Tribeca Showcases AI-Generated Films Using Sora

The 2024 Tribeca Festival is dedicating an entire section to AI-generated short films, marking the largest showcase yet for this emerging technology in the film industry.

The program, called Sora Shorts, will feature five original short films created using OpenAI's text-to-video AI model Sora.

Behind the Scenes

• OpenAI gave five filmmakers early access to Sora, including Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner Nikyatu Jusum, Emmy winner Michaela Ternasky-Holland, and renowned Iranian-American director and actor Reza Sixo Safai.

• The filmmakers agreed to terms negotiated last year with the DGA, WGA, and SAG-AFTRA guilds surrounding AI use in filmmaking.

• Sora allows for distinct camera moves, background characters, and the ability to view scenes from different perspectives, but it does not have audio for dialogue and restricts sex and violence.

Picture's Up?

• Sora's hyper-realistic image generation has raised concerns in the industry, with Tyler Perry putting an $800 million studio expansion on hold fearing job losses. 

Final Take

The inclusion of AI-generated films at Tribeca signifies a growing acceptance and exploration of this technology in the film industry.

As AI continues to advance, it will be crucial for filmmakers and industry professionals to navigate its potential benefits and challenges, while also addressing concerns around job displacement and ethical use of the technology.