Lionsgate has become the first significant Hollywood studio to go all-in on AI. The company today announced a “first-of-its-kind” partnership with AI research company Runway to create and train an exclusive new AI model based on its portfolio of film and tv content.
Lionsgate’s exclusive model will be used to generate what it calls “cinematic video” which can then be further iterated using Runway’s technology. The goal is to save money – “millions and millions of dollars” according to Lionsgate studio vice chairman Michael Burns – by having filmmakers and creators use its AI model to replace artists in production tasks such as storyboarding.
In corporate jargon terminology, Burns said that AI will be used to “develop cutting-edge, capital-efficient content creation opportunities.” He added that “several of our filmmakers are already excited about its potential applications to their pre-production and post-production process.”
There are movies which are literally made by storyboard. As in they storyboard out the entire thing very carefully and deliberately over a significant period of time before they start shooting and stick to that storyboard religiously. And it makes for really good movies in terms of cinematography.
You’re not going to get that with AI. That takes talking to an artist who understands what you’re saying and can make well-reasoned suggestions.
Edit for example: Director Peter Yates was famous for that and got two best picture nominations for Breaking Away and The Dresser due to it. I grew up in the town where Breaking Away takes place in and was shot and, although I was far too young to remember anything about it, I know virtually every “making of” story out there because of friends and family. In the bike race scene the movie is well known for, Yates set up a big tent in the middle of the stadium and put the entire storyboard for those scenes inside the tent so he could refer to it for every shot.