You probably don’t think of TCL as a content producer. They make hardware – specifically smart TVs and phones – but they also have a streaming service called TCLtv+. (I’m thinking of starting ShellyPalmer+, but that’s another story.)
As many streaming services do, TCLtv+ has decided to get into the original content business. Its latest offering is called “Next Stop Paris.” You can watch the trailer here. It is, by every measure, awful! Except… it is also amazing!
As primitive and terrible and awful as it is, it was created by some voice actors, AI, and (I presume) a few human editors. Yes, this is horrible writing. (It was written by humans.) Yes, the visuals don’t match. Yes, the dialog is out of sync. Yes, the color grading is non-existent. Yes, the characters walk funny. Yes, yes, yes. It sucks. Except… it doesn’t.
Mark the date. This is a first pass at a new production methodology that will evolve extremely quickly. This trailer isn’t about a rom-com; it’s about the future of video production. Have a look at the “special effects” in the “Flash Gordon” series in 1954. Compare it to “Star Trek” in 1964, and then “Star Wars” in 1977. You can fast forward all the way to today and see a continuous stream of exponential improvement. AI production (social production) will get good, then very good (and on and on), but AI won’t take a lifetime to get to great. On an exponential scale, we’re almost there.
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it. This work was created with the assistance of various generative AI models.