How to Leverage AI in Filmmaking to Save Time & Boost Productivity

The use of artificial intelligence is gaining ground across the film industry in both good and bad ways. Expert filmmakers that turn to AI tools stand to benefit from the increased productivity and time saving effects that AI can provide, but only if artificial intelligence is used as a helpful tool, and not as an all-encompassing side mate. Many expert filmmakers have actually found key benefits to leveraging AI in filmmaking. We’ve put together some tips to help you start leveraging artificial intelligence in your next video production project.

Artificial intelligence can be used by film production companies in many different ways. From streamlining pre-production planning processes to executing post-production editing procedures on automation, AI really has become a valuable asset to many production teams. How is it used?

AI in the Pre-Production Filmmaking Process

AI use begins in the very early stages of the film production process. In fact, if you’re looking for a way to leverage AI in filmmaking, you’d be best to start at the beginning: with pre-production. Consider the use of artificial intelligence to simplify scheduling, to perform location research, or to automate the process of planning out your shooting schedules so that you can be sure that your entire cast and crew are where they need to be exactly when they need to be there.  

In the earliest stages of film creation, many filmmakers now turn to the use of artificial intelligence to assist with the storyboarding process. Not only does having machine learning assist with the creation of visual depictions and concept art that is essential to your production, the generation of storyboards that are created by artificial intelligence can be a huge time-saver over finding an artist, explaining your plan, and getting the concept on the drawing board.

Many filmmakers are now using AI in filmmaking to help them better decide on which films to greenlight and which ones might be best sent back to the drawing board. In fact, Hollywood has been utilizing AI for script analysis for several years and the processes appear to be getting more accurate over time as any neural learning algorithm tends to do. AI algorithms and their creators claim that these programs are able to confidently predict the success of a film, a particular casting call, or character long before it ever hits the box office. This has the potential to result in huge savings for filmmakers – both in time, and in money.

AI in Filmmaking Production Process

During production, artificial intelligence is used for an array of potential scenarios. During the production, AI may be used to automate lighting design or to reproduce camera actions. We’ve seen Ai used to replicate movement or to ensure particular programming of computers or other electronics. Many of these same features are integrated into film equipment and utilized on the set during the production process. In fact, artificial intelligence can be used to assist with the following production tasks:

• Mapping lighting and automating the lighting process.
• Optimizing camera angles and ensuring the best shots.
• Selecting scenes takes based on specific parameters or guidelines.

While AI in filmmaking is a powerful tool and is behind many of the most powerful tools in the filmmaking industry, there are some things that artificial intelligence simply cannot do during production – such as replace a producer, director, or human touch on set!

AI in the Post-Production Filmmaking Process

In post-production, AI is used for many tasks. From the use of facial recognition technology to detect specific characters or actors and sort scenes to speed up editing to the use of AI in post-production film marketing strategy to research, and create narratives that align with the target audience when building hype around an upcoming movie release, artificial intelligence has largely impacted the way films are produced and introduced to today’s audiences.

Many of the tools that are found in the film industry utilize artificial intelligence as a basis. In post-production, these tools can be found helping filmmakers to improve audio mixing, create color effects or improve film coloring, and so much more. Here are a few ways that AI in filmmaking is commonly used in post-production:

• Color matching to ensure balanced footage.
• Quick referencing of still images or characters for the sorting of footage and streamlined editing.
• Grouping of film content based on predisposed factors to improve editing efficiency.
• Audio dubbing to improve audio conversion, particularly for films that are dubbed in other languages.
• Text-based video editing which can analyze footage and create transcripts or other text-files relative to a film.
• Automatic reframing into various sizes or verticals to render videos in various output sizes for social media.

Leveraging AI in Filmmaking Saves Time & Boosts Productivity

While there are certainly many benefits that come as a result of the use of AI in filmmaking, some of the most profound benefits come in the form of time saving and productivity boosting for filmmakers. In fact, by streamlining and automating many of the processes that otherwise can become huge time suckers for a filmmaker, creatives are able to focus more of their valuable time on the projects that are most suitable and exciting for them.

A single automation can save you a lot of time in the film industry, particularly if it’s the automating of a process that you perform routinely over and over again. Now just think about how much time you could save if you were to leverage AI in filmmaking to automate many different processes and to allow yourself to focus more of your effort and energy on being creative and less on the mundane tasks. That’s the power of artificial intelligence and leveraging AI in filmmaking.