Darren Aronofsky’s foray into the Revolutionary War isn’t quite the fully AI-generated spectacle some initial reports suggested. While the director’s new series, -launched On This Day… 1776, leverages artificial intelligence for its visuals, the project is deeply rooted in human creativity – from the writing to the voice acting.
The series, released on Time’s YouTube channel to coincide with the 250th anniversary of key moments in 1776, initially sparked discussion about the increasing role of AI in filmmaking. However, a closer look reveals a more nuanced approach. According to a production source, the core narrative wasn’t born from a chatbot, but from a team of writers led by Ari Handel and Lucas Sussman, longtime collaborators of Aronofsky. This clarifies reports that initially framed the series as almost entirely AI-driven, and addresses criticisms of “ChatGPT-sounding sloganeering” leveled at the early episodes.
“I don’t think [they] even needed that kind of help or wanted that kind of [AI-powered writing] help,” the source explained, adding that experimentation with AI writing tools yielded results that didn’t meet professional standards. The focus, instead, was on using AI to enhance the visual storytelling, not to replace the fundamental elements of scriptwriting.
Perhaps even more significantly, the voices heard in On This Day… 1776 belong to Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) members. What we have is particularly noteworthy given the recent negotiations surrounding AI’s impact on performers, and the union’s efforts to protect its members from unauthorized digital replication. The production deliberately avoided using AI-generated voices, finding that early tests sounded “noticeably artificial.” This decision aligns with the recently negotiated union rules regarding the use of AI in entertainment production.
The human touch extends beyond writing and voice acting. The series’ music, editing, sound mixing, visual effects, and color correction are all handled by human professionals. The AI’s role is specifically confined to the creation of the video itself, functioning as a tool within a traditional filmmaking pipeline.
The process, as described by the production source, involves human artists creating storyboards, gathering visual references, and establishing the desired aesthetic for each shot. This information is then fed into an AI video generator, which produces individual shots that are subsequently stitched together and refined by human editors in post-production. This approach suggests a collaborative model, where AI serves as a powerful tool to accelerate and augment the creative process, rather than supplanting it.
The debut episode dramatizes George Washington raising the Continental Union Flag in Somerville, Massachusetts, while the second installment focuses on Benjamin Franklin encouraging Thomas Paine to articulate a compelling argument for independence, resulting in the influential pamphlet Common Sense. The series aims to reframe the Revolutionary War “not as a foregone conclusion but as a fragile experiment shaped by those who fought for it,” according to Primordial Soup, Aronofsky’s AI studio.
The choice to release episodes on the 250th anniversary of the events they depict adds a unique dimension to the project. It’s a strategy that transforms historical moments into timely, relevant content, potentially resonating with a modern audience accustomed to real-time updates and immediate engagement. This approach, coupled with the use of AI-assisted visuals, positions On This Day… 1776 as an experiment in historical storytelling for the digital age.
While the initial buzz centered on the AI aspect, the reality is a more balanced equation. Aronofsky’s series demonstrates a pragmatic approach to integrating artificial intelligence into filmmaking, prioritizing human creativity and artistic control while leveraging AI’s capabilities to enhance the visual experience. It’s a model that could offer a path forward for other productions grappling with the opportunities and challenges presented by this rapidly evolving technology.
