Unlocking Vertical Progress: Reimagining Corporate Filmmaking with AI

It's WrestleMania weekend, and I'm currently reading Peter Thiel's book, "Zero to One." Unrelated information apart from it's also my birthday weekend and I sometimes get to do what I want. For those unfamiliar, Peter Thiel, co-founder of Paypal and Palantir, as well as an early investor in Facebook and supporter of companies like SpaceX and LinkedIn, offers invaluable insights into shaping the future of any industry.

Thiel outlines two forms of progress: horizontal and vertical. Horizontal progress entails replicating what already works, while vertical progress involves innovating and creating new pathways. To illustrate, having a typewriter and producing duplicates at scale to make them widely accessible is horizontal progress, whereas developing a word processor represents vertical progress. Simply put, globalization epitomizes horizontal progress, while new technology characterizes vertical progress.

This concept applies to the integration of AI into corporate communications, particularly in video production. Currently, AI is primarily driving horizontal progress at a rapid pace. Language models for scriptwriting, idea generation, and translation, along with generative AI for imagery, video creation, music, and voiceovers, are streamlining processes but they're not breaking new ground. People given these tools might assume they are now designers, copywriters, or musicians, but they're not pioneering anything new; they're merely multiplying typewriters.

And that's not necessarily negative; it's realistically the extent of what we can often anticipate in the corporate environment, given the bureaucracy and red tape one must navigate to accomplish anything.

Peter defines a startup as "the largest group of people you can convince of a plan to build a different future." Read that again. Substantial change on a large scale isn't feasible alone; you need individuals to join you on the journey. However, incorporating too many people can impede progress and lead to risk aversion.

I've always said don't be seduced by the pornography of change. The truth is, things aren't changing as much as we might believe. We're often distracted from the fact that our surroundings remain oddly familiar. While communication and computing have evolved significantly since the mid-20th century, many other aspects remain largely untouched. I reckon my Grandad (the original Mr.McK) would manage just fine with the world today if you showed him how to use an iPhone.

So, what applications could AI have in corporate filmmaking, an industry that has seen minimal change over the past two decades?

Here are some ideas to foster vertical progress:

1. Ethical AI Governance in Storytelling: Develop AI systems that prioritize ethical considerations such as diversity, inclusion, and cultural sensitivity in corporate film narratives, promoting responsible and socially conscious storytelling practices.

2. Collaborative AI Co-Creation: Utilize AI algorithms to facilitate collaborative storytelling processes by analyzing input from diverse teams of creators and synthesizing ideas into cohesive narratives, fostering innovation and diversity in corporate filmmaking.

3. AI-Enabled Cross-Cultural Storytelling: Employ AI-driven translation and cultural adaptation tools to facilitate cross-cultural storytelling collaborations, enabling filmmakers to bridge linguistic and cultural barriers and create globally resonant corporate film narratives that connect with diverse audiences worldwide.

Let's explore avenues for building a better future beyond Automated Scriptwriting, Predictive Analytics for Content Strategy, or Virtual Assistants for Production Coordination 🤮 

As you were.

MrMcK