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Indian Express
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
How a Video Studio Embraced AI and Stormed the Internet
President Donald Trump leans forward in a limousine, takes a long puff from a cigarette and flashes a wide grin. An aggressive rap song blasts over the stereo as a group of young women bob around him. No one would mistake the otherworldly scene for reality — and they shouldn't, because it was made by artificial intelligence. Yet it caused a stir when it was released online last year, skewering Trump, former Vice President Kamala Harris and others using lifelike AI replicas, soaring to more than 16 million views on YouTube. It was the biggest hit yet by the Dor Brothers, a video production studio that has gained notoriety online — along with more than 100 million views across platforms — by fully embracing AI. The studio is now among the most popular AI-powered artists on the internet for its roster of subversive videos released on YouTube and then circulated rapidly across social media, which are made entirely by AI tools. It said its revenue crossed $1 million last year for its commercial projects, including consulting work for brands that are increasingly curious about AI. Joe Rogan, the world's most popular podcaster, called the studio's work 'incredible.' Its videos have attracted plenty of criticism, too, with some viewers dismissing the work as 'AI slop.' Rival AI studios have made work with clearer commercial appeal — like one studio that made a Toys 'R' Us commercial last year — while others have made short films that rival Hollywood productions, including a gripping retelling of a Ukrainian drone strike that Variety compared to 'Mission: Impossible.' The Dor Brothers and other so-called AI artists are part of an explosive new era for video — one that wants to do away with the cameras, set designers, makeup artists and even actors who have long been essential for films and television shows. Within the next few years, they expect the tools will give any artists with a vision and a keyboard the power to make whatever videos they can imagine. 'It's obvious, things are shifting and changing,' Yonatan Dor, the 28-year-old head of the studio, said in an interview from Lisbon, Portugal. 'We need to adapt as a species to the technology.' Many artists loathe AI-powered image generators and video creators, saying they produce cheap imitations of art by plagiarizing the copyrighted material the machines are trained on. (The New York Times has sued OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, for copyright infringement.) AI artists like Yonatan Dor argue that the tools are actually a purer form of expression, offering the most direct link between the artist's brain and the end result, without the compromises required in large productions or the constraints that come with complex shoots. 'The only thing that will matter is creative ideas, unique ideas, unique creators,' Dor said about the future of AI video. 'The rest will be irrelevant.' There are signs that the art world is catching up to the AI boom. Runway, an AI video company, held its third annual film festival this year at New York City's Lincoln Center, assembling a jury of film industry veterans. The Dor Brothers' work may seem juvenile in comparison: This year's winning entry offered a mesmerizing essay on the nature of art itself, called 'Total Pixel Space.' Everything from the video to the transfixing narration was made by AI. 'If you count the amount of people making professional feature films that are exhibiting at, like, the Lincoln Center, it's not that many,' Cristóbal Valenzuela, CEO of Runway, said in an interview. 'I think we're getting to a point where there's going to be way more people, like billions of people, who are able to do that.' The Dor Brothers — who include Dor and four full-time staff members and scores of freelancers — have focused on videos that are far more subversive and internet-friendly than what's seen on the festival circuit. Dor described it as an 'old-school '90s MTV' mentality. 'We're just going to do what we want to do,' he said. 'Take it or leave it.' Dor got his start making videos the old-fashioned way, with film crews and expensive budgets. He stumbled onto an early AI image generator in early 2022 and became hooked on the technology, believing it could bring his creative ideas to life without the hassle of film production. He spent eight to 12 hours a day creating AI images, selling his services online. When the next generation of generators came out, allowing users to turn text and images into full videos, Dor was in the perfect position to capitalize. In 'Influenders,' an AI-generated video the studio released in May, the Dor Brothers created a world where war was wreaking havoc across America. Dor populated his scenes with AI-generated social media influencers who narrate the proceedings with an eerie enthusiasm — a satirical commentary on today's omnipresent influencer culture. 'It all starts with old-school creativity,' Dor said. 'We come up with an idea — sometimes through brainstorming; other times it just hits someone on the team and we develop it together. Once we have the concept, we begin testing.' Their process starts with a chatbot like ChatGPT, where they ask the AI system to create prompts for videos based on some basic instructions. The chatbot offers a mix of ideas, and the AI artists select and edit their favorites. They input those prompts into a video generator like Runway or Google's Veo 3. The systems typically spit out a few versions at a time, giving the studio a chance to suggest tweaks or try again. They sometimes try hundreds of versions before a video is complete, Dor said. Dor's latest projects include 'Vorex,' a sci-fi action trailer reminiscent of 'The Matrix,' and 'The Fountain,' a gruesome six-minute film about a crew of sailors who are attacked by bloodthirsty mermaids. They both have the makings of real productions that could one day air on television. That is, if they're embraced by audiences as more than 'AI slop.' Dor expects that, in the near future, the tools will allow him to upload specific characters — a voice, a face, a wardrobe — and be able to animate a consistent version of the AI person through different scenes. 'Then every time you generate, it will have a similar voice, it will look the same,' Dor said. 'And then we're really starting to compete with Hollywood.'
