Martin Scorsese has become a partner and adviser to Black Forest Labs, an AI image-generation startup, according to The New York Times. The director, known for his long career in film, is using the company’s technology solely for storyboarding. 'For 70 years, I’ve been creating my own storyboards,' Scorsese said in a statement to the Times. He added that the AI tool helps him communicate his vision to cinematographers and production designers more efficiently. The tool is part of Black Forest Labs' broader suite of AI capabilities that integrate with major platforms like Adobe, Canva, Microsoft, and Meta.
Black Forest Labs, a 70-person startup based in Freiburg, Germany, was last valued at $3.25 billion by its investors, which include BroadLight Capital. The company was founded by the team behind Stable Diffusion and has declined to partner with Elon Musk’s xAI in recent months after an earlier collaboration on Grok’s image generator ended due to concerns about content safeguards. Despite its unlikely address, the startup has gained significant traction in the entertainment industry, with its AI tools now being used by major Hollywood players.
The move marks a shift in Hollywood's stance toward AI, as the industry’s once-fierce resistance is softening. Scorsese’s involvement highlights the growing acceptance of AI tools in creative processes, even among high-profile figures. His use of the technology for storyboarding underscores the potential of AI to streamline and enhance traditional filmmaking workflows. Source: techcrunch