Together with
Darren Aronofsky, the mind behind films such as Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream, has launched an AI studio called Primordial Soup in partnership with Google’s AI research lab, DeepMind.
The Big Picture: Aronofsky is easily the biggest filmmaker so far to personally get involved in AI production, joining the likes of Natasha Lyonne in designing movies that are made with the same human resources as a typical production, but also ethically enhanced with AI tools. That openness to experimentation (in a way that doesn’t trample on human labor or IP law) could kickstart a new era of filmmaking.
Behind the Scenes: Aronofsky is hoping that AI can be used to unlock human creativity, not replace it.
- Primordial Soup is working on three short films, with the first, Eliza McNitt’s Ancestra (which reportedly uses a mix of live-action performances and AI visuals), premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival next month.
- The films use Google’s Veo and new Flow AI-video generators. The filmmakers and Aronofsky will provide feedback on the tool to help guide development and “inform the development of new AI tools,” per Deadline.
- Ancestra, which follows McNitt as a newborn in a medical crisis, used SAG actors and a full film crew. It utilized AI, which was only trained on original work for the film, to enhance traditional VFX work and model the infant off of her childhood photographs.
Generating Credits: The partnership between Primordial Soup and Google represents a growing trend of tech giants partnering with Hollywood talent or companies to get a leg up in developing their AI tools. Meta teamed with Blumhouse on a slate of short films, Runway linked up with Lionsgate, and James Cameron joined the board of directors of Stability AI. It’s only a matter of time until OpenAI recruits a filmmaker to become an ambassador for Sora.
Prediction: Tensions are running high in Hollywood over the use of AI, meaning there soon could be a split between two classes of filmmakers — those willing and those unwilling to use the tech in the movies.
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