Guillermo del Toro Thinks AI Art In Movies Is “An Insult to Life Itself”

Movie auteur Guillermo del Toro is rarely bashful about his craft, much less, his opinion about it. Mark today as People’s Exhibit A. In a fascinating interview with Decider, the Oscar-winning director quoted venerated Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli fame and put the futuristic Hollywood crowd on blast.

[Artificial Intelligence Art] can never capture a feeling, or a countenance, or the softness of a human face, you know? Certainly, if that conversation was being had about film, it would hurt deeply. I would think it, as [Hayao] Miyazaki says, “an insult to life itself.”

Guillermo del Toro, Decider, December 13, 2022

The interview focused on Guillermo del Toro’s latest project, Pinocchio, which is a stop-motion masterpiece. The Netflix film is a “handcrafted” portrayal by GDT, which took a hefty 940 days to create, according to a behind-the-scenes discussion on Netflix.com, In both interviews, his passion for raw filmmaking and personalizing each scene is clear. The guy is an old-school relic with one twisted new-school mind.

And he wants to keep it that way.

He Also Thinks Animated Films Should Be Considered a Best Picture

 

The man behind Pan’s Labyrinth, Crimson Peak, and the Oscar-winning Best Picture The Shape of Water made 32 Pinocchio puppets using both live-action and some 2D animated projects to bring Geppetto’s boy to life.

Also, among those stark numbers to make the film are:

• • The use of 60 cameras

• • The creation of 60 individual sets

• • And those had to be placed on 60 separate stages

• • More than 150 puppets with movable silicon skin

And for his trouble, Guillermo del Toro believes this work of art should be considered as an animated movie deserving of true Oscar nods next year or next whenever.

Look, I really don’t dream or hope that the change has to happen this year. It can happen next year and this decade. The discussion is very simple: Is this film amongst the 10 best I’ve seen this year? If the answer is yes, put it there. And the answer is no, don’t put it there. It’s very simple. 

Guillermo del Toro, Decider, December 13, 2022

For backup, in case you weren’t impressed with the man behind Studio Ghibli’s notoriety, GDT drops Dave McKean‘s name in the mix. He is the writer, artist, and director behind Grant Morrison‘s Arkham Asylum and Neil Gaiman‘s Sandman (with whom, he also collaborated Coraline and Mirrormask ). Summarizing from a del Toro discussion, the greatest hope is that AI cannot draw.

It can interpolate information, but it cannot draw. It can never capture a feeling, or a countenance, or the softness of a human face, you know?

Guillermo del Toro, Decider, December 13, 2022

Pinocchio and Guillermo del Toro Take Filmmaking to Task

Guillermo del Toro is the kind of guy who finds inspiration where most find cobwebs and mothballs. He also invests in his vision, as he did with Hellboy and Pan’s Labyrinth when he notably gave back parts of his salary for better effects on the creatures. In fact, he refers to his films, drawings, and books as “eye-protein,” not eye candy.

So, when a guy like that has something to say about the film industry, people listen.

GDT is a director’s director in that he appreciates the journey more than the finished product. AI art has its place in film, much like CGI or the boundless VFX studios like Lucasfilm LTD have created. However, in a world of autotune and AI shortcuts, the Mexican filmmaker appreciates the work sans shortcuts.

Pinocchio is ready to stream on Netflix, but will it be ready for a “Best Picture” nomination? Who knows, but one thing is clear, this guy isn’t changing. His passion requires touch, and maybe that’s why he is honored the way he is. Also, maybe that’s why Hollywood should listen.

Featured Image Credit: Jason Schmidt via Netflix