Meta has just unwrapped a new potential tool for — or threat to — Hollywood.

What is Meta Movie Gen?

There are likely several video generating AI tools available, but what makes Meta’s product stand out? We can break this down into a few parts.

First and foremost, one of the key features of this technology, built from a set of foundational models, is that it can automatically generate new videos based on nothing more than textual information.

Secondly, the technology incorporates additional functions, such as editing pre-recorded videos or manipulating still images. In this case, Meta highlights that a video can be created not only from pre-recorded footage but also from elements within a static image, transforming it into a dynamic video enhanced with text-based prompts.

The internet giant, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, on Friday announced Movie Gen: a new AI tool that based on a text prompt can create realistic-looking videos clips (with synchronized AI-generated audio) that are up to 16 seconds in length at 16 frames per second. According to Meta, Movie Gen also can generate personalized AI videos using a single photo. Meta said it’s still testing Movie Gen before launching it publicly.

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO and chairman, shared a video created by Movie Gen of himself doing leg presses — transported into different fake milieus, including one scene in which he’s dressed as a Roman centurion — on Instagram. “Every day is leg day with Meta’s new MovieGen AI model that can create and edit videos. Coming to Instagram next year,” Zuckerberg wrote.

A rep for Meta said, “While Movie Gen is purely AI research today, the models are essential to helping us build AI features that give you new ways to create and share highly engaging content on Facebook and Instagram.”

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Meta shared multiple clips created using Movie Gen, including a surfing koala, a baby hippo swimming in a river (a nod to internet meme-celebrity Moo Deng), penguins dressed in Victorian outfits and a “woman DJ” spinning records. The company didn’t detail what sources of data it used for Movie Gen, saying only, “We’ve trained these models on a combination of licensed and publicly available data sets.”

“Whether a person is an aspiring filmmaker hoping to make it in Hollywood or a creator who enjoys making videos for their audience, we believe everyone should have access to tools that help enhance their creativity,” Meta said in a blog post announcing the tool.

At the same time, the company said, “While there are many exciting use cases for these foundation models, it’s important to note that generative AI isn’t a replacement for the work of artists and animators.”

The Good Stuff

Video Generation

Movie Gen’s ability to create 16-second clips is decent, though not groundbreaking. What’s more intriguing is its supposed prowess in handling complex scene dynamics and realistic motion. If it can deliver on this promise, it could be a game-changer for quick content creation.

Audio Synthesis

The 45-second audio generation capability is where things get spicy. Synchronized sound effects and music that actually match the video? That’s something many creators would kill for. If it works as advertised, it could save hours of tedious audio editing.

Editing Capabilities

Here’s where Movie Gen might have a leg up on the competition. The ability to edit existing videos and create personalized content from images is a feature that screams “practical use case.” It’s not just about generating new content; it’s about enhancing what already exists.

Meta Movie Gen’s Position in the Market

While Meta is one of the market leaders, it faces fierce competition and constantly competes for the top position. One of the competitors is OpenAI’s tool, Sora.

Essentially, both AI-powered tools are designed to generate video content, and Meta’s product was launched as a response to OpenAI’s offering. Although both products are still in the experimental phase, requiring further testing and refinement, their distinct features are becoming evident.

For example, Movie Gen generates short videos lasting up to 16 seconds, while Sora can create videos up to 60 seconds, making it better suited for more cinematic content or more complex stories. This is possible because Sora allows for multiple scene sequences in the generated video. However, Meta is improving its product in terms of sound synchronization, which OpenAI has not yet fully explored.

Additionally, Movie Gen personalizes its suggestions, allowing for detailed video editing, including changing backgrounds or objects, which Sora does not yet support. Therefore, there is no single right answer as to which product leads the market. The choice depends on the idea and the specific needs that each tool can best address.

Risks Posed by Meta Movie Gen and Other AI Video Generators

It is important to note that Meta Movie Gen is not yet publicly available, with only a description of the product released so far. A significant risk at this stage is that, while innovative, the technology remains costly and has room for improvement, particularly in reducing the time between a query and the generated result.

Like any other AI-powered tool, questions and concerns arise regarding the illegal use of data to generate content and the potential for harmful applications. As such, there are still many unresolved issues.

Although Meta claims that this technology is trained using licensed and publicly available datasets, the lack of specific source disclosures raises some scepticism.

What’s Next?

The AI video generation space is heating up, and Movie Gen is just the latest entrant. As these tools become more sophisticated, we’re bound to see some incredible creative applications. But we’re also likely to face increasingly complex ethical and legal challenges.

It is still too early to predict the long-term impact of Meta Movie Gen and how it will affect filmmakers, content creators, or even actors. However, this technology is likely to bring changes and may reduce the need for human labour in certain areas.

Nevertheless, it serves as a prime example of the possibilities offered by today’s technological landscape, which is shaping a completely different future for the market.

For now, Movie Gen remains a tantalizing glimpse into the future of AI-assisted content creation. Whether it lives up to the hype or joins the graveyard of overpromised and underdelivered tech remains to be seen. One thing’s for sure: the race for AI supremacy in video generation is far from over.

It is still too early to predict the long-term impact of Meta Movie Gen and how it will affect filmmakers, content creators, or even actors. However, this technology is likely to bring changes and may reduce the need for human labour in certain areas.

Nevertheless, it serves as a prime example of the possibilities offered by today’s technological landscape, which is shaping a completely different future for the market.