It happened.
And it happened with a Rom Com.
Which shouldn’t surprise anyone.
It is the biggest genre in readers.
And it happens to be the biggest genre in Made For TV movies.
Just look at your Netflix or Hallmark Screen when they roll out the Christmas movies in November this year.
It all looks almost the same.
A smiling couple in a small NE town standing in snow.
She’s a big city exec stuck at home.
He’s a contractor or chef or single Dad who teaches her how to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life.
Her high powered boyfriend is the villain, but all he wants really is for her to be happy.
He just doesn’t know it til the end.
And AI is making it.
The guy who produced 5 Sharknado’s is releasing the first AI made ROM COM.
I don’t recall the name, though the station it’s going to be on is TCL.
Not TLC.
And all signs point to it being bad, despite having human actors doing the voices.
Which makes it look dubbed, because it’s photo-realistic.
People, not cartoons or animation.
But…
Is it bad because it’s the first, or because they’re touting AI as such a huge part of it. (outlined, written and assembled by…)
I mean, is it really any worse than 100 of the Rom Com’s made for Hallmark any given year?
Name one you watched last year that changed your life or changed the industry.
Because no matter how you “feel” about the AI “talkies” it will change the way you enjoy movies.
And maybe make you enjoy them more.
Take Westerns for example.
The Western genre just keeps chugging along, making shoot ‘em ups for under a million bucks and earning out over what’s called the long tail.
And most of them follow a formula.
Sure, every so often, one really stretches the formula and gets awards and recognition, but I would almost bet you don’t know ten wild west movies made in the past year.
They show up on streaming services, and are ready for the people who like to watch them.
Which is a small population in relation to those who like to watch action flicks.
AI can make a western formula film that is tailored to your tastes.
And though today the quality is considered “low”, the ability to make better films is going to get exponential.
How do I know?
Watch CIVIL WAR that’s coming out this month.
It was shot on a digital video camera that cost $12,000.
I used a digital Canon to shoot 23 years ago, and was on the forefront of the digital revolution.
The difference in quality is like the difference between Star Wars 1977 and Star Wars 2020.
Not the writing, or acting, but the look of the films.
Who is to stay that in 20 years, AI won’t be making Oscar quality films.
Except I think it’s more like 2 years.
Because as the tools become better, and the interaction between creators and the AI software evolves, it creates more opportunity for the gems to shine.
I mean, imagine a Name Image and Likeness deal that puts John Wayne back into a wild west film.
Or Bogart in a PI mystery film.
I think it’s going to happen, as soon as they figure out how to work the logistics of it.
As for me, you know I’ve got an entire catalog of books and ideas that can be turned into movies and TV shows.
The best part is that I don’t have to flog them around the film festival circuit, hoping and praying some producer will pick them up and help me get distribution.
I can make a film and distribute it to Youtube, Amazon and a dozen other outlets.
And then plow any money it makes right back into making the next film better.
A bootstrap formula that worked for:
George Romero and THE NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD
THE TOXIC AVENGER
THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT
And probably/possible hundreds of others I can’t name or remember.
But it’s not just me.
It’s anyone who has an idea for a movie, has the patience to learn how to interact with AI to make it, and the perseverance to market it to the right people.
Big Ideas.
Patience.
Perseverance.
Huh. Sounds like a secret success formula that has worked for just about any business out there.
Funny how the tools change, but the fundamentals stay the same.
A lesson I need to keep in mind as we forge ahead in this changing world.
Speaking of lessons:
Did I share this with you? THRONE AWAY – an action adventure
Imagine a studio putting out a movie every month based on these stories: The Round Up - a Massive Western Adventure Collection
Or a FALLOUT type series based on this: Battlefield Z - The Complete adventures giant boxset
Go listen to this FREE new version of PHALANX – a military sci fi adventure. Hit like and Subscribe to help others find it.
AI films 🤔🤔🤔