Consortium secures £1m+ funding to explore AI storytelling
September 19, 2024
A new consortium plans to create an Artificial Intelligence (AI) prototype and publish research into how AI could support under-represented content creators and established producers to enhance storytelling in film and television.
The Charismatic consortium – which has received £1.04 million (€1.24m) from the government’s Innovate UK programme – will research the opportunities for the creative industries to better leverage the potential of AI technologies. The project will explore how creators could use AI to generate new material such as storyboards, scenes and settings.
The project is led by Charismatic.ai, Channel 4, UAL Creative Computing Institute, Falmouth University, Aardman Animations, Sound Reactions and digital ethicist Lisa Talia Moretti – and is being backed by Innovate UK to ensure AI is at the heart of the economy.
A key element of the consortium’s work is to develop business models that enable creators to be remunerated for their ideas, and specifically to support creators disadvantaged through lack of access to funds or the industry to compete with better funded organisations. Charismatic will also be used by established, larger producers to prototype and previsualise their productions more efficiently.
Guy Gadney, CEO of Charismatic.ai said: “Charismatic is a much-needed project to ensure that diverse, new and existing creators have access to the best tools and technologies in this new AI-focused content era. It is about how humanity can create new forms of storytelling in ways that were not previously possible, rather than recreating what already exists. This is the perfect group to make sure that creative industries become valuable key players in the exciting and rapidly changing technology environment.”
Grace Boswood, Technology & Distribution Director, Channel 4, said: “Channel 4 has a strong commitment to representing unheard voices – from diverse communities and emerging writers and producers. We’re thrilled to be partnering on the Charismatic project, looking to understand how we make cutting-edge transformative tech like AI accessible to all creators, irrespective of experience or budget. Our mission with the Charismatic project is to empower creators with AI, not replace them.”
Dr Kingsley Marshall, Head of the School of Film & Television at Falmouth University said: “Creatives have a rich history of adopting and adapting to new technology, which is why at Falmouth University our research focuses on exploring the connection between creativity and technology. As creatives and filmmakers ourselves we’re equally interested in the ethics of how emergent technology affect our sector, including how it can help in raising underrepresented voices, alongside how it can aid creatives to tell previously untold stories in new exciting ways on our screens. Projects of this kind provide great value to the creative sector, academia, and wider economy. Importantly, the work will inform our teaching so our students are best equipped to contribute to the screen industries and take their place as the leaders of tomorrow.”
Professor Mick Grierson, Research Leader, UAL Creative Computing Institute, added: “It’s fantastic to be part of a national project to bring these sophisticated Creative AI tools to UK creators. We look forward to contributing our research expertise in Generative Machine Learning to help place UK creative industries at the forefront of AI.”