Movie Maker's Intent

Written by Claire Desrosiers

"They all are worried that in Hollywood’s bid to provide cheap infinite content to snap up all our subscription dollars, they’ll be replaced by computers and see their own industries devastated. And in the sixth season of Black Mirror, creator Charlie Booker envisions a world where it’s not just actors, writers, and directors that get wrecked by AI — but the people watching at home, too." [1].

Charlie Brooker is an author, screenwriter, and television producer. He is well-known for his work on the Netflix show Black Mirror. The episodes regularly comment on societal problems such as internet addiction, political scandals, and more.

Brooker’s screenwrite used for Joan Is Awful commentates on the rise of AI in the entertainment industry. In a 2023 interview with Vanity Fair, he remarked, "I'm delighted that it's so timely, even if it's worrying stuff that it's touching on. We wrapped filming and then about a month later, ChatGPT came out. It's one of those things where as a writer, you look at that and go: Uh oh! But the more you use it, the more you can see what it can do and what it can't do. It has value as a tool for writers, like artists using tools in Photoshop. The worry is obviously executives going: I'll generate a load of crap IP with ChatGPT and then get a human to knock it into shape" [1].

Brooker’s concerns about Hollywood executives replacing talent with AI come amid the Hollywood Strike but he has held that sentiment before the momentous event. Fears about how AI may take over the entertainment industry are nothing new. Joan Is Awful is a clear representation of Brooker’s distasteful attitude towards subbing in the new, cheaper technology as opposed to fostering creative minds in the entertainment industry.