Movie studios planning to use AI to write scripts, and then humans to revise/edit

[CitizenVectron]

The AI Revolution Has Already Reached the Studios’ Gates & Disney’s Bob Iger May Be the Only CEO Who Can Stop It | Above the Line

ABOVETHELINE.COM

 

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For weeks, multiple studios and streamers have been planning to use AI to generate scripts based on books and other IP that is in the public domain, with lists of titles making the rounds among development executives, multiple insiders have told Above the Line.

 

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Nearly every studio has already explored this possibility, and that should those plans come to fruition over the weeks — and likely months — to come, the studios plan to hire writers to rewrite those scripts once the Writers Strike is over. That is, of course, a major sticking point in these negotiations, as the WGA is insistent that AI not be used to create any literary material whatsoever.

 

I imagine this will be a big part of the WGA strike negotiations. Using AI to use public domain works to create scripts sounds good on paper (and probably will actually work for big budget dumb movies), but the limitation with AI currently is that it effectively regurgitates what you put in. Eventually I'm sure it will work to create "new" ideas/works (in the same sense that humans do, using past knowledge/works), but this is a dystopian future for the arts.

 

In the meantime, studios will want to save money because it's cheaper to get humans to rewrite garbage than it is to create good stuff to begin with. Obviously this research is in the early phases.

[TheLeon]

Just don’t feed the AI any scripts about AI. Don’t want it getting any dangerous ideas…

[SuperSpreader]

Yeah they really have to save that money on those billion dollar making movies by replacing the 5 writers with ai

[skillzdadirecta]

3 hours ago, CitizenVectron said:

I imagine this will be a big part of the WGA strike negotiations

It already is. See the strike thread on the entertainment board.

 

EDIT: Also, South Park predicted this.

 

 

[Guest]

I don’t think the average blockbuster script would change much if written by an advanced AI. The paint-by-numbers lack of creativity and risk taking in Hollywood has already devalued the craft. 

[LazyPiranha]

If we’re not talking about optioning a successful existing property like Harry Potter or the Hunger Games, what percentage of a film’s overall budget comes from paying for the script?  I feel like when you account for the entire budget of a mainstream film, the script is barely a drop in the bucket.  

[mclumber1]

Who would've thought that robots would replace writers before they replaced burger flippers?  

 

As a pretty small (L) libertarian, I actually support the creation of a universal basic income system, because there are going to be A LOT of people who end up losing their jobs to artificial intelligence and automation.  

[Kal-El814]

1 minute ago, mclumber1 said:

Who would've thought that robots would replace writers before they replaced burger flippers?  

 

Anyone who's ever worked in a kitchen.

 

31 minutes ago, sblfilms said:

I don’t think the average blockbuster script would change much if written by an advanced AI. The paint-by-numbers lack of creativity and risk taking in Hollywood has already devalued the craft. 

 

An AI writing Avengers Endgame probably would have made a finale that made a lick of sense!

[SuperSpreader]

8 minutes ago, Kal-El814 said:

 

 

 

An AI writing Avengers Endgame probably would have made a finale that made a lick of sense!

 

How. Dare. You. 

 

How dare you!!

 

[legend]

12 minutes ago, mclumber1 said:

Who would've thought that robots would replace writers before they replaced burger flippers?  

 

Hans Moravec.

[TwinIon]

I'm well aboard the generative AI hypetrain. I've got stable diffusion running locally, I'm constantly using ChatGPT for work and personal stuff, and I do feel confident that it's going to change the nature of work for a huge portion of people out there. That said, I think this is kinda crazy on both sides.

 

It's crazy to me that the WGA would insist that AI not be used to create anything, and it's crazy to think you could replace writers with AI. The only and obvious future is that many writers will end up using AI tools throughout the creation process. Some will use it to help generate ideas, some will use it for small sections, some will be largely dependent on it. Certainly there will be hold outs, especially in the established generation. I don't expect to hear that QT or Christopher Nolan are using AI for their scripts, but if you're in the writers room for a basic cable animated show or something, yeah, I suspect that AI will play some role.

 

Still, my understanding is that writers only make up something like 1-3% of a studio film budget. It's also the area where novelty and creativity seem most relevant. While writers will be using AI in their process, it's ultimately the result that matters most, and it seems odd to go so hard after writers when they make up such a small part of the cost.

 

There are so many other areas where generative AI will make filmmaking faster and cheaper. Storyboard artists are going to be in real trouble. A lot of SFX work will change. I can imagine a lot of audio work incorporating AI instead of ADR. I imagine that the pre and post production workflows that change with AI will be more impactful to the bottom line than it would be even if AI could completely eliminate writers.

