Beau Carpenter | Unsplash
I still can't quite understand how I got to the future. If you ask me, I am very likely to mention many elements that support the fact that we are witnessing a significant technological advancement in many aspects.
Artificial intelligence focused on generative creation of images and videos is increasingly driven towards precision, which gives me the idea that at some point we will not be able to distinguish what is real or not. Perhaps we were surprised by the introduction of Sora; OpenAI's AI that allows the creation of realistic videos from text.
Now there is a new competitor going for that and much more. This time we will see the capabilities of Runway and how it is growing exponentially, making a very impactful advancement in the filmmaking realm.
The amazing thing about Runway is the creation of scenes from text (prompt), with a level of detail that adjusts to the screen resolution that leads this era. Looking at it this way, it's not very different from Sora, but... What then sets these AI models apart?
Basically, Runway, by using the Gen-3 Alpha model, manages to have a wider range of tools, which enhances the user's creativity leading to a large number of amazing scenes. I would even say that the possibilities are endless.
One can, from a frame of a video, add generative visual effects on it, which you can then combine again. It might seem complicated, but the way the idea is presented to us and explained to us precisely, makes this very easy to achieve, obtaining remarkable results.
Another aspect is the creation of images from a prompt. Midjourney probably comes to mind. In this case, the results are more than exquisite, but we also have the freedom to predefine what result we will be expecting, such as choosing a style like 80s Vaporwave. There is a wide variety of styles, including several related to the cinematic aspect, like 35MM, Thriller, or Cinematic. This makes me think that's the direction things are heading, and gradually they will be getting closer to generating videos and images of this level of cinematic quality.
It's not for nothing but something I would like to mention is that recently Runway has achieved a partnership with a giant in the film production industry. Perhaps something you have seen is the Lionsgate logo when playing a movie. This alliance is focused on exploring the capabilities of AI in the context of creating and training models, which seems to me a groundbreaking move, as we could be witnessing the beginning of what would be the future of cinema.
Runway Partners with Lionsgate
In my particular case, I would prefer a thousand times to see flesh and blood actors, but I understand that not necessarily the people we see on screen must be created by AI. Something we had previously mentioned was that Runway has the particularity of editing a frame "leaving the original underneath." In this context, perhaps everything points towards the future of cinema leaning towards real actors with scenes not so much created by computer graphics, but by generative AI models. Obviously, this is not as simple as described because at the moment we can only create a few seconds of video, but in the future, this duration will be much longer.
Will the film industry agree or disagree with these advances? In my opinion, this is something we will hear many applause and boos about. Many of the advancements are represented by the AI's ability to create photorealistic images, not only beautiful and dreamy places but also people who are increasingly difficult to tell apart from reality. This could spark a great debate... If it's possible to create "people," why hire actors? So, it's time to consider how not to make the mistake now while there is still time because later it will be too late; when adoption occurs on a large scale and is embraced by every film company that sees an economic benefit.
In my innocence on the matter, I cross my fingers that the film industry will somehow be strengthened by the new technological advances, enjoying the new special effects that we could see emerging in the coming years, coexisting with our favorite actors of all time.
- Screenshots obtained from the official website of Runway.
- Main image edited in Canva.
- Translated from Spanish to English with Hive Translator.