Can AI let creativity flourish? Views from film makers and Vice President of Creative

No one can argue with that, AI isn't going anywhere.

Although there's a valid discussion about whether AI could take over editors, writers, or concept art directors, many have accepted AI's inevitability and are now thinking about its capability to transform how work gets done.
While at Cannes I heard different perspectives from creatives like will.i.am from Black Eyed Peas fame discuss the ways in which AI will transform our world over the coming 10 years. A lot of discussion focused on how AI has been rapidly unlocking the potential of the potential of people and their impact on the creative process.

As someone who's worked as a creative director for 20+ years, I wanted to share my ideas and see this as an opportunity begin a dialogue with the people in our community.

What's the present situation? And what's the next step from here?

Here's what AI is able to do today.

"I was a magician prior to when I became a film maker. Pretty quickly, when you're a magician, realize that any modern technology can be compared to the art of. Magic can also be frightening if you don't know how it's working or what's going on. That's the same way I am with AI for artists or a person who's making money from putting something that's on your mind, onto a page, or onto the screen, AI is a scary item because it can be able to replace you."   Ben Proudfoot, Oscar-winning short Doc directory, Found as CEO of Breakwater Studios

Creativity is an inherently human quality that AI cannot easily duplicate.

Midjourney launched in July of 2022, and ChatGPT followed close behind the following month in November of that same year. In the time since, we've seen self-identified "non-creatives" unleash the potential of their creativity, which has been largely inaccessible due to skill gaps.

Some of these creations are quite impressive, and the technology has evolved so rapidly, you'd be forgiven if you've forgotten that the tools are just 1 year in age.

AI will help you to communicate ideas

Nuanced concepts for stories, images, movies, or music have been restricted by the techniques and abilities required for bringing these concepts into existence.

In the recent year, such images are possible to create with just a few simple keystrokes:

If you have a proven creator, such as the award-winning filmmaker Hashem Al-Ghaili, the possibility is higher.

Think about his mostly artificially-generated short film " Last Stand," which depicts how humankind would react in the event that extraterrestrials were to make contact.

"AI is going to have us look at the world in a way you've never even thought of," says Crystal Edmonds the Head of Accounts and event Activation for Magnet Media Films. "I believe that it's going to expand our thinking. We're going to learn something we've never realized we needed to learn about. It's likely that you'll see people just unlock another degree of creativeness through AI."

For instance, Staff Pick winner Paul Trillo's short film "Thank You for Not Answering."

Instead of aiming for authenticity He consciously focuses on the dreamlike style that is characteristic of Runway's Gen-2. "As a man [that] sends a message to a person who is from the past, he is flooded with fragments from his faded memory, and imagining the life which could have been."

As a true artist He's adjusted to the limitations and strengths of the medium to create something unique.

AI will help you verify and sell concepts

Make no mistake, while the examples above are wonderful of the ways in which AI is being employed to convey an artistic vision, AI for commercial use is at present it's a novelty.

Have a look at this artificially-generated beer commercial. It's a product of the time, and it couldn't be taken seriously if run as a legitimate ad.

However, it does give more than enough details for a concept to executives far more effectively than a moodboard, sketch, or elevator pitch could ever do.

Through generative AI it is no longer necessary to count on words alone to draw an image for more than 10 people. Instead, you can utilize a description prompt to generate the perfect sizzle movie, animatics or pre-visualizations, to convince viewers to accept a certain vision.

What does that mean to creatives of today?

Begin to learn how to create a strong request for AI.

"I believe that the next generation will become more proficient with the tools that we have in our arsenal and will begin making use of generative AI both in visual and written media," says Orlando Baeza, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Revenue Officer at Flock Freight. "I am actually convinced that there is a lot of job growth in this area, however it will need to be a process of upskilling the current workforce, and then this next generation will join and evolve it."

AI could save production time

The current video-making process takes an average of two to three weeks to produce from beginning to end However, AI is speeding the procedure, which allows creators to be more creative and giving production folks more time for work that requires focused craftsmanship.

"I think one of the greatest crises in the film industry is how expensive it is to make a movie. It's an extremely high bar of making a film and one unique aspect of the process is that it makes film making more accessible to everyone," continues Baeza. "So when AI as well as machine-learning are tools that will help a person who has limited resources, to achieve mass appeal, that's an excellent thing, isn't it?"

AI has already made video production easier by automating tasks like editing transcription, personalization and scheduling. For instance, adding or removing elements from background videos has been a painstaking, time-intensive process however, it is can now be done with the Generative Fill tool.

"I believe organizations will perceive AI as productivity and efficiency gains," says Baeza. "I believe that AI can be a great partner and will likely be a part of creative organizations."

Here's the thing AI can't help you with

AI won't help to make you viral.

Machine learning works by crunching existing data, and then analyzing the patterns of what it previously consumed. In the example above, an algorithmic AI tool can create a stunning picture of a blue-colored cup from the hundreds of photos it has gone through of blue cups.

It's not about copying the same thing that's been tried before It's the process of framing ideas in a new way and putting a fresh twist on an old idea, or making a connection no one else has previously made. In the words of Steve Jobs famously said:

"Some people say give the customers what they want, however, that's not how I think. It is our job to know what they're likely to need prior to giving them what they want. It's my opinion that Henry Ford once said, 'If I'd ask the customers what they were looking for, they would've told me that they wanted a speedier horse. They don't understand what they want until you present the item to them. It is our job to translate things that are not yet in the paper."   Steve Jobs, Co-founder of Apple

Creativity can be described as a blend of art and science and AI excels when it comes to the science aspect of the equation.

There are some formulaic, repeatable best practices that we use in the field and that AI could replicate, such as the rule of thirds or the use of a bold red font when promoting the sale. But so far, AI isn't able to be forward-looking: it can't recognize virality, or provide an innovative, new perspective which customers would love.

For creatives, that's good news. Create your own unique ideas, then use AI to help bring the ideas into reality.

AI isn't able to replicate the creativity process.

One of the wonderful things about the creative process is that -- no matter how detailed your vision is -- your idea develops a personality that is its own when it's developed. Everyone who touches your idea brings their own ideas and perspectives to the idea, and your final product will have an appeal that you could not have imagined.

A film editor I worked with once told me, "You might have shot your storyboard, but the storyboard doesn't mean anything now and I'm just going to make use of the footage I have." Even if all was done as per the storyboard, a film editor may highlight specifics or modify things in a way that differed from your initial plan.

At the moment, I can't think of an avenue for AI to mimic the creative process in such a way.

It doesn't have a unique perspective that it could introduce into the process like an individual film editor or videographer might. Therefore, even when AI is used in the process of creation -for example, to help speed ideation or editing -- humans are still integral to the creative process.

Keep an eye on the future and maintain an open mind

The bottom line is that AI will speed up our ability to share our ideas as well as a trigger to allow a new generation of creatives to come out and do feats we would've never dreamt of. If I had to capture this moment in words that would describe the moment, it would be anxious excitement since this is the first time that we've seen it in quite a long time, we're looking at the unexplored.

In reality, I'm one man, with one opinion and set of thoughts. We should continue looking at possibilities using a playful curiosity, maintain an open mind and engage in a dialogue.

In the meantime, I'm interested to know -Where do you stand? Which are the ways you're using AI currently, and where do you believe it will take us?