 

 

As an aside, I know someone who reviews scripts. Years ago I told them that I expected that AI would come for script-writers and be capable of writing complete works and they felt certain it wouldn't be in our lifetimes. I absolutely didn't think it would happen so fast, but here we are.

[unogueen]

5 hours ago, TwinIon said:

I'm well aboard the generative AI hypetrain. I've got stable diffusion running locally, I'm constantly using ChatGPT for work and personal stuff, and I do feel confident that it's going to change the nature of work for a huge portion of people out there. That said, I think this is kinda crazy on both sides.

 

It's crazy to me that the WGA would insist that AI not be used to create anything, and it's crazy to think you could replace writers with AI. The only and obvious future is that many writers will end up using AI tools throughout the creation process. Some will use it to help generate ideas, some will use it for small sections, some will be largely dependent on it. Certainly there will be hold outs, especially in the established generation. I don't expect to hear that QT or Christopher Nolan are using AI for their scripts, but if you're in the writers room for a basic cable animated show or something, yeah, I suspect that AI will play some role.

 

Still, my understanding is that writers only make up something like 1-3% of a studio film budget. It's also the area where novelty and creativity seem most relevant. While writers will be using AI in their process, it's ultimately the result that matters most, and it seems odd to go so hard after writers when they make up such a small part of the cost.

 

There are so many other areas where generative AI will make filmmaking faster and cheaper. Storyboard artists are going to be in real trouble. A lot of SFX work will change. I can imagine a lot of audio work incorporating AI instead of ADR. I imagine that the pre and post production workflows that change with AI will be more impactful to the bottom line than it would be even if AI could completely eliminate writers.

 

 

As an aside, I know someone who reviews scripts. Years ago I told them that I expected that AI would come for script-writers and be capable of writing complete works and they felt certain it wouldn't be in our lifetimes. I absolutely didn't think it would happen so fast, but here we are.

Corporate standards are already on an eroding scale. AI is being shoehorned in as competent agent but it's full of holes and I already know the bottom line is the real answer. As for how much the population will tolerate, that's the real ugly part.

[Jason]

8 hours ago, skillzdadirecta said:

Also, South Park predicted this.

 

hmm sus, what could matt and trey possibly know about this

[BloodyHell]

On 5/5/2023 at 7:35 PM, LazyPiranha said:

If we’re not talking about optioning a successful existing property like Harry Potter or the Hunger Games, what percentage of a film’s overall budget comes from paying for the script?  I feel like when you account for the entire budget of a mainstream film, the script is barely a drop in the bucket.  

But it lts a drop from their bucket.

[Fizzzzle]

On 5/5/2023 at 4:13 PM, TwinIon said:

I'm well aboard the generative AI hypetrain. I've got stable diffusion running locally, I'm constantly using ChatGPT for work and personal stuff, and I do feel confident that it's going to change the nature of work for a huge portion of people out there. That said, I think this is kinda crazy on both sides.

 

It's crazy to me that the WGA would insist that AI not be used to create anything, and it's crazy to think you could replace writers with AI. The only and obvious future is that many writers will end up using AI tools throughout the creation process. Some will use it to help generate ideas, some will use it for small sections, some will be largely dependent on it. Certainly there will be hold outs, especially in the established generation. I don't expect to hear that QT or Christopher Nolan are using AI for their scripts, but if you're in the writers room for a basic cable animated show or something, yeah, I suspect that AI will play some role.

 

Still, my understanding is that writers only make up something like 1-3% of a studio film budget. It's also the area where novelty and creativity seem most relevant. While writers will be using AI in their process, it's ultimately the result that matters most, and it seems odd to go so hard after writers when they make up such a small part of the cost.

 

There are so many other areas where generative AI will make filmmaking faster and cheaper. Storyboard artists are going to be in real trouble. A lot of SFX work will change. I can imagine a lot of audio work incorporating AI instead of ADR. I imagine that the pre and post production workflows that change with AI will be more impactful to the bottom line than it would be even if AI could completely eliminate writers.

 

 

As an aside, I know someone who reviews scripts. Years ago I told them that I expected that AI would come for script-writers and be capable of writing complete works and they felt certain it wouldn't be in our lifetimes. I absolutely didn't think it would happen so fast, but here we are.

We're at a point now (and have been for the last couple years) where advancements in consumer-level AI are measured in *weeks,* not years or even months.

 

ChatGPT will look like SmarterChild in a couple years at most.

[Link200]

I could see copyright lawyers having a field day unless studios only allow it to "learn" from their own supply of scripts.

[Kamusha]

Just give all the bots a copy of Save the Cat. Not much will fundamentally change.

[Dodger]

This is clearly how the fast and furious movies are already made.

[silentbob]

56 minutes ago, Dodger said:

This is clearly how the fast and furious movies are already made.