AI Has Already Impacted How Creatives Are Pitching Films, According to FoxNXT Head

AI is already having a noticeable effect on how filmmakers pitch their movie ideas, according to Jon Flynn, executive vice president and head of FoxNXT for Fox Entertainment. Flynn shared this insight at TheWrap and What’s Trending's inaugural AI Creator Day, an event held at UCLA's Ralph Freud Playhouse.

FoxNXT, Fox's internal AI and next-gen technology studio, was launched in April and focuses on building digital media tools. Before his role at FoxNXT, Flynn served as the head of AI go-to-market strategy for media at Google. During the panel, "Rewriting the Studio Model: Upskilling Talent for an AI-Powered Future," Flynn recounted a particular pitch meeting that stood out.

A creative presented a movie pitch emphasizing their AI-focused and budget-conscious approach. This led to a radically different strategy compared to traditional pitching methods. "I’ve never seen anybody do this. They did five different meetings, all in one feature meeting," Flynn recounted. "They said, 'This is the typical budget for what we want to make our feature, but we want to use these [AI] tools, which we think is going to rationalize about 15% of the budget, which we would like to put back in because we do want to go to these two locations … We think we found a way not to break that budget that we’re putting in front of you as a proposal.'"

This meeting wasn't an isolated incident, as Flynn observed filmmakers becoming more aware of how AI tools can stretch budgets during pitch meetings. The possibilities are vast, ranging from adding cost-effective effects like explosions to recreating multiple angles of significant events, such as the car crash that led to Princess Diana's death.

Flynn emphasized that AI's impact isn't just about cost savings but also about time savings. For instance, if a project saves 20% of the budget across six episodes of a series, it effectively allows for creating an additional episode. This additional content can be crucial for enhancing distribution and meeting audience demands.

Flynn reiterated FoxNXT's commitment to training Hollywood professionals on using AI tools, acknowledging that while they can teach the technology, they cannot replace 20 years of industry experience or an individual's unique storytelling abilities.