The Star
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
How a video studio embraced AI and stormed the Internet
US President Donald Trump leans forward in a limousine, takes a long puff from a cigarette and flashes a wide grin. An aggressive rap song blasts over the stereo as a group of young women bob around him. No one would mistake the otherworldly scene for reality – and they shouldn't, because it was made by artificial intelligence. Yet it caused a stir when it was released online last year, skewering Trump, former Vice President Kamala Harris and others using lifelike AI replicas, soaring to more than 16 million views on YouTube. It was the biggest hit yet by the Dor Brothers, a video production studio that has gained notoriety online – along with more than 100 million views across platforms – by fully embracing AI. The studio is now among the most popular AI-powered artists on the internet for its roster of subversive videos released on YouTube and then circulated rapidly across social media, which are made entirely by AI tools. It said its revenue crossed US$1mil (RM4.24mil) last year for its commercial projects, including consulting work for brands that are increasingly curious about AI. Joe Rogan, the world's most popular podcaster, called the studio's work 'incredible.' Its videos have attracted plenty of criticism, too, with some viewers dismissing the work as 'AI slop.' Rival AI studios have made work with clearer commercial appeal – like one studio that made a Toys 'R' Us commercial last year – while others have made short films that rival Hollywood productions, including a gripping retelling of a Ukrainian drone strike that Variety compared to Mission: Impossible. The Dor Brothers and other so-called AI artists are part of an explosive new era for video – one that wants to do away with the cameras, set designers, makeup artists and even actors who have long been essential for films and television shows. Within the next few years, they expect the tools will give any artists with a vision and a keyboard the power to make whatever videos they can imagine. 'It's obvious, things are shifting and changing,' Yonatan Dor, the 28-year-old head of the studio, said in an interview from Lisbon, Portugal. 'We need to adapt as a species to the technology.' Many artists loathe AI-powered image generators and video creators, saying they produce cheap imitations of art by plagiarising the copyrighted material the machines are trained on. (The New York Times has sued OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, for copyright infringement.) AI artists like Yonatan Dor argue that the tools are actually a purer form of expression, offering the most direct link between the artist's brain and the end result, without the compromises required in large productions or the constraints that come with complex shoots. 'The only thing that will matter is creative ideas, unique ideas, unique creators,' Dor said about the future of AI video. 'The rest will be irrelevant.' There are signs that the art world is catching up to the AI boom. Runway, an AI video company, held its third annual film festival this year at New York City's Lincoln Center, assembling a jury of film industry veterans. The Dor Brothers' work may seem juvenile in comparison: This year's winning entry offered a mesmerizing essay on the nature of art itself, called 'Total Pixel Space'. Everything from the video to the transfixing narration was made by AI. 'If you count the amount of people making professional feature films that are exhibiting at, like, the Lincoln Center, it's not that many,' Cristóbal Valenzuela, CEO of Runway, said in an interview. 'I think we're getting to a point where there's going to be way more people, like billions of people, who are able to do that.' The Dor Brothers – who include Dor and four full-time staff members and scores of freelancers – have focused on videos that are far more subversive and Internet-friendly than what's seen on the festival circuit. Dor described it as an 'old-school '90s MTV' mentality. 'We're just going to do what we want to do,' he said. 'Take it or leave it.' Dor got his start making videos the old-fashioned way, with film crews and expensive budgets. He stumbled onto an early AI image generator in early 2022 and became hooked on the technology, believing it could bring his creative ideas to life without the hassle of film production. He spent eight to 12 hours a day creating AI images, selling his services online. When the next generation of generators came out, allowing users to turn text and images into full videos, Dor was in the perfect position to capitalise. In 'Influenders', an AI-generated video the studio released in May, the Dor Brothers created a world where war was wreaking havoc across America. Dor populated his scenes with AI-generated social media influencers who narrate the proceedings with an eerie enthusiasm – a satirical commentary on today's omnipresent influencer culture. 'It all starts with old-school creativity,' Dor said. 