The use of AI in film marketing has again sparked controversy, with A24's promotional posters for its film “Civil War” having been most recently criticized for their inaccuracies that misled viewers.
A24 is an independent entertainment production company known for its diverse portfolio of critically acclaimed films like “Ex Machina,” “Minari,” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
Its marketing campaign for “Civil War,” which opened in theaters on April 12 and is known to be the outfit’s most expensively produced movie at a budget of about $50 million, has raised questions about the use of generative AI in its film marketing.
'Civil War' Ads Face Major Backlash
On April 18, five AI-generated posters released on Instagram by A24 depict scenes that do not appear in the movie, leading to confusion and frustration among viewers.
The posters also showed inaccuracies about real-world landmarks, as well as flawed details that created an overall false image.
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For instance, a small military boat seems like it's chasing after a giant swan at Echo Park Lake in Los Angeles. We believe it was supposed to be a swan paddleboat, but it looks like a real swan swimming on its own.
Another one is a poster depicting tourist ships at Marina City in Chicago loaded with survivors. It shows a burning Marina Tower perpendicular to its other half. The two towers are side by side in real life.
These inaccuracies in AI-generated images have raised questions about the value and role of human creativity and artistry, especially in the film industry.
“None of these AI-generated images are [ever] seen in the film and have nothing to do with anything that happens in the film,” user @jackcryin__ warned.
“Why do you keep posting these ridiculous AI posters? Hire an actual artist,” user @masonbaxter wrote in their comment, which has since garnered over 8,500 likes.
Meanwhile, user @sodapopcomics drew attention to the irony of it all, “A movie about photojournalism uses AI in [its] marketing.”
Directed by Alex Garland, “Civil War” has garnered many positive reviews, and according to A24 estimates, has grossed $44.9 million in the two weeks it has been showing.
It’s also No. 1 in box-office ticket sales, beating three newly released films even in its second week.
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However, A24’s decision to use AI in its promotional posters continues to draw outrage online.
“The actors and writers that make YOUR movies possible didn’t go on 100+ day strikes just for [you all] to use AI to promote your films. Hire actual artists,” user @paolaaa_martinez wrote.
In response, an A24 spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter, “The entire movie is a big ‘what if’ and so we wanted to continue that thought on social — powerful imagery of iconic landmarks with that dystopian realism.”
The images were just “inspired by the movie” and not based on actual scenes from the movie, the spokesperson clarified.
AI Images and Film Marketing
The use of AI in film marketing has been a contentious issue in recent months, with many arguing that it's a form of false advertising and a disregard for the work of human artists and graphic designers.
“I’m turned off by this marketing campaign. AI art is theft and it’s aesthetically awful. Fire the person who approved this garbage. It’s repulsive and insulting to your audience.” This comment from user @grandjen on A24’s post drew over 1,600 likes.
Most recently, Netflix has also drawn flak over its use of AI-generated images for its true-crime documentary, “What Jennifer Did.”
Netflix documentary What Jennifer Did hit with AI photo scandal: Show includes 'manipulated' images of 'killer' Jennifer Pan https://t.co/89xCB1b7F8pic.twitter.com/JveLtlPD6L
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) April 19, 2024
Although several photos were in question, the most apparent one was where Pan made the peace sign with both hands.
The hands were misshapen and AI-generated.
Although this is already a common practice in films where certain images must be shown in futuristic scenes or flashbacks, the lack of disclosure in the film's credits sparked outrage from creators and fans alike.
