Google has announced a powerful new AI video-making tool that’s likely to shake the foundations of the entertainment industry. This radical new technology enables filmmakers to produce exquisite content at amazing pace. It represents a historic change in the film production and distribution process. Richard Osman, a prominent figure in the entertainment sector, remarked that “an era of entertainment industry history has ended and a new one has begun” due to this groundbreaking development.
Samir Mallal is an independent filmmaker based in Victoria, BC. He’s explored the creative potential of Google’s generative AI tool with his latest project, “Spiders in the Sky.” Consider this film, an incredibly moving retelling of a Ukrainian drone assault on Russian bombers. Mallal directed the film on location himself and completed it in two weeks. This huge, ambitious undertaking would normally require a minimum of two years in preparation!
“We’ve never seen a cinematic news piece before turned around in two weeks. We’ve never seen a thriller based on the news made in two weeks,” – Samir Mallal
When you combine this new AI technology, the effect is massive. Things that used to require millions to create now are possible in a tiny fraction of the cost and time. The tool itself is animated by Veo3. Instead, it creates visuals, speech, sound effects, and background noise, making the entire filmmaking process more streamlined and efficient.
Mallal has pioneered something of an art form with “prompt craft.” This new approach emphasizes producing imaginative works speedily and cost-effectively. He noted, “Which is that you can make really good stuff at a high level – but fast, at the speed of culture. Hollywood, especially, moves incredibly slowly.” His sentiments are a microcosm of a wave of investor and filmmaker enthusiasm for generative AI technologies.
After the success of “Spiders in the Sky,” Mallal is now teaming up again with Kazmi on another ambitious film entitled “Midnight Drop.” This documentary will intercut the personal journey of this Iranian-American with a stealth bomber’s round-the-world mission. It’s going to be six times longer than his last opus! Mallal hopes to have “Midnight Drop” finished by August.
Richard Osman’s vision for the future of content creation is just as enticing. He predicts that by 2027, most TikTok videos, ad creatives, and movie trailers will be created with the help of AI tools. David Jones, chief executive of Brandtech Group, agreed. He’s convinced that the advertising world is on the cusp of a revolution, driven by models such as Veo3. He stated, “Today, less than 1% of all brand content is created using gen AI. It will be 100% that is fully or partly created using gen AI.”
Now that the industry is leaning into these technological advances, creators are raising concerns about equity in this tech-aided, asset-based, creator economy. Beeban Kidron has highlighted the importance of compensating artists fairly: “at what point are they going to realise that these tools are literally built on the work of creators? Creators need equity in the new system or we lose something precious.”
As AI tools become increasingly integrated into creative processes, the conversation surrounding intellectual property rights and fair compensation for creators will likely intensify. We’re in a time of rapid change within the industry. It’s important to find the right middle ground between greater efficiencies that technology provides and fair compensation for all creators.