'We come up with an idea – sometimes through brainstorming; other times it just hits someone on the team and we develop it together. Once we have the concept, we begin testing.' Their process starts with a chatbot like ChatGPT, where they ask the AI system to create prompts for videos based on some basic instructions. The chatbot offers a mix of ideas, and the AI artists select and edit their favorites. They input those prompts into a video generator like Runway or Google's Veo 3. The systems typically spit out a few versions at a time, giving the studio a chance to suggest tweaks or try again. They sometimes try hundreds of versions before a video is complete, Dor said. Dor's latest projects include Vorex, a sci-fi action trailer reminiscent of The Matrix, and The Fountain, a gruesome six-minute film about a crew of sailors who are attacked by bloodthirsty mermaids. They both have the makings of real productions that could one day air on television. That is, if they're embraced by audiences as more than 'AI slop'. Dor expects that, in the near future, the tools will allow him to upload specific characters – a voice, a face, a wardrobe – and be able to animate a consistent version of the AI person through different scenes. 'Then every time you generate, it will have a similar voice, it will look the same,' Dor said. 'And then we're really starting to compete with Hollywood.' – ©2025 The New York Times Company This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
See - Sada Elbalad
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
"Knives Out 3", "Hamnet", "Roofman" Among TIFF Premieres Added to Lineup
Yara Sameh 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,' the third murder mystery in director Rian Johnson's hit series, will have its world premiere at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. The movie and several others, including Chloe Zhao's Shakespearean drama 'Hamnet' and Channing Tatum's action comedy 'Roofman,' have been added to the lineup. Johnson's two prior whodunnits in the trilogy, 2019's 'Knives Out' and 2022's 'Glass Onion,' also had their world premieres at TIFF. Daniel Craig will reprise his role as Benoit Blanc, the sleuth with a distinctly Southern drawl, in 'Wake Up Dead Man,' alongside the new ensemble of Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, and Andrew Scott. 'Roofman,' based on the true story of a former Army ranger and professional thief who finds a hideout inside a Toys 'R' Us, will also host its world premiere in Toronto. Meanwhile 'Hamnet,' a fictionalization of the life of William Shakespeare's son led by Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley, will have its Canadian premiere at TIFF, meaning the film will first screen at another festival before making its way to the Six. Other new additions to the TIFF lineup include Nicholas Hytner's 'The Choral,' Agnieszka Holland's 'Franz, Neeraj Ghaywan's 'Homebound, Paul Greengrass' 'The Lost Bus,' Rebecca Zlotowski's 'A Private Life,' HIKARI's 'Rental Family,' Peter Ho-Sun Chan's 'She Has No Name," and Clement Virgo's 'Steal Away.' 'Since its inception, TIFF has championed global cinema that opens our eyes and brings us together,' said TIFF's chief programming officer Anita Lee. 'We are delighted to share 11 more titles from our gala and special presentations programs that showcase the remarkable originality and excellence of today's most exciting and acclaimed directors. These films reflect a sweeping range of voices and styles that embodies the spirit of TIFF and our commitment to a public audience.' The festival's 50th edition will take place Sept. 4–14. 'John Candy: I Like Me,' a documentary about the late comedian from director Colin Hanks and producer Ryan Reynolds, will open the festival. Steven Soderbergh's 'The Christophers' and Nia DaCosta's 'Hedda' were also previously added to the docket. In keeping with tradition, TIFF is expected to slowly reveal the rest of its lineup over the next month or so. See the full list of new titles: Galas: The Choral | Nicholas Hytner | UK World Premiere | Gala Presentation Homebound | Neeraj Ghaywan | India North American Premiere | Gala Presentation Hamnet | Chloé Zhao | UK Canadian Premiere | Gala Presentation A Private Life | Rebecca Zlotowski | France North American Premiere | Gala Presentation Roofman | Derek Cianfrance | USA World Premiere | Gala Presentation She Has No Name | Peter Ho-Sun Chan | China North American Premiere | Gala Presentation Special Presentations: Franz | Agnieszka Holland | Czech Republic/Germany/Poland World Premiere | Special Presentation The Lost Bus | Paul Greengrass | USA World Premiere | Special Presentation Rental Family | HIKARI | USA/Japan World Premiere | Special Presentation Steal Away | Clement Virgo | Canada/Belgium World Premiere | Special Presentation Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery | Rian Johnson | USA World Premiere | Special Presentation read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Arts & Culture Hawass Foundation Launches 1st Course to Teach Ancient Egyptian Language Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream
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Business Standard
06-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Bad Company: Megan Greenwell's book explores human cost of private equity
