AI in Film Marketing at EAVE Producers Workshop - Insights of an Exploration

press release

We are happy to share with you The Film Agency's blog post by Eduardo Carneiro that summarizes key takeaways from the EAVE Producers Workshop in Karlskrona, Sweden, in October 2024,

The session entitled "The Use of AI in Marketing Tools" by TFA Creative Director Espinar Gabriel highlighted how Artificial Intelligence can enhance creativity, streamline marketing processes, and offer new tools for film professionals, while still respecting the human touch, and addressing the ethical concerns surrounding its adoption.

EAVE also tackles AI at the annual EAVE Marketing Workshop taking place right now in Luxembourg. A plenary session "Artificial Intelligence Opportunities in Marketing" and a group work session "Artificial Intelligence Tools" by Elie Nebot (MK2 Films, FR) will expand on the topic in detail. In December 2024, EAVE will present its first online AI SKILLS BOOSTER workshop dedicated to film professionals interested in delving into AI, headed by Petri Kemppinen (Good Hand Production, FI).

One of the central themes of the presentation at the Producers Workshop was the emphasis on AI as a tool to augment human creativity rather than replace it. Studios have already integrated AI technologies for over a decade, allowing filmmakers and marketers to work more efficiently. However, there is still resistance in the independent film sector, which could widen the gap between major studios and smaller production houses.

The Art of Prompting for film and Series AI Marketing

Before talking about the tools, it’s important to highlight the effectiveness of them as a critical skill for filmmakers and marketers. Espinar Gabriel explained that successful AI applications require clear and specific instructions. Whether it is generating a visual concept or summarizing a script, users need to collaborate with AI by providing detailed context and iterating on outputs. 

Here’s a clear and easy-to-follow structure to help improve your prompts and avoid brief or vague instructions:

• Act as if you were [Role]
• [Verb] [What] [Why]
• [Topics to cover]
• [Format]
• [Style]
• [Tone]
• [Audience]
• [Context]
• [Other considerations]
• Ask me any questions you deem necessary so you can provide the best possible response

This skill, termed "the art of prompting", is expected to become one of the most valuable assets for film professionals moving forward!

Essential Tools: Text-to-Text, Text-to-Image, and Text-to-Video

Several AI tools were described during the workshop, with practical examples demonstrating their relevance to film marketing. The tools are categorized as follows:

1. Text-to-Text Tools (Early-Stage Strategy and Planning):

AI models such as ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini are particularly useful for speeding up time-consuming tasks such as benchmarking, writing (Loglines and Synopsis), identifying selling arguments, generating creative ideas for digital campaigns, and many others.

2. Text-to-Image Tools (Pre-Sales Images): 

Tools like DALL·E, Firefly, and MidJourney can help develop early-stage visual concepts such as poster designs, mood boards, teaser images, script covers, and many others pre-sale materials. These are vital for marketing and sales efforts, giving filmmakers the ability to create visually appealing marketing content even before the film is shot.

3. Text-to-Video Tools (Pre-Sales Videos): 

Emerging AI technologies like Runway and LTX Studio enable filmmakers to generate dynamic videos from stills or create sizzle reels, providing a cost-effective way to produce marketing materials such as trailers and promotional content in early stages of the project development.

AI for Script Analysis and Audience Insights (Script Stage or Acquisitions)

Largo.ai, a tool that the TFA team frequently uses, was presented as a prime example of AI for script analysis and market forecasting. By analyzing script pages, Largo.ai offers insights into emotions, genres, and audience potential, helping producers make data-driven decisions. The tool also allows marketers to benchmark their projects against comparable films and predict audience behavior, offering valuable strategic guidance in the pre-production phase. TFA has been utilizing this tool for several years, and rather than replacing their roles or diminishing the client base, it has proven to be a valuable asset. Its insights have enriched our analyses, providing an additional dataset that complements and enhances human expertise.

AI First Steps about Ethics in film and series AI marketing

The workshop highlighted the growing relevance of AI in film marketing and distribution. From script analysis to visual content creation, AI tools offer unprecedented opportunities for filmmakers and marketers to innovate at every stage of a project.

However, these technologies must be adopted responsibly, with a focus on ethical considerations such as transparency and bias prevention. As a company policy, TFA discloses transparently to clients when they’ve used any AI tool with their projects and campaigns.

Moreover, TFA encourages industry professionals to work within established guidelines, such as the EU Directive and Hollywood Guilds agreements, to ensure responsible AI application.

Those who embrace AI's potential while safeguarding creative integrity will lead the future of film marketing, making it more dynamic and efficient.

Disclaimer: This content was created with the help and proof-reading of ChatGPT.

Special thanks to The FIlm Agency for allowing us to share the above content.

Page published 7 November 2024. Updated 8 November 2024.