83-year-old Martin Scorsese is embracing AI. The veteran award-winning filmmaker has joined hands with Black Forest Labs, an AI firm as an adviser to create storyboards for his next project. Scorsese's major move is seen as an attempt to adapt to the evolving cinema and media landscape, which he confirmed while explaining his stance, that not many are happy about on the internet.
"For 70 years, I’ve been creating my own storyboards. There’s always been this problem of how do you communicate what you see in your head to your cast and crew. There are some things you have to see and feel. I’m interested in the intersection of technology and storytelling, and seeing how that can push the bounds of creativity to create deeper and richer experiences for audiences," Scorsese said in a statement.
He further added that he wanted to be open to the medium "to enrich cinematic intelligence". Scorsese mentioned experimenting with the then-emerging technologies including 3D with Hugo and de-aging technology for The Irishman. "Now, with this tool, I can share what I’m visualizing more clearly and efficiently to my creative team — the production designer, art designer, and cinematographer — for them to build on to enrich cinematic intelligence," he said. He was later seen using the FLUX generative-AI model to help storyboard a scene.
The news has not gone down with many users who criticised The Killers of the Flower Moon director for not choosing artists and those who worked with him for years.
Concept artist and illustrator Karla Ortiz said, "He throws every single storyboard artist he’s ever worked with under the bus, as he demolishes their livelihoods with models that are likely trained on those story board artist’s same works."
Director and animator Sam Deats noted, "It takes literally seconds for me to storyboard a shot, there is absolutely no reason to need AI built on the stolen work of millions of artists to storyboard your vision, have some damn pride and respect your peers."
Elsewhere, debates and discussions have surfaced on social media regarding the same, with some praising the filmmaker for adapting new technology and a large section expressing their displeasure on the same for him not taking a stance against AI.
Previously, many Hollywood legends, filmmakers and actors have shared their viewpoints on AI's rise. Titanic director James Cameron joined Stability AI last year as a board member. For Frankenstein filmmaker Guillermo del Toro described using AI to generate something akin to "spitting on God." "I don’t think anyone wants this," he said. Steven Spielberg, who recently made Disclosure Day, voiced concerns over the use of artificial intelligence, saying that while it can be used as a tool like any other technology, it should not be considered the final authority in creative work.
