Can Artificial Intelligence Support Production Managers?

As an educator in Production Management, I find it impossible to ignore the noise around Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact on the film and media industries. For many, there is a fear that all we have to look forward to is AI-generated content with as much flavour as cardboard and that it will lead to even more job losses in an already vulnerable sector.

 When thinking about AI's impact on Production, the conversations around it remind me a little of when I was working at Sony in post-production, when Macs and Final Cut Pro editing kits began infiltrating the market. For the devoted Avid users (the editing software of choice at that time), there was concern that the experienced editors would all be replaced by adolescents working from their bedrooms and the art of 'proper' editing would be lost, and while some of this did come to pass, what also happened was technology changed, and talented editors remained in demand, likewise working as a producer in a newsroom, having access to news on-demand online rather than having to rely on the PA wires to get stories didn't stop news reporting; it just changed the work model, (and if like me, you remember using lotus notes for all your production emails and data you probably need to take cod liver oil). This is not to say the galloping progress of AI isn't slightly discombobulating. Still, as a professional problem solver, I'm interested in exploring how it might genuinely help Production Managers and their teams.

One of the most hopeful perspectives on the advancement of AI comes from Mo Gawdat, a former executive at Google X, who, in his book "Scary Smart." offers a nuanced perspective of both the potential risks of rapidly advancing AI and the possibilities for leveraging the technology to bring about positive change in the world. Mo likens AI to a small child and implies that much as children model behaviour based on those they are raised by, our actions and decisions regarding this technology will profoundly shape its growth and impact on society, and so we need to see ourselves as being pivotal to how it grows. In "Scary Smart," he eloquently articulates his aspirational vision: "that, in collaboration with AI, we can create a utopia that enhances humanity, rather than a dystopia that puts it at risk." This analogy offers a sense of reassurance for those of us who have contemplated scenarios reminiscent of "I, Robot," where AI takes control of film and TV production, resulting in the creation of TV dramas featuring inexplicable characters due to AI-induced hallucinations

With Mo's insights in mind, I decided to examine some AI tools that might serve as invaluable allies to the busy Production Manager. How might we collaborate with the machine?

Schedules, Call sheets and paperwork

For many productions with lower budgets, effectively managing the day-to-day paperwork poses a significant challenge, often causing team members to be diverted from their core responsibilities. A Production Coordinator can be pulled into many directions, trying to keep up to date across multiple shoots.

 Integrating AI plugins for programs such as Excel is a genuinely helpful addition to any of us who must generate paperwork quickly and ensure it is updated regularly. Some AI plugins are designed so you can feed in details such as the availability of talent, equipment hire, and budget allocation, aiding in the ability to get an immediate snapshot when one (or all) of these factors change. Another helpful update is AI being able to quickly come up with three or four scheduling options considering a shoot affected by weather, lost light, or noisy building work. This seems to offer additional agility to the common types of troubleshooting a busy PM might have to deal with. Now, it's important to caveat this with the need for real humans to make the final decision and even dismiss the AI suggestions; nothing replaces on-the-ground, hands-on experience, but there is some good stuff to look at for generating outlines or fast solutions.

Automated production scheduling software also looks promising- You can feed in a script (written by a human, remember AI, you are just a toddler, leave the art to the artists) and using AI, it will automatically break it down into a range of different categories which consider everything from the Production's budget to the number of other shots required for the rest of the film. Movie Magic does lots of this already (and film and drama peeps do love their Movie Magic), but for smaller productions or staff not conversant on this software, inexpensive packages such as Filmustage will do a lot of the scheduling legwork for you, and the extra level of detail which AI can generate in a flash rather than over hours is a hopeful prospect (especially when record numbers of PMs are leaving the industry in part due to the terrible long hours) 

Does this mean a production doesn't need a PM or PC? Of course not. This means we may leave before 8 p.m. when last-minute schedule changes happen, or a budget requires changes.

Budget Breakdowns

For production managers and coordinators, having an automated budget breakdown is an invaluable tool; cost logs help us keep an eye on both macro and micro spending. AI can help with this enormously and allow additional levels of detail to be included. Remember, AI is only ever as good as the data you feed it. Still, once that is done, budget software utilising AI promises to provide accurate scene or VT-specific budget breakdowns, generating data allowing PMs and PCs to make well-informed decisions about the budget allocation for each aspect of Production, including all the usual transportation costs between locations, hotel fees, but also working hour maximums and all those other aspects which need to be considered when trying to turn the massive ship of Production into another direction.

But does this mean the robots will take our jobs?

While it is easy to think that such systems will replace production staff, if implemented correctly, they might actually help create production offices where a work/life balance is possible.

By implementing AI to help speed up paperwork, create call sheets, and update Excel documents, there will be more time for the human side of production management, building teams with a diverse workforce, supporting flexible working, and making sure the very best health and safety practices are adhered to. AI can help us get off the treadmill of busy fools and allow us instead to use our humanity to create wonderful production spaces where good ideas, collegiality and creativity thrive.