, while the other group (usually consisting of actors and writers) worries about job security, fair compensation, and the slow erosion of human creativity.
Computer-aided enhancements didn’t start with AI and certainly didn’t happen overnight. Innovations such as animation, motion capture, and computer-generated imagery (CGI) laid the foundations for AI's flourishing.
One of the first films I remember thinking, “Oh…this is gonna change everything,” was Jurassic Park (1993), with its lifelike imagery of the dinosaurs. CGI had been used previously, but almost nothing compared to how REAL the dinosaurs looked on the big screen. Pixar’s animation was at the next level when Toy Story (1995) made its appearance, which showed how much had changed from the cartoons that had been previously watched.
Soon after, films like the Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003) and James Cameron’s Avatar (2009) took what we knew and turned the imagery to eleven. In LOTR, AI-powered algorithms generated large battle sequences by creating soldiers who acted in real-time. Avatar used AI-assisted motion capture technology to enhance the realism of the character’s facial and body movements.
AI's influence extends beyond the creation of new films. It's being harnessed for sound production, color corrections, and visual effects, empowering directors, sound designers, and production artists to achieve previously prohibitively time-consuming and expensive results. Moreover, AI plays a crucial role in the restoration and, in some cases, colorization of older films, thereby preserving these cinematic classics for future generations.
Where AI starts to take a more controversial turn is in scriptwriting, deepfake technology, and some sound help. Although AI has a way to go before it churns out a script worthy of an Oscar, some writers have worried that studios, who are always willing to cut a budget where possible, will turn to AI, putting them and others out of work. Deepfake technology has become a concern for many actors, so many joined the writers’ strike in 2023. Actors were concerned AI would replicate their image, giving studios control over their likeness for years without compensation in the present or for however long their faces were used. Some actors have made deals with studios to use their image and voice, allowing studios to bring back dead actors using deepfake technology, such as James Earl Jones for his iconic role of Darth Vader in the Star Wars universe. This raises ethical questions about consent, likeness rights, and the potential for AI to replace actors and voice-over performers, which will continue to grow as AI expands in the industry.
The newest controversy surrounds Adrian Brody and the use of AI to help “massage” his Hungarian accent in the Oscar-nominated movie ‘The Brutalist,’ in which he is also up for Best Actor, playing Laszlo Toth. It isn’t new to have AI help reconstruct or aid in speaking roles. AI was used to recreate the voice of Val Kilmer for his role in Top Gun: Maverick (2022), and AI was used to make Robert DeNiro’s voice sound younger in The Irishman (2019).
So the questions start: Should someone who didn’t have assistance have the edge over Brody, or is the controversy a big “nothing burger” and will make the topic of AI use more mainstream? Will actors even spend time learning a language or a cadence to make their performance more believable if AI can come in and correct it? Will AI replace creatives due to the efficiency and economic benefits studios enjoy so much?
I hope AI continues to be used as a tool with actors and writers. While the desire to shave budgets is tempting to studios, the potential benefits of AI in film production, such as cost savings and improved efficiency, should not overshadow the value of human talent. When consuming art, we still crave a certain amount of human connection and authenticity. I hope this desire will continue to shape the film industry, even when the temptation to create something perfect with a click of a button is strong.
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