AI’s not going to take your telly job… but you’ll need to up-skill to keep it!
That’s right, you’ve heard it here: AI is not going to take your telly job.
But someone who is more skilled at using emerging technologies in their daily work might… That’s why as a creative professional we believe you should start to explore and utilise the AI tools relevant to you and your workflows now.
As AI Filmmaker Stephanie Chlond says “if you’re not using it in some kind of way, you’re putting yourself at a massive disadvantage.”
But with countless apps, tools, news and opinions, how do you cut through all the noise and decide on a route forward?
First - you need to know the basics about AI - what is it and how is it being used in creative practice?
A New Frontier for TV production
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been around for decades and built into all kinds of everyday services and processes (website chatbots, search engines, dating apps, streamer viewing recommendations) - but the game changer that has exponentially accelerated the pace - particularly of ‘Generative AI’ (GenAI) over the last few years - is rapid data processing.
As a result most major companies and governments are working their way through the myriad of legal, ethical and practical implications that ‘plug and play’ AI software - i.e. accessible to companies and consumers alike - now presents.
The BBC is the first UK broadcaster to publish specific guidance for partners around the use of AI in content it publishes; laying out principles it will adhere to, as well as presenting the ways it will be exploring use of the technology. The principles commit the BBC and its content suppliers to always act in the best interests of the public, to prioritise talent and creativity and to be open and transparent with audiences and staff about where AI is used and what data is being collected.
This framework for the responsible use of AI - including GenAI applications like ChatGPT and MidJourney - is a good blueprint for us all to work from, but it will need to evolve and shift as we adopt our AI-led workflows and learn in practice about the the pros, cons and unforeseen impacts. Commentators have frequently likened it to the adoption of the world wide web. While internet access has benefited humanity in countless ways, it has also presented challenges and a darker side - quite literally.
As creatives, many of whom have deep knowledge of ethical and editorial considerations when making content, we could play a key role here in shaping how generative AI is used.
How is AI already being implemented in TV and film production?
AI-powered tools already exist and are being deployed in all major areas of production and content creation. GenAI is being used to generate content for consumer media - from still images and text to speech, to whole dynamic scenes and instantly translated speech. New formats are emerging from the use of ‘deep fake’ technology, and whole films are being created with generated content alone.
The groundbreaking tech is already being used to enhance cinematography, build and maintain databases, clean up recorded audio and even update image resolution. You’ll find AI incorporated at the beginning of the production process with ideation and storyboarding, through to virtual set design and post-production. The BBC is exploring how AI could enhance content and bring new levels of accessibility to its platforms, including translating, reformatting, and cataloguing their extensive backlog of content.
If you’re an editor or in VFX, you’ve probably already encountered software like Runway, which offers a range of AI tools to remove objects, change backgrounds, enable motion tracking and even create new videos based on existing ones. AI system IBM Watson has been used to produce film trailers by identifying the most action-packed, emotionally charged and appropriate scenes, saving editors hours of time.
How will this impact my job?
Good news! A lot of the emerging tech is being incorporated into existing processes already used in TV and film production, in long standing roles.
Again, the technology isn’t at a point where it’s going to steal your job - AI needs skilled, experienced creatives, as we’ve previously explored. It is, however, a point of knowledge that could be the difference between getting your next job or it going to someone else who can demonstrate their capabilities to produce excellent results using these softwares.
It doesn’t mean you need a data science degree, but it does mean keeping up to date with the latest updates, having an understanding of where AI could benefit your role and skill set, and exploring new tools as they emerge - more on this below.
What skills are going to be needed?
To harness the power of AI in TV and Film production, a diverse, tech-confident skillset is more valuable than ever. Below we’ve listed some of the top reported skills associated with AI:
Prompt engineering
Content creation
Digital literacy
Content ideation
Media literacy
Bias mediating
Creative Direction
Unreal Engine proficiency
Programming language fluency
Data management & analysis
Practical knowledge of AI models, tools and software
Creative problem solving
Principles of Machine Learning
What tools are out there to explore?
There are already loads of great AI tools out there, with more being released weekly - some are free, some are paid. We’ve highlighted some of the most relevant ones for TV Talent below:
ChatGPT - Free, Large Language Model, and a great introduction to the capabilities of generative AI technology
MidJourney - Text-to-image generator used to create scenes, characters, and images
Stable Diffusion - Free, text-to-image model used to produce unique photorealistic images
Runway Machine Learning - Software that provides a suite of AI tools for video production
Luma AI; Nvidia - VFX tool with Neural radiance fields (NeRFs) capability (the ability to render a 2-D photo 3-D)
Unreal Engine - ‘Most powerful’ 3D computer graphics real-time creation tool
Pika - Animation technology, capable of life-like human recreation
ElevenLabs - Voice generation tool for natural-sounding speech synthesis and text-to-speech software
Microsoft Azure AI Video Indexer - Software for extracting insights from videos, including spoken words, faces and emotions.
What training is available?
One of the best ways to learn, especially with AI, is to DO - play with the tools, experiment with their features, push their parameters and see what you can do with your imagination and sheer wit.
YouTube is a fantastic resource absolutely teeming with information, practical theory and tutorials. Not only is it widely accessible, it’s also free and can be taken up whenever you have time.
There are courses available too. Both ScreenSkills and the Nation Film & Television School have offered introductory courses for the use of AI in TV production and the wider screen sector. It’s worth keeping an eye on both as they regularly update their programmes!
Now is the time onboard with AI
It's natural to think of the worst possible outcomes in the midst of huge technological advancements, but we have always adapted in the past and the smart technology era will be no different. That’s not to say there aren’t some hurdles to navigate…
Bias within GenAI/machine learning has been an area of concern since its emergence into the mainstream, but as these technologies are further integrated into workflows in countless industries, that bias could start to have real consequences. That’s why it’s imperative that as many people with different skill sets, perspectives and backgrounds engage with it and can offer critique, guidance and feedback, while it’s still developing.
Stephanie Chlond sums up where our mindset needs to be: “Ignoring it, or not engaging with it is not the right answer. Knowledge is power and if we want to be able to shape the future in a positive way then it’s really important that the people who are apprehensive about it, engage with it and look into it and try to understand it - otherwise it will be in the hands of others who may not have our best interest at heart.”
