Audiences will eventually love Tilly Norwood, or a completely artificial AI-created performer like her, if you believe Paul Schrader.
The unconventional author and filmmaker behind First Reformed, American Gigolo and The Card Counterhas shown interest in using generative AI for filmmaking for a while (and the technology in general - he recently stated he hasobtained a virtual AI girlfriendwho left him. And in a keynote address at Amazon's AI on the Lot event in Culver City on Thursday, the 79-year-old director elaborated on his perspective regarding how the technology might reshape the film industry, although at times he seemed somewhat uncertain about it.
"The true forefront of innovation is when we can develop an AI protagonist, not a hybrid. And that film generates revenue," he said to the conference attendees. He outlined a situation where an AI tool is asked to generate a movie star that ends up resembling Clint Eastwood, even though the person using the tool never mentioned it.Dirty Harry star's name.
The film is released and we carbon-based beings spend our money feeling empathy and concern for silicon-based entities," Schrader added. "And they want the next one. They desire the sequel. Well, we know where that actor resides and he works for free and is available around the clock, ready to go right now.
Schrader mentioned that he had argued with Albert Cheng, the head of AI studios at Amazon MGM Studios, the day before regarding whether viewers would fully accept a synthetic star. "I think he's just scared," Schrader stated. "I believe it's going to occur. I think we're going to see a non-hybrid lead character in the arts."
Schrader is clearly unafraid. He openly acknowledged that he may not be around to see if his predictions come true: "I'm going to be able to ride into that cinematic sunset of that old broken horse we call movies," he stated. However, he is already developing an AI film simply because he finds the concept intriguing, using an old script. He also has numerous ideas about how to apply the technology, such as creating a new episode of I Love Lucy or Bonanzausing artificial intelligence, and having it compose in a "1950s" style.
On a more detailed level, he made some jokes regarding parts of the business that could be replaced by AI instead of human labor. On the 2024 filmWicked, which he watched during the flight to the conference: "I'm wondering why we're paying an extra $180 per day when they look so artificial and not only do we pay them $180 a day, but we also have to shut them down and feed them and handle their complaints when it gets too hot? Why don't we just create them?" Regarding ratings for true-crime reenactment documentaries: "Why is some poor guy sitting there playing a synthesizer with this pattern when all we need to do is input it into an AI tool?"
But Schrader also made it clear that he believed, at some point, his own skills could be replaced by AI. He mentioned asking ChatGPT to generate a script idea in his style and seeing it come up with a story concept calledThe Collection Agency, about a former Catholic who works as a medical debt collector and encounters a girl who uncovers an old secret. (In another distinctly Schrader-esque detail, the man regularly records personal entries on a cassette tape recorder while staying in inexpensive business hotels.)
I could send it out. I know what the reaction would be: This is second-rate Schrader… but it'll be first-rate Schrader soon enough." He joked, "And it's already first-rate.NCIS."
Schrader isn't the only one imagining a future where studios might create artificial celebrities. The performers' union SAG-AFTRA has been worried enough about this idea that it addressed it during its recent contract discussions.extracted a commitmentfrom the studios to avoid using synthetic over human actors unless it offers "considerable extra value" to a production.
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