With the return of the writers and actors to the sets, the looming question remains as to how AI for TV can effect the future?

Will AI soon be scripting, voicing and acting and put artists out of business?

As someone with experience in the creative, and ample AI exposure, I can tell you that it isn’t going to happen anytime soon.

Contemporary AI models are still quite basic, and akin to asking an 8 year old to do a simple task. They can’t really create to a human level, nor do they craft any dialogue that any audience would want to watch or listen to.

There are products such as Veed, InVideo and Toolbaz which offer AI Scriptwriting, but the results are pretty much only good for entering AI scriptwriting contests, and nothing else. 
Amateurish with no plot sustainability.

AI programs such as ChatGPT, Bard etc are however great for ideation when your stuck, as well as for asking it for thoughts on what you have done thus far. 
An adequate sounding board for when you could use a couple of nuggets to help you find your way to your own creative pot of gold.

Models like Claude.AI allow users to upload a pdf file, which is really handy if you want to get a synopsis of something, or want it to come up with loglines; pitches; and to look at something from another tone.

The Bodyguard

To give you an example of how AI can be used for TV without compromising the creatives, I have done a little play around with the 1992 movie ‘The Bodyguard’, starring Whitney and Kevin Costner.

Using ClaudeAI, I inputted the pdf of the script from the 1989 movie ‘The Bodyguard’ and asked it to review the script and proceed with the following:

Can you please give me a 100 word synopsis on the following script please?

“The Bodyguard follows Frank Farmer, a former Secret Service agent who is hired to protect famous singer and actress Rachel Marron from a dangerous stalker. Rachel initially resists the intrusion into her life but comes to depend on Frank after several attempts are made on her life. As they spend more time together, romantic feelings develop between them. Frank risks his life to save Rachel from an assassination attempt at the Academy Awards. After the ordeal brings them closer together, they must say a bittersweet goodbye when Rachel leaves on tour.”

Next, I asked it to take it down even further.

Thanks, could you summarise the script into a movie log line?

“When a music superstar is targeted by a deranged stalker, she’s forced to accept protection from a former Secret Service agent who soon becomes the only person she can trust to keep her safe as they confront deadly peril amidst their growing feelings for one another.”

Ok, not great, but not bad for giving it a 100 page pdf and it chewing this out in 60 seconds. 
With the right tweaks to a model, studios could bypass script readers all together, with a solid AI able to summarise 60 scripts and hour, 600 scripts in a 10 hour shift. 
Oh, that’s right they don’t need to take a break…but the people who data input do.

Here’s an official one off of Google:
A former secret service agent, slumming as a security guard, risks everything to save a famous songstress, from those bent on causing her harm.

Sitcom

Now here is where AI gets a bit fun, because you can ask it to perform a variety of genre tweaks to the script, to make it work in other areas.

I wanted to know what ‘The Bodyguard’ sitcom would look like, so I asked it.

Could you make the script into a 100-300 word pitch for a wacky sitcom?

“Rachel is a famous diva singer who’s larger than life on stage, but a total mess behind the scenes. When a creepy stalker starts sending threatening letters, her manager hires Frank, a straight-laced former Secret Service agent, to protect her. At first, Type-A Frank and scatterbrained Rachel clash constantly, since Rachel refuses to change her wild lifestyle to accommodate Frank’s safety measures. But soon, opposites attract as uptight Frank starts to loosen up and playful Rachel gains appreciation for Frank’s discipline and courage.

In this zany sitcom, fans will love laughing along as Frank tries to childproof Rachel’s mansion while she’s on tour performing to sold-out crowds. Rachel’s entourage of wacky friends, including her spacey sister Nicki, flamboyant choreographer Rory, and smarmy publicist Sy, will drive Frank crazy with their antics. Meanwhile, Rachel’s precious son Fletcher acts as the wise-beyond-his-years voice of reason, constantly outsmarting the adults. From diva meltdowns to dance-offs to surprising romantic connections, this laugh-out-loud show proves being a celebrity isn’t all glitz and glamour, especially with a relentless stalker on your tail. But with Frank watching her back, Rachel is safer than she knows, leading to lots of comedic misunderstandings. Will Frank crack the case and catch the stalker red-handed? Tune in to find out in this hilarious new sitcom that shows it takes some comedy to keep this diva alive!”

