Harmony Korine’s EDGLRD to Enter Pact With AI Company Runway (Exclusive)

by

Travis Scott making the jump from Aggro Dr1ft to hang out with Bunny Boy? 

The kids from Kids meeting up with Alien and the Spring Breakers? 

Something else Harmony Korine hasn’t come up with yet?

Korine’s studio, EDGLRD, is entering into a first-look agreement with Runway, a New York-based film-centric artificial intelligence company. This partnership will enable EDGLRD to utilize Runway’s AI tools innovatively across all their creative ventures, such as traditional films, immersive content, and brand videos. (Source: The Hollywood Reporter)

This provides a platform for an array of innovative expressions – visual concepts and branding yet unexplored,” said Alon Soran, the commercial chief at EDGLRD, to THR.

Previously, these companies collaborated informally. Runway assisted in creating the AI representations of babies for the premiere of “Baby Invasion” at last year’s Venice Film Festival, a unique blend of movie and video game that focused on a home invasion by thieves wearing baby masks. Recently, a commercial for Valentino’s upcoming fall-winter collection, produced by EDGLRD, also utilized Runway’s tools.

In this arrangement, EDGLRD is granted access to technological resources (rather than just tech tools), and Runway will share some creative projects with EDGLRD. Notably, no money is involved in this deal.

Under the agreement, Korine is also set to participate as a juror in Runway’s AI Film Festival, which will be held at both New York’s Alice Tully Hall and Los Angeles’ The Broad Stage Theater in June.

A little over a week ago, I was thrilled to hear some exciting news about Runway. They’ve just closed a massive $308 million funding round, which skyrockets their valuation beyond the $3 billion mark! But what really caught my attention was the introduction of Gen-4. This powerful tool isn’t just another addition to their arsenal; it enables AI to generate scenes and characters that can run for extended periods, breaking away from the brief bursts that have been common in this technology so far.

Runway gained attention last autumn due to an agreement with Lionsgate. Under this arrangement, Lionsgate is utilizing Runway’s technology to develop a unique model specifically trained on intellectual properties (IP) owned by Lionsgate.

Despite being a small, specialized company based in Miami known as EDGLRD, its strong connection with Runway may significantly shape the overall terrain.

By partnering with an influential artist such as Korine, Runway gains significant street credibility as it strives to convince doubters in Hollywood that AI has the potential for true creativity rather than merely replicating past works. Some traditional entertainment companies are concerned about the legal ramifications of utilizing tools taught on copyrighted content; if a respected production house, known for pushing boundaries, openly endorses an AI model trained across various domains, it could strengthen their argument. However, the Lionsgate deal only relies on internal data and doesn’t test these boundaries directly.

For Korine, having access to the advanced tools and team from a tech company that’s welcoming towards filmmakers could expedite the AI-focused projects he and his team are working on. Previously associated with ’90s slacker films like ‘Gummo’ and the script for ‘Kids’, Korine has grown increasingly tech-savvy as he transformed EDGLRD into a daring production studio. (In essence, ‘THR’ suggests in their ‘Baby Invasion’ review that “drugs might help”).

Leading figures within the company believe that such collaborations play a crucial role in pushing the boundaries of cinematic expression, essentially driving the evolution of the art form itself.

Jamie Umpherson, creative head at Runway and Runway Studios, highlights an exceptional prospect for someone like Harmony. This is due to his innovative methodologies towards media, formats, and storytelling structures. According to him, these tools offer a significant breakthrough, making possible tasks that were previously impossible.”

“Like Soran, he emphasizes the new creative dimensions that this technology presents, contrasting with some AI experts who primarily discuss it as a means for saving time and costs, which indirectly impacts creativity.

Runway, a company founded by Alejandro Matamala (Chile), Cristóbal Valenzuela (Chile), and Anastasis Germanidis (Greece), has been making its mark in the entertainment industry. Notably, Cristóbal is recognized as a movie enthusiast, and the video tools developed by his team are frequently tailored to meet the needs of filmmakers. The Gen-4 model, for instance, offers enhanced camera control capabilities (such as the ability to instruct the device to capture images from specific angles) and character consistency (ensuring that characters in a film appear the same throughout each scene, which can be challenging with AI video technology).

On Wednesday, James Cameron voiced his support for the cautious optimism of filmmakers regarding generative AI, stating during a Meta podcast that he feels human creators often draw inspiration from others. This could lessen some criticism focused on derivatives. He added that niche companies, such as Runway and Stability AI (of which he’s a board member), will likely lead the way in filmmaking rather than general-interest firms like OpenAI. Cameron expressed his belief that this technology’s speed in generating shots would enable artists to swiftly move on to other innovative projects, allowing them to create even more “cool things.

Hollywood creators have expressed worries that rapid iteration may diminish the human touch, which has traditionally resulted in some of history’s finest works.

EDGLRD principals, at least, say those concerns are misguided.

Soran stated, ‘Many people are apprehensive about it, but this technology allows you to transform thoughts from your mind into reality instantly.’ For the first time, our capacity to create aligns with our ability to imagine. I believe that this synchronization will lead to a significant breakthrough.

Read More

2025-04-10 16:25