Channel 4, Aardman join consortium to explore AI-driven storytelling

A new consortium involving Channel 4 and Aardman Animations is exploring how AI could support under-represented content creators and established producers to enhance storytelling in film and television.

The Charismatic consortium - which has received £1.04m from the government’s Innovate UK programme – will research the opportunities for the creative industries to better leverage the potential of AI technologies.

The project will explore how creators could use AI to generate new material such as storyboards, scenes and settings.

The project is led by Charismatic.ai, Channel 4, UAL Creative Computing Institute, Falmouth University, Aardman Animations, Sound Reactions and digital ethicist Lisa Talia Moretti.

A key element of the consortium’s work is to develop business models that enable creators to be remunerated for their ideas, and specifically to support creators disadvantaged through lack of access to funds or the industry to compete with better funded organisations.

The Charismatic consortium is exploring how AI could support under-represented content creators and established producers to enhance storytelling in film and television.

Charismatic will also be used by established, larger producers to prototype and previsualise their productions more easily and efficiently.

Channel 4 will provide access to diverse creator talent, independent producers and wider industry relationships plus viewer insight and audience testing will be provided by Channel 4. Creative expertise and IP will come from Aardman Animations, and access to research and knowledge from Falmouth University and UAL Creative Computing Institute.

Guy Gadney, CEO of Charismatic.ai, said: “Charismatic is a much-needed project to ensure that diverse, new and existing creators have access to the best tools and technologies in this new AI-focused content era. It is about how humanity can create new forms of storytelling in ways that were not previously possible, rather than recreating what already exists. This is the perfect group to make sure that creative industries become valuable key players in the exciting and rapidly changing technology environment.”