Korva is a scroll of the internet’s best ideas.
Post-production models
Netflix recently acquired the company, which built a set of models for post-production. The filmmaker still leads: the creator decides they would like to try something else, and the tools help bring that vision to life. Generative AI also opens up creative ideation, such as pre-visualization, which brings a creator's vision to life before anyone is brought to a set.
Machine learning before generative AI
Machine learning was already used in Netflix's production tools before generative AI arrived. It has been used to create promotional assets at scale and to localize subtitles and dubs. Trailers, images, and artwork can also be made at scale, so titles find their audiences around the world. Productions use many different tools, some built in-house and some enabled through outside vendors, and the same uses apply to advertising and marketing campaigns that Netflix is exploring.
Where creators differ
Creators differ on all of this. Some filmmakers rule out AI entirely as inconsistent with their vision, and Netflix works with them. A growing number want to explore whether generative AI can make something possible that was not possible before, and Netflix supports them and everyone in between.
How can lighting change after a scene is shot?
Researcher Paul Debevec built the Light Stage at the University of Southern California's Institute for Creative Technologies around 2000. The device photographs a face under many lighting directions, which records how skin reflects light. With that data, software can recreate the face under any lighting setup. Spider-Man 2, released in 2004, used the technique for digital versions of its actors.
How does pre-visualization work?
Pre-visualization means building a rough version of a sequence before filming it. For the dogfights in Star Wars in 1977, Lucas's team at Industrial Light and Magic cut together footage of real World War II aircraft as a guide. Digital tools later replaced film clips and sketches with rough computer animation. Directors use the result to plan camera angles, timing, and effects budgets.
Why is AI a flashpoint in the film industry?
The 2023 Writers Guild of America strike lasted 148 days, and AI was one of its central issues. The contract that ended it states that AI-generated material cannot be considered literary material or source material. It also lets writers choose to use AI tools only with the company's consent. The Screen Actors Guild strike of 2023 lasted 118 days and also covered AI provisions.
More from Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career
