AI and Its Growing Influence on Movie Awards Season

As the race for this year’s movie awards heats up, a new and controversial player has emerged: artificial intelligence. Two major films have revealed their use of voice-cloning technology, sparking debates over authenticity and the future of performance in cinema. This marks a significant moment in the evolution of filmmaking as the industry grapples with the potential repercussions of AI on traditional practices.

Voice-Cloning in The Brutalist

One of the films at the center of this controversy is The Brutalist. Director Dávid Jancsó discussed the challenges he faced while working on the project, which features lead actors Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones. The film follows Brody’s character, a Jewish-Hungarian architect named László Tóth, who emigrates to the United States after World War II. His wife, Erzsébet, is portrayed by Jones.

In an interview with Red Shark News, Jancsó revealed that he utilized AI software to enhance the Hungarian dialogue in the film. The aim was to create a language performance so authentic that even native speakers would not identify it as machine-generated. To achieve this, Jancsó inputted the voices of Brody, Jones, and himself into a voice-cloning program developed by the Ukrainian company Respeecher.

Jancsó explained that traditional methods—like working with dialect coaches or re-recording audio—had not yielded satisfactory results. He noted, “Coaching” and ADR (automated dialogue replacement) “just didn’t work,” leading him to incorporate AI to fine-tune the performances. Jancsó stated that the AI process involved subtly altering certain sounds in the actors’ lines to ensure accuracy while preserving the essence of their performances.

Defense from the Director

Responding to backlash over the use of AI, director Brady Corbet issued a statement clarifying the extent of AI’s role in the film’s production. He emphasized that both Brody and Jones’s performances remained intact, with the technology only being used to refine Hungarian dialogue. Corbet reassured audiences that “No English language was changed” in the process, asserting that the goal was to enhance authenticity rather than replace the actors’ contributions.

“Adrien and Felicity’s performances are completely their own,” Corbet stated, highlighting that the actors, alongside dialect coach Tanera Marshall, worked diligently to perfect their accents. The integration of AI, he added, was handled with respect for the craft.

AI in Other Films

In a similar vein, the film Emilia Pérez employed AI voice-cloning to improve its musical performances. Director Jacques Audiard described the use of this technology to enhance the singing voice of Karla Sofía Gascón. During a recent interview, re-recording mixer Cyril Holtz explained that blending Gascón’s vocals with those of French pop star Camille allowed for a richer auditory experience. This highlights another facet of AI’s increasing role in film—enhancing artistic expressions in ways previously thought impossible.

The Anti-AI Stance of Heretic

Conversely, the horror movie Heretic, starring Hugh Grant, has taken a strong anti-AI stance. Its credits include a notable message stating: “No generative AI was used in the making of this film.” This contrasting approach reflects the divided opinions in Hollywood over the use of AI in the creative process.

Recently, actors and writers in Hollywood have voiced their concerns regarding AI’s potential threats to their livelihoods. The recent strikes by actors and writers were partially spurred by fears that AI could take over script generation and voice replication. Settlements from these strikes have included ‘guardrails’ to limit the use of AI in critical production roles.

The Future of AI in Hollywood

Filmmaker Paul Schrader has also entered the discussion, sharing his own experiences with AI. He used ChatGPT to brainstorm film ideas from renowned directors, expressing astonishment at the quality and originality of the results. While Schrader’s remarks delve into the potential benefits of AI for generating artistic ideas, he warns that it resembles a “virus” rather than a true technological advance.

Given the current atmosphere in Hollywood regarding artificial intelligence, the implications of these revelations could have significant repercussions for this year’s Oscars, with final nominations set to be announced on January 23. Brody’s award potential has surged after he recently won the Golden Globe for Best Actor, while Gascón could become the first out trans actor nominated for Best Actress.

Key Takeaways

As the film industry embraces new technologies, the intersection of AI and cinematic artistry remains hotly debated. While some productions, like The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez, explore AI’s potential to enhance performances, others resist its influence altogether. The ongoing conversations about AI highlight broader concerns about the future of creative roles in Hollywood. As the award season approaches, it remains to be seen how these technological advancements will influence both audience perception and industry standards.