How to Use AI to Create A Better Movie

Yeah I heard you, “AI Slop is bad”. So if you are the type of person that thinks AI in all its forms is evil and anyone who has anything positive to say about it is a terrible person, well this post may trigger you.

AI is not replacing storytellers.

It is another tool in the filmmaker’s toolbox—much like editing software, digital cameras, or color grading tools. Used correctly, AI can help filmmakers develop better stories, mock-up concepts, and fine-tune their scripts before a dollar is spent on production.

I wanna talk about how to use AI as a creative tool, not a creative replacement.

Start With Concepts, Not Scripts

One of the best uses of AI is brainstorming.

I have hit a wall while brainstorming my next short or feature film. Or sometimes I have a rough idea for a story but struggle to make it a complete story. So I’m going to use AI to get over this creative block so I can get into production faster.

For example, I can prompt an AI tool with something like:

“Give me five movie concepts about a small-town librarian who discovers an ancient map that leads to something dangerous.”

The results are going to be all over the place, and honestly sometimes I don’t choose a single one delivered by the prompt. BUT it almost always helps get my mind thinking about different creative areas I can explore and then I am back on track on the script.

I could use another person to do this, but my buddies get tired of me calling them at 3am when I am finally in a creative mood. Good thing the computer doesn’t get too annoyed with me.

My goal is not to copy the AI output word for word. That’s dumb, as the storytelling is the fun part. And I don’t want to give up the fun part. I just want to get over my mental blocks faster so I can get to filming!

Visualize The Future

I would have relied on concept artists and storyboard artists, but I’m a poor indie filmmaker with no rich friends or family members. My drawing skills look like they were done by a preschooler having a seizure. That’s why until AI came around, concept art and storyboards were only things I could dream of using before a production. But today, FREE AI image tools allow me to get ideas out of my head and create a still image to help communicate my vision to my human production team.

I get giddy when I can use these tools to create:

• Early movie poster concepts
• Storyboard frames for key scenes
• Location style references
• Costume ideas for characters

This is so helpful when I am trying to describe to my costumer the unique steampunk design I have envisioned or the futuristic time machine I need to get built by my art department.

I waste so much time when I am unclear to my team about what the vision is, and these tools help me clarify my vision before I assemble the team, saving time, money, and everyone’s sanity.

Fixing Plot Holes

Back to the script. We all know we are not shooting our first draft. It’s gonna suck if we do. We are going to have spelling and grammar mistakes for one, and so many plot holes it looks like I-15 in the spring.

What I do is toss my rough draft in whichever LLM I am into at the time and ask for it to help do one thing at a time.

Plot holes
Confusing character motivations
Scenes that slow everything down
Repetitive dialogue
Missing setups or payoffs

The AI will not always be right. Lord no. But it will point out areas worth reconsidering. Make the change or not, that’s up to you, but it’s like having an extra set of eyes willing to look at your work anytime you want. At the end of the day though this is YOUR script. You get to choose the story you tell and if you are going to start your sentence with a preposition or…whatever.

Storyboarding and Shot Planning

I am also using AI tools to help visualize shot sequences.

Instead of trying to explain camera movements with rough sketches, I can generate image references showing:

Camera angles
Lighting
Composition
Blocking

This allows me and my cinematographer to have more productive conversations during pre-production.

It also helps communicate the vision to my crew, again saving time, money, and my ever-dwindling self-esteem.

Enhance Footage in Post

AI tools like Kling 3.0 are also transforming post-production options. Instead of doing without a cool shot or fixing something I don’t have the budget to hire a VFX person for, AI can give me a hand.

Tools that are available are nuts because I can do stuff like prop replacement from existing footage, wardrobe adjustments for a myriad of reasons, sky replacements, and object removal or replacement. It’s wild to me how well these tools integrate with existing footage, blending the line between authentic and augmented. It’s like living in the future right now. WILD!

If you’re a broke filmmaker like me or working with a limited budget, this opens up creative possibilities that were once only available to wealthy filmmaking folks.

It Can Help With Marketing Too?!

Oh yeah baby.

I mentioned earlier that it can generate early concept posters, which I do not recommend using for your final poster BTW.

It can also generate a social media strategy for you so that while you are filming, you know what video and photos you will need to hype the film when it is time to get it out there.

Not kidding when I say that 90%+ of filmmakers stink at social media. They are great storytellers and terrible promoters. I recommend getting a publicist to get all your earned media like press coverage, but you can have all your assets lined up neatly in a row if you have the strategy ready.

AI Still Needs a Filmmaker

Know what AI does when we don’t put in prompts, questions, or existential crisis? Nadda.

It cannot feel or understand emotions like we do, and so it cannot write like us.

It’s a tool, like spell check, or something else I would struggle to be understood without using.

We are the storytellers, the dreamers, the makers of worlds and feelers of the deep. We are creating stories for those who share our connection to this world and humanity. We can dive into the darkest recesses of our twisted fantasies or champion mankind to a higher ideal.

Ignoring an accessible tool like AI to me is like the farmer who refuses to use a tractor. I understand why the farmer may not want to use the tractor, but I am not going to damn the farmer next door that chooses to use his tractor on his own farm. As long as I get my potatoes and they taste delicious I’m gonna be happy either way.