Avil hopes to sell Hollywood using AI to sort through scripts

While every industry is looking for ways to use AI to gain an edge over the competition, few have had as close a relationship with the technology as Hollywood. However, startup Avail has announced the launch of a beta version of its script syndication platform, which it says will allow film and television producers to read long-form scripts and select the ones to turn into blockbusters.

Built on OpenAI's GPT-4, Avail said its AI tool is tuned to experience minimal illusions and provide simple document scanning without the need to first train user data. After a 30-day free trial, a subscription costs $250 per month.

A paid standalone ChatGPT plan that allows for customization costs $20 per month.

“We hope to empower Script readers to 10x their productivity, similar to what Excel did for accountants in the 1980s,” Avail founder and CEO Chris Giliberti told Decrypt. “Our solution brings about a big increase in productivity.

“Script analysis—even with Availabe—requires human judgment,” says Giliberti. “With Avail, script readers have more time for the critical thinking involved in evaluating the creative quality and potential of submissions.”

A growing number of projects focused on film, television and video game companies are creating a cottage industry in the entertainment industry to help them do more work with shorter turnaround times and lower costs.

AI was critical to contract negotiations and demands during the months-long WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike earlier this year. Writers and actors railed against Hollywood producers for using AI to create actors or write new scripts based on old content without permission or proper compensation.

Avail also said that the chances of fixing things are slim.

AI illusion refers to the habit of generative AI models to generate false or untrue statements when responding to user queries – and is a common failure of services. In October, former Fugees member Pras Michel filed a motion for a new trial after a new lawyer, AI Illusions, charged Michel with money laundering and witness tampering.

Others working on Hollywood-oriented projects include Lore Machine, which uses generative AI to create production-ready storyboards based on text prompts.

“Our goal and what we're building is that we want to see it as multimodal,” Lore Machine founder Tobey Campion told Decrypt. “It can pull multiple systems for text integration, and multiple systems both proprietary and [third party] For the Media Generation”

Looking ahead, Giliberti said Avail is working with partners, including Range Media Group, on a “comprehensive suite of tools” designed to complement the entertainment industry's executive body.

“We are working with Range to create models focused on use cases for budgeting and production planning, as well as insights on business issues,” he said.

While Avail did not disclose how much it invested in the company, Giliberti said Avail's investors include venture capitalist Alexis Ohanian and General Catalyst. Other investors include Advancit Capital and Liontree.

“Amongst AI-powered application development, Avail stands out due to the combination of Chris's unique manufacturing experience and John's technology,” Ohanian said. “We are inspired by their vision to develop new technology that will create greater exposure for Hollywood's creative class.”

Edited by Ryan Ozawa.