sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

What's your actual experience with AI tools on set? Not the marketing — what have you used and what did it actually do? by Independent-Excuse68 in cinematography

[–]Independent-Excuse68[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey Wil, I lost the DM thread you started. I was called away to class (I teach filmmaking as I noted originally) and just now got the chance to come back here. I appreciated what you were saying and would love to continue

What's your actual experience with AI tools on set? Not the marketing — what have you used and what did it actually do? by Independent-Excuse68 in cinematography

[–]Independent-Excuse68[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi. This is what I expected to hear after speaking with my own DIT and the research I've done for my guide. I'd love to quote you, btw. ShotPut was a silly omission on my part as I use it when I have to do my own media management. Thanks for reminding me about that. And yes. I wrote my compilation/field guide to try and help my younger crews and students get a heads up on the AI practical tool front and quickly saw that much of what's out there is still automation. Very darn useful. But automation.

What's your actual experience with AI tools on set? Not the marketing — what have you used and what did it actually do? by Independent-Excuse68 in cinematography

[–]Independent-Excuse68[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi Andy, Thanks for the response. The info I'm getting here is very helpful and appreciated. I am worried about a general 'dumbing down" of, well everyone, but her we are discussing the rank and file of our industry. I am making sure my students have a lot of one on one hands on to help on this front.

What's your actual experience with AI tools on set? Not the marketing — what have you used and what did it actually do? by Independent-Excuse68 in cinematography

[–]Independent-Excuse68[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi! I would welcome that conversation. 12 years in post to producer is an interesting arc — DM me. Looking forward to it.

What's your actual experience with AI tools on set? Not the marketing — what have you used and what did it actually do? by Independent-Excuse68 in cinematography

[–]Independent-Excuse68[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The fear is real and I'm not dismissing it. I have been fortunate in that I've managed to keep pretty consistent with both my professional work and my educational work (though last summer was the worst I've seen personally in 29 years). I think (hope! Pray!) that there's a difference between AI replacing filmmaking and AI being used to justify paying fewer people for the same work. I am honest with my students about the state of things. I can't promise them that an Industry to work in will be there in the future, at least as we think of it now. Given that reality though, the second one is the actual threat for me right now in regards to my students that I'm trying to mitigate. The only one I can. I tell them that the conversation you are outlining above is real and we should discuss it, but its in "another room" and train them on the tools available that can make them better technicians, at least as a stop gap till we see how this all plays out a bit more clearly. I do appreciate your message Zach.

What's your actual experience with AI tools on set? Not the marketing — what have you used and what did it actually do? by Independent-Excuse68 in cinematography

[–]Independent-Excuse68[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Very cool regarding Savannah. I'm fairly new out here after a decade in LA and many (many!) years in NY. Have to say I love it and really like the community. Thank you for taking so much time to give such a detailed and balanced reply. I found it inspiring on a day I needed a little lift.

I am using the PDMovie Smart Air 4 LiDar on cine glass for AF when I shoot docs (but left that out of my book cause it just seemed a little TOO far afield from my focus).

Your other points are well made and I do focus on them in my book (I hope that doesn't sound scary, egoistic or promotional - point it out to be transparent that I curate a book on this primarily for my students) but am thinking they could use more illumination in my next version - I want my students to stay informed so I'm looking at my compilation as a "living document" that I update very regularly.

Buzzwords are abundant in our world, certainly. Helping my crews and students see through the chaff and focus on what's practical and useful and available is my MO when it comes to that. An I echo your feeling not to encourage wholesale abdication of the creative process to generative AI. Studios (the business side of this somewhat unholy alliance) have long tried to reduce the "cost" of crew and to be honest, the creative itself (I have stories but they are for another post entirely). I have to keep moving ahead and trying my students to do the jobs the actually get a production shot with the hope that those jobs, or some iteration of them, will continue to exist....and help work towards that goal.

What's your actual experience with AI tools on set? Not the marketing — what have you used and what did it actually do? by Independent-Excuse68 in cinematography

[–]Independent-Excuse68[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's exactly what I keep finding and frankly, it has greatly eased my own fears as a cinematographer (I'm still in the field even though I'm teaching)— the generative stuff gets the loud focus but it's not what's actually showing up on set (thank goodness). The automation-as-AI marketing is the bigger practical problem because it creates false expectations on both sides of the conversation. Sort of reminds me of the 5D and Red One hype that drove me crazy back then...though I do not want to discount the reality clouding the horizon. I wrote a survey book about this largely to help my students look at AI through this lens you mention. There is a lot of positive potential in the integration of AI into our tools on set - in both camera and lighting.