Does AI unlock the creative power of humans? The perspectives of filmmakers and the VP of Creative

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

While there is a legitimate debate about whether AI can take over editors, writers, as well as concept creators, a lot of people accept the fact that AI is inevitable and are now pondering its potential to revolutionize the way work is being done.
In Cannes I listened to perspectives from creatives like will.i.am from Black Eyed Peas fame discuss how AI will revolutionize the way we live in the next 10 years. Much of the conversation was about the way that AI is rapidly unlocking individuals' hidden talents and impact on the creative process.

Being a creative director for 20+ years, I wanted to voice my opinions and use this opportunity to start an open dialogue with the people in our community.

What's the current situation? And what's the next step to get there?

This is what AI can do right now.

"I was a magician before I became a film maker. When you're a magician, learn that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. And magic can be scary when you're not sure how it's working or the process. The same way that I feel with AI being an artist or a businessperson who makes money putting something that's on your mind, onto a screen or on the screen, AI is a scary item because it can replace you."   Ben Proudfoot, Oscar-winning short Doc directory, Found and the CEO of Breakwater Studios

Creativity is a fundamental human quality that AI isn't able to replicate easily.

Midjourney went live in July 2022. ChatGPT followed close behind in November of the same year. In the time since, we've witnessed self-described "non-creatives" unleash creative ideas that have been left inaccessible due to skill gaps.

The results of some of these projects have been impressive, and the tools have developed so rapidly, you'd have a hard time believing that the tools are just one year in age.

AI will help you to communicate ideas

Nuanced concepts for stories, images, movies or even music are constrained by the methods and abilities required for bringing these concepts into existence.

However, in the last year, such images could be created with the use of a couple of simple keys:

If you have a proven creator, such as Oscar-winning filmmaker Hashem Al-Ghaili the opportunity is much greater.

Take a look at his AI-generated short film " Last Stand," which depicts how humanity might react if extraterrestrials came into contact.

"AI will require us look at issues in ways you've never even thought about," says Crystal Edmonds who is the head of accounts and Event Activation at Magnet Media Films. "I think it's going to open our minds. You'll learn about something we've never knew we really wanted to learn about. You're likely to discover that people are able to unlock an entirely new level of creativity through AI."

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

Instead of trying to achieve realism He consciously focuses on the dreamlike style that is characteristic of Runway's Gen-2. "As an individual who leave a voicemail for an individual who is from the history, he's overwhelmed by fragments of his lost memory and imagines a life which could be."

Like a true artist, he's adapted to the limitations and strengths of the medium, resulting in an original piece.

AI is a great tool to validate your ideas

Make no mistake, while these are stunning examples of ways AI can be utilized to communicate the artistic perspective, AI for commercial use is at present it's a novelty.

Have a look at the AI-generated beer commercial. This commercial is from the moment, and could not be considered to be a legitimate advertisement when it was viewed as a genuine commercial.

However, it does provide more than enough information for a concept to managers far better than a moodboard sketch or elevator pitch could ever do.

With generative AI it is no longer necessary to depend on your words to create an image for more than 10 people: Instead you could make use of a descriptive prompt in order to create the ideal sizzle movie, animatics or even pre-visualizations that will convince people to buy into a vision.

What do these mean for creatives today?

Begin to learn how to create an effective request for AI.

"I think that this generation will become more proficient with the technologies that are available to us and start leveraging generative AI in both visual and written media," says Orlando Baeza the Chief Marketing Officer as well as Chief Revenue Officer at Flock Freight. "I actually think there's plenty of growth in jobs here, but it will need to be a process of upskilling the current workforce as well as the new generation of employees will be able to evolve the process."

AI can save valuable production time

The current video-making process takes approximately 2 to 3 weeks to produce from start to finish, but AI is speeding the process up, freeing producers to create more original content and allowing production professionals an extra time for tasks that requires focused craftsmanship.

"I believe that one of the greatest crises that the industry faces is the cost making a film. It's an extremely high bar of making a film One important aspect about the process is that it makes film making more accessible to everyone," continues Baeza. "So if AI and machine learning are instruments that can help someone who has only a few resources to reach large audience, then that's something to be thankful for, isn't it?"

AI has already made the process of making videos simpler by automating processes like editing, transcription, personalization, and planning. For instance the removal of elements from background videos has been an arduous, lengthy process however, it is can now be done with Adobe's Generative Fill tool.

"I believe organizations will perceive AI as productivity and efficiency improvements," says Baeza. "I think AI can be a great partner and could be part of creative organizations."

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

AI will not help to make you viral.

Machine learning is based on crunching existing data, and then analyzing the patterns it had previously eaten. In the example above, an machine learning or generative AI software can produce a gorgeous image of a blue mug from the many thousands of images it processed of blue cups.

But creativity isn't about repeating previous successes but rather, it's about seeing things in a new way and putting a fresh perspective on the old concepts or establishing a connection no one else has previously made. The way Steve Jobs famously said:

"Some people say give the customers what they want, but that's not my approach. It is our job to figure out what they're likely to need prior to granting them. I believe Henry Ford once said, 'If I'd ask customers what they wanted I would have gotten a faster horse. The people don't really know the things they'd like until you show 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 is a mix of art and science and AI is really adept when it comes to the science aspect of the equation.

There are some formulaic, repeatable best practices that we follow in our industry and which AI can duplicate, like the rule of thirds, or the use of a bold red font when promoting a sale. But so far, AI isn't able to remain forward-looking. It can't account for virality or identify the new and innovative approach that customers will love.

If you're a creative person, this is great news. Create your own unique ideas and use AI to bring the ideas into reality.

AI cannot duplicate the artistic process.

One of the great benefits of creativity is that -- no whatever the level of detail your concept is, the idea becomes a reality of its own as it's developed. Each person who comes in contact with the idea adds their own perception and vision to the idea, and your final product will have an aspect that you could not have imagined.

An editor from the film industry I worked with once said, "You might have shot your storyboard, but the storyboard has no value now so I'll utilize the footage I've got." Although everything was recorded as you had planned in the storyboard, this film editor might highlight details or alter items in a manner that was not in line with your original strategy.

Presently, I'm not able to see an avenue for AI to mimic the creative process in that way.

There isn't a distinctive artistic perspective it can bring into the process as an individual film editor or videographer might. Therefore, even when AI is used during the creative process -for example, to help speed ideas or edits -- humans still play a role in the creative process itself.

Stay curious and keep an open mind

The throughline is that AI will increase our capacity to express our thoughts which is a catalyst for the next generation of artists to be born and do feats we would've never dreamt of. If I could capture the moment in a phrase that would describe the moment, it would be an exuberant feeling since this is the first time that we've seen it in long while, we're looking at the unexplored.

In reality, I'm an individual with a single opinion and set of thoughts. I believe we must continue looking at possibilities using a playful interest, keep an open-minded mind, and continue the dialogue.

In the meantime, I'm interested to know -what do you think of where you are? Which are the ways you're using AI today, and in what direction do you see it taking us?