University of Iowa alumnus John Vasey is concerned with the recent expansion of artificial intelligence in creative fields. After graduating in 1972, Vasey went on to work for 20 years as the vice president of SHOWTIME and has taught graduate courses at University of Southern California and Chapman University, focusing on editing and post-production in film. 

Now, he is visiting schools across the country to discuss with students the different programs shaping the film industry in the coming years, as well as the ethical questions that surround this innovation. 

The lecture, which took place on Oct. 15, was hosted in the Adler Journalism Building and open to all students and staff who wanted to learn about these applications. A majority of students who attended were cinema arts or communication majors who actively see these programs influencing their future job markets. 

Vasey said he hopes that the students who attend these lectures begin to see AI as a tool, not as a replacement. 

“ I’m hoping students will no longer ignore it or be afraid of it, and realize they’re going to have to deal with it. It’s better to do it while they’re young, while they’re still in school, where they have the chance and opportunity to explore and use some of the software,” Vasey said. “Even if they get bad results, school is a place where you celebrate failure in some ways because you learn from it.”

Vasey’s lecture touched on multiple AI tools removing mundane or technical issues filmmakers run into. AI can be used to organize and label footage shot on set by determining its shot size, angles used, or even the characters in the scene. Programs can be used to expand on already shot footage to add set design to the scene or expand outside of the regular shot. 

Vasey discussed AI programs making waves in generative videos, Midjourney, Runway, Google VEO 3, and the new program SORA 2, which was launched as a video generative partner with Chat GPT and a new app where people can create video worlds with personal AI avatars. With these programs, video creation has never been easier. 

After the lecture, many students who were exposed to these programs for the first time began to see the impact they may have on their future. One of those students was UI second-year cinematic arts student Audrey Adams. 

“Being a cinema student, we are in an interesting position where our jobs and future work are being shaped by AI,” Adams said. “So it’s important to understand how it positively and negatively affects us.” 

There are many benefits to AI in filmmaking, Vasey highlighted in the lecture. The mundane tasks that used to take editors or producers hours can now be done in minutes. It’s also cheaper. Studios are constantly working under strict budgets, and these AI programs can fix issues that used to cost them tens of thousands of dollars. 

This can include using AI for automated dialogue replacement. AI can take different languages and different words and change facial and lip movements to match changing scripts or execute international films in native languages. 

UI professor Hope Tucker, who helped put on the event, said the lecture is an important way for students to learn about the future of the industry and educate themselves on changing with the times. 

“An ability to write well, think critically and ethically, and approach the world with curiosity and historical and environmental awareness are essential to understand AI and decide when and if it’s something to use or avoid,” Tucker said.

While Vasey was a proponent for staying informed about AI, he was very clear on the negative effects it could have on the industry. He underlined the importance of learning those foundational skills here at school and not to purely rely on AI.  

“ My recommendation would be if I were a student…I don’t know if I’d want to get exposed to AI and rather focus on more of the old school kind of ways,” Vasey said. “Then by my sophomore year, maybe gradually, I will get into it because there is so much to learn about.”