Bad Company details how cliched abstractions like "consolidation" and "efficiency" have given cover to real betrayals NYT BAD COMPANY: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream by Megan Greenwell Published by Dey Street 294 pages $29.99 In 2019, Megan Greenwell had only a 'vague sense' of how powerful private equity had become. Sure, she had heard the stories about Toys 'R' Us, the beloved retailer that went bankrupt after private equity firms bought out the company. 'I knew private equity was a problem,' she writes in her new book, Bad Company. 'I just thought it wasn't my problem.' Greenwell was the editor of Deadspin, an online sports magazine whose mix of investigative reporting and cheeky commentary had attracted a devoted readership. But the magazine and its sister sites were also losing $20 million a year. Enter a private equity firm named Great Hill Partners to the rescue — or not. Greenwell recalls how Deadspin's new owners seemed determined to come up with bad ideas that would run the website's brand into the ground. After three months of being micromanaged she resigned in disgust: 'The firm's goal was never to make our website better or grow its readership. Great Hill Partners, and private equity at large, exists solely to make money for shareholders, no matter what that means for the companies it owns.' It's a business model that Greenwell writes about to potent effect in Bad Company, which emphasises the human costs of private equity. She says she started writing her book 'not out of spite, but out of pure curiosity.' Why did Great Hill Partners flourish financially after reducing Deadspin to a husk of its former self? (Last year the site was sold to a Maltese gambling outfit that uses it to 'drive traffic to online casinos.') Shouldn't a private equity firm make money when the company it buys makes money, and consequently lose money when it doesn't? How could a firm continue to bring in revenue while its acquisitions flounder? Twelve million Americans work for companies owned by private equity, which amounts to about 8 per cent of the labour force. In Bad Company, Greenwell tells the stories of four people whose lives have been upended by the industry. Liz Marin worked for six years at Toys 'R' Us; Roger Gose was a doctor in rural Wyoming; Natalia Contreras was a journalist for a local paper in Texas; Loren DePina lived in a private equity-owned apartment complex in Alexandria, Va. Their stories share a similar arc: Tentative hopefulness followed by a rude awakening. Greenwell offers stories that are textured, not one-note tales of woe. When Liz Marin started working for Toys 'R' Us in 2012, private equity had owned the company for seven years. Although Marin didn't know it, Toys 'R' Us was a retailer in name only; in actual fact, it was a debt-payment machine. Its profits were used to repay the money borrowed by the private equity firms to buy it in the first place. While Toys 'R' Us limped toward bankruptcy, top executives were awarded $16 million in bonuses; the 33,000 rank-and-file employees were simply laid off. But all businesses are part of a larger community: A shuttered store not only inconveniences consumers but also deprives a municipality of tax revenue. And then there is private equity's incursion into health care and housing. Greenwell's chapters on Roger Gose, the Wyoming doctor, show what happens when private equity tries to squeeze rural medicine for profits it cannot produce. The local hospital stopped providing obstetrics services. It also had to pay rent on land it once owned. Greenwell reports that, compared with their peers, companies acquired by private equity firms are 10 times as likely to go bankrupt. Of course, proponents of private equity maintain that this figure isn't surprising, given that private equity specialises in trying to turn around struggling companies, selling itself as 'the hero when no one else is brave enough to shoulder the risk.' But as Greenwell and other critics of the industry have pointed out, private equity firms charge management fees and benefit from tax breaks that sever risk from reward. If a company makes money, its private equity owners make money. If a company loses money, its private equity owners can still make money. Private equity firms collect money from outside investors, including pension funds, to buy companies and run them. Consequently, they like to proclaim that their money making is often done on behalf of public workers like firefighters and teachers. 'The private equity industry argues that working people would be far worse off without it,' Greenwell writes, 'because the returns it generates allow them to retire.' Bad Company details how clichéd abstractions like 'consolidation' and 'efficiency' have given cover to real betrayals. The people in this book wanted only to raise their families and contribute to their communities. Instead they were unwittingly drawn into an opaque system of financial extraction and debt peonage, for which no amount of hard work was ever enough.
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst star in 'Roofman' film: Watch trailer
Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst are teaming up for a new film. The duo star in the Derek Cianfrance-directed film "Roofman," which will be out later this year. The trailer for the film was released Wednesday. Watch it here. According to a synopsis for the movie, "Roofman" is based on an "unbelievable true story." It follows Tatum's character, Jeffrey Manchester, a "former Army Ranger and struggling father who turns to robbing McDonald's restaurants by cutting holes in their roofs, earning him the nickname: Roofman," a synopsis states. "After escaping prison, he secretly lives inside a Toys 'R' Us for six months, surviving undetected while planning his next move," the synopsis continues. "But when he falls for Leigh (Dunst), a divorced mom drawn to his undeniable charm, his double life begins to unravel, setting off a compelling and suspenseful game of cat and mouse as his past closes in." In addition to starring in the film, Tatum serves as an executive producer. Cianfrance co-wrote the script with Kirt Gunn. The film also stars Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, Melonie Diaz, Uzo Aduba, Lily Collias, Jimmy O. Yang and Peter Dinklage. "Roofman" arrives in theaters Oct. 10, 2025.
