Andrea Iervolino is not a household name. Film producers usually operate behind the scenes. You don’t hear their names unless they exceed the boundaries of their roles. Andrea has an extensive filmography that includes titles like Ferrai (2023).
However, the only film he is known for today is The Sweet Idleness, an upcoming project set in a utopian future where AI has eliminated labour in all its forms, allowing the human population to spend its days pursuing whatever leisure activities pique their interest. Why is The Sweet Idleness generating so much controversy?
Because Andrea wants to produce the first AI-directed film. The producer describes himself as the ‘Human- On-The-Loop’. He will play a supervisory role, providing a guiding hand to maintain consistency in the filmmaking process.
Otherwise, he expects an AI director to shape the movie. His company will use real people to create the digital actors in The Sweet Idleness. Naturally, Andrea’s announcement has attracted disdain from every corner of the entertainment industry.
Experts think The Sweet Idleness is setting a dangerous precedent. After all, Hollywood is a business. They sink billions of dollars into movies and TV shows every year because they expect to earn a profit. The artistic value of entertainment means nothing to them.
Unfortunately, movies are an expensive endeavour because they involve so many creative elements. You need actors, directors, editors, musicians, makeup artists, graphic designers, and more. And they all require payment for their services.
What do you think Hollywood will do if someone creates an AI system capable of crafting a movie from scratch using nothing but digital tools? They will fire everyone, except the director.
Andrea Iervolino’s announcement came mere days after Tilly Norwood made her explosive debut. Norwood is not real. She is an AI actress. But she has a sizzle reel on YouTube, the kind that shows snippets of her roles in various films and appearances on popular talk shows.
Norwood shocked the entertainment arena when journalists revealed that some talent agencies were thinking about signing her the same way they would a real actress. Numerous celebrities have condemned this development in the last few days, rebuking the creators of Tilly Norwood as well as the talent agents who want to sign her.
This conversation has become incredibly loud and passionate because the public thinks the dystopian AI-dominated future some scholars keep warning about has finally arrived. But guess what happens when you watch the Tilly Norwood reel I mentioned earlier?
You cannot help but laugh. Why? Because no one in their right mind would ever confuse Norwood for a real actor. She looks as fake and lifeless as the many AI- generated characters you have seen on YouTube.
No talent agency would ever sign her, and even if they do, no studio will hire Norwood. She would stand out in any film that used her, and not in a good way. As for Andrea’s AI- directed project, the producer released a teaser trailer for the film on YouTube, and again, The Sweet Idleness looks like horrible AI- slope.
More than likely, the film is an elaborate marketing ploy for a new AI platform, and it will never see the light of day. But even if The Idle Sweetness comes out, no one will watch it. The teaser trailer has gone almost completely unnoticed.
The view count is surprisingly low. If the novelty of a teaser to an AI-directed film is not enough to attract interest, the actual film won’t perform any better. In other words, neither The Sweet Idleness nor Tilly Norwood deserves the attention they have attracted thus far. Everyone should calm down.
katmic200@gmail.com
About the Author
