Latest news with #ThereIsAnotherWay
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Ultimate Goal Is to Make More Movies,' Says CTO of Stability AI, the Tech Company for Which James Cameron Serves as a Board Member
Hanno Basse — chief tecnology officer of AI tech developer Stability AI, whose board members include James Cameron — discussed his company's work and the evolution of generative AI in filmmaking during this week's HPA Tech Retreat, saying, 'The ultimate goal is to make more movies.' Pointing to the years it can take to make a Hollywood movie such as Cameron's blockbuster 'Avatar' films, he said, 'We heard this from a number of other filmmakers as well: 'We wanted to make more films in the past, and the time it takes for us, that's the problem.'' During his talk at the annual Palm Springs event, where AI took center stage, Basse weighed in on subjects such as data provenance and budgets, and spoke about progress being made in filmmaking, predicting that in 'probably two years, we're going to have very high performing open source foundation models.' More from Variety AI Is a Potential 'Goldmine' and a 'Ticking Time Bomb,' Says SMPTE Chief at HPA Tech Retreat James Cameron Joins Palestinian-Israeli Doc 'There Is Another Way' as Exec Producer (EXCLUSIVE) Josh Gad Says He Was Denied a Role in 'Avatar' Because He Looked Like a 'Tall Overweight Smurf' As a Na'vi Stability AI develops generative AI models for image, video, 3D, audio and language, including its flagship model, Stable Diffusion. 'Our guiding principles, basically, are that generative AI needs to be part of the production process and not replace it,' Basse said, noting that Stability AI supports an 'artist centric' approach and also a 'task centric' approach, with some of its latest developments being 3D tools and a prototype for aspect ratio conversion. Stability AI also involves some notable leaders from the Hollywood community. In addition to Cameron — who Basse said is 'really actively involved' — Stability AI's board chairman is entrepreneur and Napster co-founder Sean Parker, and the company's CEO is Prem Akkaraju, the former CEO of VFX company Weta. Basse himself served as CTO at Fox (prior to Disney's acquisition of the studio) and at VFX studio Digital Domain. Basse shared his perspectives on several notable AI subjects during his talk. 'I don't know anything that's impossible in the industry today, especially with the advancements of visual effects. So I don't think [AI] is about the impossible,' he said. 'It is really about making things faster and cheaper. If you look at your budgets today, whether it's TV or film, 87-90% of that budget is human labor. And I'm not talking about putting people out of work, but there's a lot of that labor is not as fun to do.' At the retreat, there was also a lot of attention on text to video, which Basse suggested is a 'fad' because filmmakers need the 'highest level' of control. 'When it actually comes to producing a two-hour movie with high production value that a lot of people will want to go and see, I think we're very far from that in terms of generative AI being able to do that,' he asserted. Basse also weighted in on data provenance. 'I actually think that, going forward, the provenance issue is going to be less of a problem than we all think it is now,' he said, noting that production will require 'very specific' data. 'We're not going to get that data from scraping YouTube or whatever. We're going to get that data only from people like [Hollywood professionals], and we're already negotiating training data deals with people. And there's term sheets; there's very clear conditions as to what this data can be used for.' He added, 'We are here to play ball, and to play by the rules of the industry.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Grammy Predictions, From Beyoncé to Kendrick Lamar: Who Will Win? Who Should Win? What's Coming to Netflix in February 2025
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
CPH:DOX Summit to Consider Media Accessibility as a Human Right
Copenhagen documentary festival CPH:DOX is set to launch a Summit in partnership with Documentary Campus and the Danish Producers' Assn. on March 24. The Summit will bring together politicians, thought leaders and film and TV professionals to discuss the future of the industry. It aims to make possible 'cross-sector dialogues, enabling key decision-makers to address pressing issues in documentary filmmaking and audiovisual media, and their crucial role in shaping public discourse,' according to a statement. More from Variety AI in Non-Fiction, Immersive Storytelling, Investigative Journalism and Climate Justice to Be Debated at CPH:DOX James Cameron Joins Palestinian-Israeli Doc 'There Is Another Way' as Exec Producer (EXCLUSIVE) 'Cheech & Chong's Last Movie' Trailer: The Iconic Stoner Duo Reunites for Final Buddy Comedy Doc The event, curated by producer and media consultant Mark Edwards, is open to all accredited guests. 'Discussions will explore how documentary films move beyond conveying facts to foster emotional connections with audiences and deepen public understanding of critical global issues,' the festival said. 'Ensuring access to diverse and authentic storytelling will be highlighted as essential to supporting democratic engagement in a polarized world.' The Summit will also consider media accessibility as a human right and explore the idea of introducing a 'bill of rights for audiences' to guarantee access to a wide range of voices and perspectives. Speakers such as Christo Grozev, Bulgarian investigative journalist and author (Der Spiegel and 'The Insider') and Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, a professor of communication at the University of Copenhagen and director at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford, will offer insights on the state of information in Europe. Helena Kennedy, chair of the panel of legal experts on media freedom and director of the International Bar Assn.'s Human Rights Institute, will give a keynote address on the topic of media accessibility as a human right. Additionally, Keri Putnam, former executive director of the Sundance Institute, and Matthias Pfeffer, managing director at Council for European Public Space will explore strategies to better connect filmmakers and content creators with audiences across Europe and beyond. Katrine Kiilgaard, managing director of CPH:DOX, said, 'The Summit