In stark contrast to a number of Hollywood creatives, Oscar-nominated writer/director Paul Schrader posits ChatGPT can write “original” and “fleshed out” screenplays.
The Oh, Canada screenwriter posted on Facebook that he asked the generative artificial intelligence-powered chatbot to come up with an idea for a film for a variety of renowned filmmakers, including himself, and that the results were more than satisfactory.
“I’M STUNNED. I just asked chatgpt for ‘an idea for Paul Schrader film.’ Then Paul Thomas Anderson. Then Quentin Tarantino. Then Harmony Korine. Then Ingmar Bergman. Then Rossellini. Lang. Scorsese. Murnau. Capra. Ford. Speilberg [sic]. Lynch,” he began in the post.
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Schrader concluded, “Every idea chatgpt came up with (in a few seconds) was good. And original. And fleshed out. Why should writers sit around for months searching for a good idea when AI can provide one in seconds?”
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Naturally, the thought didn’t go over well with various commenters, who said AI would have to rely on preexistent writers and their material to craft something supposedly new.
Though many in the entertainment industry have decried AI encroachment, like Nicolas Cage and Cate Blanchett, Schrader has been previously positive about its usage in filmmaking. During the WGA strike in 2023, the Taxi Driver scribe weighed in on the debate amid negotiations, claiming that the guild doesn’t “fear AI as much as it fears not getting paid” and that AI can produce a new episode of CSI: Vegas “in a matter of seconds. And it will be good, it will cull all the episodes of CSI for the last 20 years and come up with something both generic and contemporary.”
How much did an AI company pay this talentless hack to post that? AI wouldn’t exist without stealing from artists, so no, it can’t write an original script.
I use AI in my writings. Recently, I wrote a screenplay with ChatGPT. When I presented it to prospective Co producers, they were impressed. I have written several novels with a combination of AI tools. I’m impressed with what I got.
But is he actually saying that it can write an original screenplay by itself, which it has proven time and again that it can’t, or is he say it can come up with the description of a screenplay by copying the formula of original works? Like CSI is example is one thing, that has a very basic premise and payoff, writing that shouldn’t be hard and yet I still ai can write it without heavy editing afterwards. You want me to believe it could flesh out a movie Greta Gerwig would be proud of? In that case, he has a level of faith in these machines I question.
Are you using the same AI I’m using? It’s advancing all the time and depending on your level of direction and prompting, it can generate practically anything. It will only continue to improve.
Alternatively, I don’t think any one of us are capable of writing an original screenplay not heavily reliant on the material we’ve absorbed and are inspired by.
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Anyone who doesn’t understand why writers should sit around for months searching for the right idea don’t understand the passion that goes into coming up with that idea and bringing it to life.
Besides, I’d rather sit around for months coming up with the right idea than wasting all my life on my feet doing dishes because AI is doing all the creative stuff that I’m to “lazy” to do.
You should probably be doing dishes.
I don’t want ai to make art so i can do the dishes.. i want ai to do the dishes so i can make art.