Reed argues that generative artificial intelligence — specifically the transformer architecture that enables models to create images, videos and songs from a single text prompt — is transforming Hollywood filmmaking, but does not necessarily threaten film professionals. Although studio executives may be reluctant to admit it publicly, AI is already being used to lower costs and accelerate the production of visual effects (VFX).
In the familiar, computer-generated productions such as those in the Marvel cinematic universe, enormous labor and computing resources are devoted to each scene and asset. Human actors perform in front of screens, and the images and physics of the imagined world are added afterwards.
With generative AI, much of the heavy lifting happens during model pre-training. Once a model exists, it can take a scene created by artists and tweak it to make physical behaviour look realistic — not by explicitly modelling physics, but by approximating it based on ingesting a very large dataset of real-world footage.
Fewer steps, faster iteration
Samira Bakhtiar, General Manager of Media and Entertainment at Amazon Web Services, told Reed in an interview that this process collapses previously separate stages of filmmaking. Rather than waiting weeks to see how a digitally rendered scene turns out, crews can view outcomes in real time and immediately adjust or reshoot.
"It’s breaking down silos between the actor, the director, the producer, and then on the soundstage, they also have solution architects and data scientists that are working with them in real time," Bakhtiar said.
If a film uses these so-called "real-time hybrid" techniques to reduce costs, should it be classified as an "AI-created" film? Reed suggests it reads more like a faster, better generation of the CGI audiences already know. However, when productions employ AI-generated actors, extras, artwork or costumes, the industry has reason to promote transparency so audiences, critics and awards juries are informed.
Artists, budget pressures and tool adoption
Based on conversations at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity this week, Reed believes the top creatives in the business will adopt transformer architecture in some form. In the highest-quality implementations, human artists will continue to define the look, feel and sound of films and videos — whether for a Super Bowl commercial or a feature film.
With film budgets ballooning, the timing of this shift is fortuitous: the technology can help relieve financial pressures and enable more projects to be made.
Creatives preparing for change
The Hollywood Reporter has noted that, as job prospects in film and television become less certain, some Hollywood creatives are proactively monetizing AI by training the technology in their areas of expertise before it potentially displaces their work.
Overall, Reed’s view is that generative AI is reshaping production workflows and speeding iteration, but is more likely to serve as an augmenting tool for artists and a way to address budget challenges than as a wholesale replacement of creative people.
