Hollywood’s Humans

BY KIRA SARSFIELD

Lights, camera … computer?

Imagine if Leonardo DiCaprio’s role in “The Titanic” was played using artificial intelligence. Consider a computer that could replicate his exact emotions, words and actions he was assigned in the notorious script.

It sounds scary, right? Right. But – that’s the future of Hollywood.

To navigate budget cuts and less funding, top-tier media production companies such as Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox have signed partnerships with artificial intelligence (Ai) companies. Complete with accurate box office projections and digital script writing, these Ai companies help your favorite films come to life – literally.

When Did AI Start In Hollywood?

Beginning in 1927, Ai was first introduced to the Hollywood scene through the movie “Metropolis.” In this futuristic sci-fi film, Ai was used to create eye-catching visuals and set designs that were described as “beyond its time” by movie critics.

Following the success of “Metropolis,” the concept of Ai became the new buzz around Hollywood films. People became captivated by the concept of creative imagery, which led to the development of Ai-based films such as “Star Wars,” “Toy Story” and “Avatar.”

Nowadays, Ai is not just limited to on-screen visuals – but rather off-screen production. Consider Ai-based companies Cinelytic and Movio, whose goal is to predict film success through marketing, scheduling and more.

A Deeper Look Into Cinelytic

From film to music industries, Cinelytic is a Ai startup company that specializes in analytic-based decision making.

To determine film package evaluations, Cinelytic’s system relies on a complex computer algorithm that considers large amounts of audience data. Thousands of factors are taken into consideration for these packages, with few being specific plots, release dates and celebrity guest value.

These film package evaluations are then used to determine best profit values for the film in different countries around the world. In turn, this Ai system has proved itself to be a monumental asset for filmmakers looking to improve efficiency and boost overall profits. What Does This Mean For Hollywood’s Humans?

Although Ai companies are not advanced enough to completely replace Hollywood’s best, film companies are loving this new technology. But at what cost?

Human jobs.

Unlike humans, these platforms can process large amounts of data and generate near-perfect predictions within seconds. They are quick, profitable and almost too easy for film directors to utilize.

They also don’t complain when they receive a 30-minute lunch break.

Regardless, these film prediction programs are outperforming humans in the entertainment industry.

Consider 20th Century Fox’s horror film “Morgan,” which was the first movie trailer that was created using Ai systems. Using IBM’s analytical processing networks, the computer produced a trailer based on the three following factors from the movie.

Visual Analysis: Identification of people, objects and scenery, 24 different emotions and labels across 22,000 scene categories Audio Analysis: Ambient sounds, character’s tone of voice and musical score) Analysis of Scene Composition: Location of the shot, image framing and lighting

Thanks to the complex thinking of IBM’s Ai systems, this movie trailer was created in 24 hours. For humans, the process of developing movie trailers can take up to two weeks to two years, according to Business Insider.

In comparison to humans, these Ai technologies are fast and consistent. They produce high quality work, with their creative juices never running out.

And this leaves potential screenwriters, film editors and animators scrambling to keep up.

What’s Next?

Regarding the entertainment industry, one thing is clear — Ai is here to stay.

In the meantime, humans are adapting to this technology by working alongside Ai systems. Screenwriters, film editors and animators are now tasked with less ‘busy work’ and given more time to think creatively for movie production.