Media mogul Tyler Perry has announced that he will halt an $800 million studio expansion in Atlanta, Georgia, after seeing the capabilities of OpenAI’s new model Sora.
OpenAI’s Sora set the internet ablaze this week when it released several high-quality video images that were created by AI from text. Though the videos certainly had issues and could hardly be considered prime-time ready, their photo-realistic quality set lightbulbs off in creatives’ heads over the possibilities; chief among them Tyler Perry.
“Being told that it can do all of these things is one thing, but actually seeing the capabilities, it was mind-blowing,” he told The Hollywood Reporter (THR) on Thursday.
Perry said his expansion would add 12 more sound stages to his bustling studio – which will have a movie out on Netflix this Friday – but that is “currently and indefinitely on hold.” Perry envisioned a feature in which filming on location or elaborate sets become a thing of the past.
“I had gotten word over the last year or so that this was coming, but I had no idea until I saw recently the demonstrations of what it’s able to do. It’s shocking to me,” Perry said.
“I no longer would have to travel to locations. If I wanted to be in the snow in Colorado, it’s text,” he continued. “If I wanted to write a scene on the moon, it’s text, and this AI can generate it like nothing.”
Perry called Sora a “major game-changer” that could open the floodgates for future filmmakers to make their own movies at a fraction of the cost.
“I am very, very concerned that in the near future, a lot of jobs are going to be lost,” he said.
Perry even admitted to using AI in two recent projects.
“That kept me out of makeup for hours. In post and on set, I was able to use this AI technology to avoid ever having to sit through hours of aging makeup,” he said.
“I feel like everybody in the industry is running a hundred miles an hour to try and catch up, to try and put in guardrails and to try and put in safety belts to keep livelihoods afloat,” he added.
Perry’s admission comes amid reports that jobs for actors have been put to a standstill in the industry following the big union strikes last year.
“On top of fewer shows and virtually no pilots, the available acting gigs pay less than they used to amid rising cost of living, talent sources say, making it hard for many working actors to afford their rent or mortgage and support their families,” noted Deadline.
Paul Roland Bois directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. “Better than Killers of the Flower Moon,” wrote Mark Judge. “You haven’t seen a story like this before,” wrote Christian Toto. A high-quality, ad-free stream can also be purchased on Google Play or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.
