Let me start with an admission. I am writing this post without the assist of AI. This is not a statement of protest or rejection of GPT’s. My Internet went down again, and I can’t use the tools that I have been depending on for content creation. This does bring up our dependence on a signal. No internet is bad, but it could be worse. If the electricity is cut off we are transformed into mumbling imbeciles circling our thumbs.
My latest creation is Dr. Seemore, the Entertainment Doc. He is an interactive avatar that recommends movies and shows based on streaming service, genres, actors, and directors. He cures your entertainment problem. Creating a video character is a different game compared to just a year ago. I am an illustrator who started his career drawing with a pencil and painting with an airbrush. AI has totally changed the game. I resisted at first but decided to join the parade. Designing a character is different, but it is still the same. Using AI you can write a prompt that describes the character down to the shoelaces. Before AI, I was Midjourney. I would get a directive to create and make examples trying to translate a wish to a reality.
Unlike AI, people who draw generally can’t create in all styles. Sure, there is the genius that can emulate Michelangelo as well as Charles Schulz, but you are good at one or two methods of creation because you practice. Time is the issue. If you play guitar, bass, and drums, you are probably better at one of them. In sports, it’s the same thing. You may play football, baseball, basketball, golf, tennis, row, cycle, etc. You are better at the sport that you practice.
From an artistic point of view, AI is absolutely mind-boggling. For me to produce 4 finished examples in 30 seconds is way past my pay grade. Now, it is an expectation. One thing of note is that AI doesn’t like to start with your hand-drawn art. If you are training your source app starting with a prompt is a more efficient method. I used to fill a complete sketchbook every year. Last year my pencil case fell out of my suitcase at the airport. I hardly miss it.
I started playing with information chatbots over a year ago. A friend, Mark Goulston was diagnosed with cancer. He was an accomplished writer and therapist specializing in helping suicidal patients. He created a traditional chatbot that you type into to ask him questions that may help your condition. He wanted to help people even after he was gone. This was early in the AI game. The visual aspects were very limited. The growth in AI art and video has been unbelievable. We are just at the beginning; imagine what’s down the road. From a creative standpoint, it has changed how we create. What used to start as a discussion, leading to a sketch, ending with a final product has been replaced by writing a prompt and pushing a button. Instead of physically struggling with your creation, we pull a handle on a slot machine hoping to get the visual we had in mind. The limitations are based on your thought process and interpretation by your chosen GPT. What is also interesting is that the same prompt used on different apps results in surprisingly different results.
Like most of us, I watch Netflix, Hulu, Paramount+, Prime, Max, Tubi, YouTube, Disney+, MLB and more. Even with thousands of choices, oftentimes we find ourselves unable to choose a show to watch. TikTok and YouTube are filled with short videos giving movie recommendations. What chaps my hide is having to write down the title, figure out where to watch, navigate, and then queue up a movie in a language I don’t speak or is poorly dubbed. This made me think of creating Dr. Seemore. One thing about life, whether it’s a recipe, a doctor, a coach, or a movie, a good recommendation is appreciated and valuable. The Entertainment Doc idea came to me because I put together the concept of a need for entertainment variety with the technical advantages of AI. Through testing and discussion, I discovered the method I wanted to use to convey the message. The delivery of three recommendations at a time, followed by a short description, would be the format. What I learned was that after the third show description, you forget one and two. I prompted Dr. Seemore to add a recap, including where to watch each suggestion.
The Entertainment Doc is definitely an AI-driven project. It involves numerous products to make it work, but it still requires time and effort. AI has taken over content creation in a very short time. First images, now video is improving by the day. If you travel the AI world, you will run across individuals who want AI to do all of their heavy lifting. This works to a point.
AI turns you into a producer; you are still in charge of the show. There are many TikTok videos talking about making 30-second websites. It matters what you care about. If you need a quick identity site, that may work out. If your final destination has nuances, you can’t trust a prompt to fix it. The Entertainment Doc is made from a long list. Until now, learning about new content takes a recommendation, a commercial, a billboard, or a TikTok/YouTube video. AI presents a new method.
The goal was to create a source for consumers to get a recommendation for a new show or movie using an interactive avatar. My first thought was to create a doctor who cures boredom. Naming him Dr. Seemore came later. This project would require some deliverables. A character, a website, a YouTube channel, an interactive avatar, and a revenue model. I’ll get into the details in the next blog post.
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