SHOWSTOPPER Van der Velden plans to bring an interactive Tilly Norwood to the stage at IBC
“At Particle6, we have really clear guidelines in place for the whole team as to what we think is acceptable,” she says. “If we were working with an estate, we would need explicit consent and compensation in order to work with them. cancelled. While the idea was rejected at the time, it now looks increasingly like something we can expect to see more of in the future. Van der Velden suggests that in cases like this, it’s all about the ethical framework. War. The production company behind the project was met with widespread outrage, and the film ultimately ended up being
» WE HAVE CLEAR GUIDELINES IN PLACE FOR THE TEAM AS TO WHAT WE THINK IS ACCEPTABLE «
“Ideally, we would also want consent from the person before they passed away, but obviously that isn’t possible in a case like the James Dean film. I do think there will be hype about bringing people back from the dead in the coming years, but I think experimentation should be encouraged.” While AI continues to open up creative possibilities, there are still many concerns about whether or not the technology will end up replacing performers. What will ultimately be gained from resurrecting actors from the past, and is this actually what audiences want? Being a fan of James Dean myself, I admit that the possibility of seeing him grace the big screen once again is exciting. However, seeing Dean (who was a well-known pacifist) being resurrected to star in a war film (a war that began after his death, no less) just feels inherently wrong. Although there are no current plans for Particle6 to bring back any stars, they are currently developing an interactive version of Norwood. The plan is to debut her on stage at IBC alongside Van der Velden, where the pair will be discussing how creative industries can embrace AI. “This is the future,” says Van der Velden. “Brands will be able to create their own AI brand ambassadors that represent them and even speak at live events.” Actor, musician and now brand ambassador. Is there anything Tilly Norwood can’t do? If there’s one thing she’s proving through all the negative criticism, it’s that talent means very little without a human touch – a quality the world could use a lot more of right now.
companies are to adapt. “You really need the analytical brain and the creative brain to be working at the same time, because there are automations that will start to come into place as the system evolves. You’re starting to see this in China, where they can create scenes at the push of a button. It’s going to evolve fast, but I think human creativity is the most important.” Van der Velden argues that understanding how to use AI is vital. “You should get yourself ready for this new wave, where you will only have a job if you know how to use AI to do it,” she says. “That’s the most important thing for the next ten years.” The biggest misconception about AI, she argues, is that it will take everyone’s jobs. “We’re realising that, while you can sit behind your laptop and make a whole film by yourself, you still need a range of departments to create a premium product. “There are so many levels of expertise where you need humans and human creativity working alongside the AI in order to create the best possible outcome. Fortunately, we have been allowed to experiment in this space longer than other people.” Ethical framework Several years ago, a digital recreation of actor James Dean was announced to star in a film about the Vietnam
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