(Image source: Black Forest Labs)
Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese is embracing the inevitable trend of AI integration, today announcing a surprising collaboration with generative software Flux. The partnership aims to promote how AI can significantly boost efficiency in film and television production.
Scorsese isn't the only Hollywood heavyweight to publicly back AI; James Cameron previously joined the board of Stability AI, and Ben Affleck invested in founding InterPositive, a new company developing AI post-production software. However, Scorsese stands out as one of the few AI proponents to personally star in an endorsement ad. Rather than simply issuing a press release, he collaborated with Black Forest Labs, Flux's development team, to produce a promotional video (see link below) showcasing how Flux can efficiently assist directors with storyboarding.
In the advertisement, Scorsese personally provided prompts to a Flux operator, who rapidly generated the desired scenes and shot compositions. He referenced the iconic long tracking shot through the nightclub in "Goodfellas" as a prime example. Such complex sequences typically demand extensive communication between a director and various crew departments to visualize the execution. Even with detailed verbal explanations or hand-drawn sketches, it can be challenging to precisely convey the director's vision. However, with AI assistance, directors can swiftly and accurately issue instructions to all departments, significantly reducing communication overhead.
(Image source: Black Forest Labs)
In a statement, Scorsese emphasized his belief in embracing cinematic evolution: "Cinema is still a very young medium, only about 125 years old, so we must be open to its development. I used 3D technology in 'Hugo' and de-aging technology in 'The Irishman.' Now, with this tool, I can share my ideas more clearly and efficiently with my creative team — production designers, art directors, and cinematographers — allowing them to enrich the film's content on this new foundation. I recently tested this tool in a scene, and its ability to visualize and immediately share storyboards was incredibly liberating for my creative thinking. In the pre-production phase of a project, time is money, and this tool allows us to accelerate progress without sacrificing the quality or craftsmanship of the work."
Scorsese's collaboration with Black Forest Labs was likely facilitated by his agent, Rick Yorn, who is also a shareholder in the company.