AI overview
Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the role of the gaffer in the film and television industry, bringing new possibilities and efficiencies to the process. However the artistic, intuitive and physical aspects of the gaffer's role on set are crucial and a long way from being replaced by AI and robotics.
Although traditional craft and training are important, the available technological toolset is developing rapidly. This is creating opportunities to improve efficiency, safety, flexibility and in-camera results, bringing some of the current reliance on post visual effects (VFX) workflows back to on set magic.
New tools are also automating re-lighting of scenes, with simpler workflows, using virtual environments. This is enabling gaffers to use their creative skills more broadly across pre and post workflows.
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How can I prepare for the future?
Staying proficient with AI-driven tools, understanding how to manipulate them for your own purposes and mastering the integration of physical and virtual lighting effects will be key to maintaining your role as a creative and technical leader in production.
At the moment, virtual or video panel based lighting sources are only able to work as large soft boxes, but future technology development is bringing directional and hard light capability to video panels, along with significant improvements in spectral capability.
Consider how you could use AI to help you create or manage video or other virtual content sources to manage the lighting sources of the future. Literally asking AI tools how to learn about some of these subjects can be a great way to get started.
The simple practicalities of ‘being ready for every occasion’ is a hard learnt skill for a gaffer, AIs will be able to help you as a checklist assistant, automatically reading a whole script and making suggestions for things to consider. It could help you be sure you’ve thought of everything you need for the next location shoot.
It is also now possible to run AIs directly on your own computer and even train the AI with your own historical data set, giving you the opportunity to create your own bespoke AI that understands your style and workflows.
Keep a close eye out for how these progress and consider labelling archiving and storing your own data/production notes for future use. You might be able to create your perfect assistant in the future.
What AI tools can I use right now?
- Analyse scripts, storyboards and mood boards to suggest and summarise potential lighting setups, produce kit lists and estimate power consumption. Automatically summarise location recce notes and photos.
- Simulation of on set lighting, facilitating planning with DoP and directors. Creating instant visualisation of concepts and merging reference images and video with new locations or script descriptions.
- AI Tools for planning by summarising and sorting creative ideas into key themes from collaboration sessions.
- On set prediction of interference from plant and other sources of light and noise, along with visualisation of changes in natural lighting conditions, seasons and weather.
- Virtual production - AI computer vision and real time generation of content is allowing use of video displays as a lighting fixture. With rapid content generation, that could even be made on set during pre-light.
- Digital twinning of real and virtual sets to allow reshoots without revisiting the original location. Nerf and Gaussian Splat techniques are allowing rapid and simple location capture, creating the need to deliver original lighting schemes in a virtual context. Understanding how to derive the imposed lighting on an object from the original content and facilitating the capture of that at the same time as the location is captured.
- Automated asset tracking and system information to keep you up-to-date with the performance and location of equipment and systems.
- AI-based project management tools, automating as many tasks as possible.
- Monitor real-time footage and automatically adjust lighting settings to follow movements and maintain consistent lighting conditions. Working with and expanding on applications of camera and motion capture tracking systems.
- Relighting aspects of your film set with automated post production workflows. Using AI to correct or create otherwise impossible lighting conditions after the production. Understanding what these are and are not able to achieve. Understanding how on set lighting might need to change to accommodate these kind of tools.
- Automated loading calculations for rigging and trussing systems. Using AI as a competent assistance to check calculations or using software capable of automating the whole load calculation process.
Digital networking: High bandwidth, convergent digital networks for all on set production data and control systems - for lighting control, video, sync and audio, metadata, lens data, etc.
Video display-based lighting techniques: Virtual production and other video display-based lighting techniques for creating realistic, moving, animated or shape-based lighting effects.
Pre-vis and tech-vis: New techniques with AI automated previsualisation of lighting (pre-vis) and AI-based technical deployment planning (tech-vis).
Carbon tracking: Using AI for post production calculation and pre planning estimation of carbon footprint and environmental impact.
Zero carbon power with renewables and batteries: Using AIs to help with estimating, planning and preparation of power demands and needs of a lighting system dependant on production requirements.
ScreenSkills offers a variety of training opportunities for people at all stages of their career. Explore all training, events and opportunities.
ScreenSkills resources:
- Gaffer job profile
- Gaffer skills checklist
Other resources:
- SMPTE ST2110 training resources for digital networking
- Disguise Virtual Production Accelerator
- 3D CAD and Unreal Engine skills bootcamps