It sounds very much like a silly sitcom that could best some of the other trite being rolled out these days.

HBO Series

Some might know of a short-lived 2018 BBC series with Richard Madden called ‘The Bodyguard’, which failed to entice viewers to go beyond one season.

So what if we were to adapt the premise of the 1992 movie, and make it into a dramatic, 6 part, HBO series?
How would that look?
This is what I inputted.

How about a 6 part, HBO like drama series Please suggest the possible 6 episodes?

Episode 1: The Threat Emerges
Rachel starts receiving disturbing letters from an unknown stalker. Despite objections from her entourage, she agrees to hire former Secret Service agent Frank Farmer as her bodyguard. They clash over his strict safety protocols.

Episode 2: Danger Strikes Close
The stalker infiltrates Rachel’s home, escalating the threats. An explosive device nearly kills her son Fletcher. Rachel realizes the serious danger and finally starts listening to Frank.

Episode 3: The Suspects Emerge
With Rachel’s cooperation, Frank investigates potential suspects including obsessed fans, professional rivals, and shady figures from her past. The stalker remains elusive while dramatic tension builds.

Episode 4: Romance Complicates Matters
As the threats persist, an intimate relationship develops between Rachel and Frank, complicating his duty to protect her. Rachel’s publicist Sy sees their romance as a liability.

Episode 5: The Trap is Set
Frank identifies the stalker and sets a trap to catch him at the Academy Awards. But the plan goes awry, putting Rachel in grave peril. Frank risks his life to save her.

Episode 6: Bittersweet Farewell
With the stalker finally stopped, Rachel must say goodbye to Frank as she leaves on tour. They share a poignant final moment, bonded forever by the danger they faced together.

Sounds like something watchable, and a precis of the plot into a 6 x 60′ series.

Super Heroes

All the kids want super powers these days thanks to a steady diet of Marvel mania.

So imagine if we were to take the cast of ‘The Bodyguard’, and give them super powers!

To add a little lustre to the casting, I have also used a few AI art programs to imagine what some of these characters look like.

This is the prompt.

Could you make a version of the script where they all have superpowers? Key characters have fun and outrageous powers that take this into the metaverse!

Rachel Marron isn’t just a music superstar – she’s literally a superhero celebrity with the power to sonically shatter glass with her voice! But when a sinister supervillain stalker named Dischord sends threatening letters, Rachel’s manager realizes her supersonic voice may not be enough.

Enter Frank Farmer, a former Secret Service agent with superhuman strength and bulletproof skin who uses the codename Steelshield. However, Steelshield also has an Achilles heel – his emotions make him as vulnerable as anyone else. As he vows to protect Songbird Rachel, his dedication to duty is tested by his growing love for her.

Also using superpowers to protect Rachel are her sister Clara Voyance, who can see the future; publicist Hypno Sy, able to cloud minds; and choreographer Flex Rory whose body is as bendy as rubber. Meanwhile, adorable little Pitch Perfect Fletcher can mimic any sound or voice he hears.

As the threats escalate, Steelshield and Songbird Rachel stand shoulder to shoulder, using their unbelievable powers to battle Dischord and his metaverse machinations! But their greatest strength comes from within, as their love empowers them to defeat evil and protect the harmony between them. Their unlikely superhero romance hits all the right notes in this action-packed metaverse adventure!

Now this is a series I would watch!

A supersonic-voiced heroine who can save the universe with her voice, yet still needs protection from a villain from ‘The Bodyguard’?
Yes please!

Embrace the AI

To all creators and those who work in film and TV, I would suggest that you take the time and play around with the litany of new AI products being released weekly.

These programs are not here to replace anyone, they should be used to augment the creative process, spur on new ideas, serve as a portal to see what innovators in the space are doing, and maybe come up with something unique in the process.

Most companies and creatives will benefit from the growth that AI provides, except for you Getty Images.
You’re probably going to get screwed over by it all.

If you ever need any help/ advice with AI art or using AI to enhance the creative process, please feel free to get in touch!