Famous director Tim Burton (Hollywood Reporter)
Sunday 10 September 2023 / 14:47
Acclaimed director Tim Burton, known for his distinctive character style and films, shared his thoughts on artificial intelligence and its threat to animation.
During a recent interview with The Independent, the director was asked about a Buzzfeed story published in July that used artificial intelligence to show what Disney films would look like if Burton directed them.
“They had the AI do my version of Disney characters. I can’t describe the feeling I have about that,” Burton responded.
Some AI-generated examples included Elsa from Frozen with a pale white face and wearing a black dress while in an apparently haunted forest, as well as Aurora from Sleeping Beauty with a similarly colored face but with stitches on her cheeks and lying in a long, dark dress.
While Burton admitted that some of the creations were “pretty good,” that did not diminish the less than pleasant feeling he had when imitating his creative style. “What it does is it sucks something out of you. It takes something out of your soul or your psyche, and that’s very annoying, especially if it’s about you. It’s like a robot that’s taking your humanity and your soul,” Burton explained.
The use of artificial intelligence in Hollywood has been the subject of ongoing debate across the industry, with many wanting to protect against the technology. This in particular was one of the main concerns of actors and writers, who went on strike for several months after contract negotiations with studios and production companies faltered, and artificial intelligence was one of the pivotal points they could not agree on.
Later during the interview, Burton also talked about how making big studio films can be a stressful experience, but he still tries to focus on the positives in all of his projects, according to the website. Hollywood Reporter.
