Google Investing in ‘Backrooms’ Studio A24

---Quote--- Google is investing in independent movie studio A24 as part of a new artificial-intelligence research partnership between the two companies. The search giant is putting around $75 million into A24, which released the recent hits “Backrooms” and “Marty Supreme,” according to people familiar with the matter. Though Alphabet GOOGL -5.84%decrease; red down pointing triangle unit Google is a major player in online entertainment through YouTube, the deal marks the first time it has taken a stake in a studio. Google’s DeepMind AI unit and A24 are aiming to create new tools for movie production and distribution. Their alliance is an unusual one between well-known names in industries that have eyed each other warily since the advent of models that can generate audio, images and video. Studios have sued and sent threatening letters to AI companies for alleged copyright violations and filmmakers have decried AI as an enemy of creativity. Disney signed a partnership with OpenAI last year that abruptly ended when the tech company shut down its Sora video tool in March. Netflix recently acquired an AI startup founded by Ben Affleck that can tweak scenes without reshoots. But by and large, mainstream Hollywood has done little with AI thus far. Scott Belsky, an A24 partner who oversees its technology and innovation work, said that is because developers have pushed AI as a way to make movies faster and cheaper, which doesn’t appeal to filmmakers. “We think there are better uses that preserve creative control and support risk-taking,” he said. The new tools “won’t look anything like the prompted generation type of AI that people feel uncomfortable with.” Their multiyear, nonexclusive deal doesn’t give Google access to A24’s data, including its film and television library. The new collaborators hope their partnership will include the studio’s roster of artists. A24 works with some of the biggest names in Hollywood including Timothée Chalamet and “Backrooms” director Kane Parsons. “We believe breakthroughs happen when you get technology into the hands of the best minds in the field,” said Eli Collins, a vice president of product for DeepMind. A24 and DeepMind have been in talks since before Belsky joined the studio from Adobe last year. His 20-person team, called A24 Labs, is already developing an application for AI-generated storyboards—roughly drawn drafts of a movie that can help identify problems before production begins. ---End Quote--- https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/google-investing-in-backrooms-studio-a24-e7585ebe?st=oQ7CJd&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink