When big changes occur, you can’t help but feel the ripple effects. On Wednesday, Lionsgate (the studio responsible for John Wick, The Hunger Games, and the Twilight series) partnered with artificial intelligence company Runway to create custom AI tools for pre- and post-production of AI movies and TV shows. , with solid access to the studio’s archives.
According to a press release announcing the deal, Runway’s upcoming tools will “help enhance the work of Lionsgate Studios, its filmmakers, directors, and other creative talent,” and that “Runway’s suite of controls will “Produce cinematic videos that can be further iterated using available tools.”
If this sounds like it might pique the interest of those who have been observing the impact of AI on the work of creators, it is. Hours after the Wall Street Journal broke the story, screenwriter and director Justin Bateman, who was a vocal critic of AI during last year’s Hollywood strike, posted a warning about X: I did. I thought it was because the studios were sending lawyers to #AI companies with the issue of incorporating copyrighted movies into their models, rather than because they wanted their own custom versions. I thought. Here you go. ”
Rather, the new deal could be a test of the AI protections unions like the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) won in contract negotiations with studios last year. Under these protections, studios must obtain consent from actors before creating digital replicas of them. Lionsgate and Runway say the tool is within the scope of their agreement because it will only be used for pre- and post-production work, said Matthew Sugg, a professor of law and AI at Emory University.
“While this seems like a significant advance, the film industry has been using all kinds of technology and automation for years,” Sugg says. “So you could see this as a natural evolution. The difference is that now what we thought was creative and artistic is becoming automated.”
The announcement came a day after California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill aimed at protecting actors’ work from being copied without their consent. Newsom’s move, scheduled to go into effect next year, comes at a time when video game workers, particularly voice and motion caption actors, are on strike, in part over AI protections.
“We continue to navigate uncharted territory in terms of how AI and digital media will transform the entertainment industry,” the California governor said in a statement. “This legislation ensures that the industry continues to thrive while enforcing the right to use workers and their likenesses.”
Even if the work of actors and other performers isn’t affected by the new tools, you can’t help but wonder how new generative AI tools could impact those working in pre- and post-production. I can’t stay. WSJ reports that Lionsgate initially plans to use Runway’s custom tools for things like storyboarding. Eventually, the studio plans to use it to create visual effects for the big screen. Although it is “impossible to know with certainty which productivity tools will create or destroy jobs,” it is certainly possible that these tools will affect jobs, Sugg said. It seems so.
But according to Runway CEO Cristóbal Valenzuela, that’s not the case. “Our core belief is that, like any powerful tool, AI can significantly accelerate progress through creative challenges,” Valenzuela said. “It accomplishes this by helping solve specific tasks rather than replacing the entire job. Artists are always in control of their tools.”
Lionsgate Vice Chairman Michael Burns echoed Valenzuela’s belief that AI will be a boon for filmmaking and will help the studio “develop cutting-edge, capital-efficient content production opportunities.” Several of Lionsgate’s filmmakers said in a statement that they are excited about this AI. Without revealing which filmmaker it is, we introduce a new tool. “We see AI as a great tool to enhance, enhance and complement our current operations.” It’s unclear how that will impact future activities.
