US actor and filmmaker Justine Bateman has assembled a council of high-profile film and TV names from the US industry, with the aim of issuing films and TV series with a stamp of assurance that no artificial intelligence (AI) was used in the making of the project.
The council, named Credo23, is made up of The Handmaid’s Tale director Reed Morano, The Sopranos producer Matt Weiner, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood costume designer Arianne Phillips and actor Juliette Lewis.
Bateman is the writer-director of 2021 TIFF and SXSW selection Violet. She has been a vocal opponent of the use of AI in film and TV and has been active on the picket line during the ongoing Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) strike.
The Credo23 website stated: “Films and series are art forms. We are committed to filmmakers who reflect that in their work. With the increasing proliferation of generative AI video, we differentiate ourselves by making very human, very raw, very real films/series, that respect the process of filmmaking.”
On the use of generative AI (GAI), the site noted: “Imagine a blender that can produce nothing on its own; it must be fed something. GAI video models need our past work in order to function. When given a task, the GAI uses algorithms dependent on probability and variable weights to generate the result. It will destroy the structure of the film business.”
In order to qualify for the Credo23 stamp, filmmakers must apply and pledge that AI was not used in the making of the film, in any way; minimal CGI and VFX were used, only to fix minor flaws or create minor effects; and that the production company is a signatory to the unions DGA, WGA, SAG, IATSE, and Teamsters for the purposes of employing the cast/crew and filming this project.
The council will oversee verification, with additional council members understood to be announced soon. Each film and TV series must apply individually.
Screen contacted Credo23 for comment.
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