Home cinema: Will we soon be starring in KI-generated movies?
[18:32 Wed,3.May 2023 by blip]
Generative AI systems are coming, whether you want to believe it or not - what do you think the future of film looks like? According to Joe Russo, director in the Marvel universe (Avengers: Endgame, etc.), it may only be two years before we can have any movie generated by an AI in real time, and possibly even star in it ourselves.
His example is as follows: Tired after work, you come home and want a light comedy in which your own photorealistic avatar meets, say, an equally photorealistic Marilyn Monroe (or Cary Grant, or, or...). An entertainment AI could create a corresponding, tailor-made film on demand and also synthesize the appropriate voices (the latter is already possible today) - modern TV sets are already equipped with powerful processors.
Virtual AI popcorn already exists, only the movies are missing...
Russo described his vision of the future - which is not all that daring - rather enthusiastically at a panel discussion as part of the Scottish Sands International Film Festival - for him, the AI revolution in the film sector holds many positive things. He sees us at a technological tipping point, as generative AIs would soon allow anyone to realize creative ideas without a lot of money or a big apparatus like a studio behind them. This would be the next step in a democratization in storytelling.
Also present at the conversation was Donald Mustard, Chief Creative Officer at Epic Games. With the Unreal Engine, Epic is at the forefront of the development of virtual film environments, while the game Fortnite is increasingly becoming an entertainment hub. Concerts are also now held there, and the trailer for Christopher Nolan's "Tenet" was even first shown there.
Donald Mustard, Joe Russo
Together they talked about a future in which the boundaries between film and game are increasingly dissolving and the virtual worlds in which the stories take place are becoming more important (IP, intellectual property, is what this is called in modern entertainment parlance). You can immerse yourself in this world or watch various stories from it in the cinema. In the last 100 years, however, the way films are viewed has not changed fundamentally. They're shown on a screen, while Russo, however, longs for more immersive movie experiences that work without having to strap hardware to your head.
He also hopes that Hollywood studios will produce more exciting films again instead of eternal repetitions in the form of prequels and sequels if their production becomes cheaper thanks to AI. We wouldn't hope too much for that, though - it's quite possible that we'll see even more sequels and spin-offs instead, but cheaper because they're largely automated. If it's really true that everyone will be able to realize their creative ideas with AI, it wouldn't really matter what happens in Hollywood. (The full transcript of the conversation can be found at Collider)