comes at a pivotal moment as Europe experiences sweeping changes in its media landscape. The prevalence of streaming services and social media has disrupted traditional broadcasters, leading to demands for innovation as well as regulatory change. With social media now the main source of news for many Europeans, the need to work together to build a more inclusive and resilient media ecosystem is more urgent than ever.' Donata von Perfall, managing director of Documentary Campus, said, 'When media professionals and policymakers collaborate more closely, we shape a future where innovation, inclusiveness, and creativity thrive. Culture is a direct voice to the public. We have the shared responsibility to ensure that audiences receive fact-based media formats, which represent diverse voices and drive positive change.' Anna Porse Nielsen, CEO of the Danish Producers' Assn., said, 'The financing of documentary films has always been difficult, but never as much as now. Simultaneously, we live in a time where documentaries are more important than ever and where we need to ensure that production companies can survive and keep bringing stories from all aspects of humanity to both large and small screens.' As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the Summit will examine the impact of AI, from its disruption of copyright and content authenticity to its potential to reshape public discourse. Speakers will stress the need for updated regulation and industry-wide collaboration to navigate these technological shifts while protecting democracy. Additionally, it will explore how public broadcasters, film funds and filmmakers can leverage data and emerging technologies to overcome distribution challenges and connect more effectively with audiences. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Grammy Predictions, From Beyoncé to Kendrick Lamar: Who Will Win? Who Should Win? What's Coming to Netflix in February 2025
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
AI in Non-Fiction, Immersive Storytelling, Investigative Journalism and Climate Justice to Be Debated at CPH:DOX
The conference program of Copenhagen Intl. Documentary Film Festival, a.k.a. CPH:DOX, will explore topics such as AI in non-fiction, immersive storytelling, investigative journalism and climate justice. Speakers attending the program, running March 24-28 and held in partnership with Documentary Campus, include Christo Grozev, James Jones, Alexis Bloom, Kate Townsend, Sam Soko, Mstyslav Chernov and Nathan Grossman. More from Variety James Cameron Joins Palestinian-Israeli Doc 'There Is Another Way' as Exec Producer (EXCLUSIVE) 'Cheech & Chong's Last Movie' Trailer: The Iconic Stoner Duo Reunites for Final Buddy Comedy Doc 'Court of Gold' Director on Making Kevin Durant Cry, Getting Kicked Out of Serbia's Locker Room and Interviewing 7'3'' Victor Wembanyama on a Stool The conference this year is curated by Mandy Chang, former head of BBC Storyville, and global documentaries at Fremantle. Mara Gourd-Mercado, head of industry and training at CPH:DOX, said the conference 'creates space to explore how documentary filmmaking shapes the world around us.' She added: 'Through hands-on discussions and insights from industry leaders, the conference promises to spark fresh ideas and equip filmmakers with new tools for telling impactful stories.' Donata von Perfall, managing director of Documentary Campus, added: 'The documentary filmmaking community has an immense sense of shared responsibility and values. It is via platforms like CPH:Conference where we can come together to discuss the urgent topics in our industry, to spark new ideas and celebrate the power of great stories.' After the kick off with the CPH:DOX Summit on March 24, from Tuesday to Thursday the conference will open each day with 'A Morning With…,' hosted by Thom Powers, the voice behind the 'Pure Non-Fiction' and 'Documentary of the Week' podcasts. Powers will lead conversations with filmmakers Violet Du Feng ('The Dating Game'), Sam Soko ('Matabeleland'), and Mark Cousins ('The Story of Documentary Film'), discussing their latest work, their careers, and how they navigate the challenges of filmmaking. The morning sessions conclude with 'Dialogues,' conversations between filmmakers around a particular area of filmmaking. The sessions will offer insights into the creative processes, industry trends and the evolving role of documentaries in the digital age. In 'Adaptive Storytelling: Crafting Frameworks for the AI + Automation Era,' Mark Atkin, head of studies, CPH:Lab, and artist Violeta Ayala of United Notions Film will explore how AI is reshaping documentary production and storytelling; intimacy coordinator Anne Sofie Steen Sverdrup of Bedside Productions, filmmaker Laurits Flensted-Jensen ('Neon Heart'), and producer Mads Damsbo of Makropol will lead a session on crafting intimate, co-created narratives in VR, focusing on immersive storytelling and ethical creativity; Olivier Sarbil ('Viktor') and Geeta Gandbhir ('The Perfect Neighbor') will discuss how they transition to directing from other positions in filmmaking; while Mstyslav Chernov ('2000 Meters to Andriivka') and Nathan Grossman ('Climate in Therapy') will shed light on the importance of revisiting urgent subjects in a landscape saturated with stories. The afternoons are packed with panels covering all things industry. 'The Cost of Exposing Truth to Power,' featuring Christo Grozev of Der Spiegel ('The Insider'), James Jones ('Antidote'), and Jenny Raskin of Impact Partners, will explore the challenges of investigative journalism in today's polarized world. Meanwhile, 'Producing for Success,' with Helle Faber ('Mr Nobody Against Putin') and Rachel Leah Jones ('Co-Existence, My Ass!'), will discuss financing and safeguarding independent documentaries, and the responsibility toward the characters integral to the story. Finally, 'Collaborations and Coalitions,' with Keri Putnam of Putnam Pictures, Alexandre Marionneau of ARTE, and Erika Dilday of POV, will cover innovative distribution strategies and sustainable funding models amid shifting media landscapes. The conference will conclude on March 28 with the 'Climate Story Lab Nordic,' which will examine the role of documentaries in driving climate justice. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Grammy Predictions, From Beyoncé to Kendrick Lamar: Who Will Win? Who Should Win? What's Coming to Netflix in February 2025
