Filmmaking is evolving. And artificial intelligence is playing a big role in how movies are being made.
Trying to explain your vision can be tough. Writing words, reference images, and storyboarding (I suck at drawing) can only get you so far.
Imagine if you could project your vision onto paper for others to see EXACTLY what you want.
That’s the power AI is bringing to our industry.
With just a few words… you can build an entire WORLD. It’s a director’s dream.
I mean look at these images I made with just a few sentences…
At first, I was terrified that MidJourney would replace our jobs. I mean, why wouldn’t it?
But then I realized something. The only images I’m resonating with are artists I already like.
It’s like filmmaking, you can have all the best gear in the world… but if you suck as an artist, an Alexa mini isn’t going to fix that. So, in a way, I’m actually more excited about MidJourney than ever before. Because now I know that true artists will always find a way to shine.
Just like any tool… if you know how to use it correctly, you can create some amazing results. So let’s dive…
How to Use MidJourney…
Step 1: You get an invite / access to the beta!
Step 2: Once you’re in the discord (it’s like slack), you’ll be welcomed.
On the left, you’ll see a bunch of different channels. This is where we generate our images.
Step 3: Go to a channel, type ‘/imagine’ then whatever your heart desires.
You can literally type anything…
You’ll quickly see both the power / limitations that comes with AI art as you type.
Step 4: Select variants… or upscale.
After MidJourney processes your text. It’ll give you some options.
MidJourney will give you 4 variants to choose from (V1 – V4). If you select one of these, it will process and pump out 4 more variants. Finally, when you want to Upscale an image select U1-U4.
Step 5: Add some more direction.
The secret sauce. Adding extra keywords will completely shift how the image feels and looks. Here are a few phrases I use to get cool images.
Just add these after your ‘sentence’ and it will help direct the engine.
- polaroid, film grain, atmospheric, photo realistic, high detail, gloomy, cinematic
- Denis Villanueve, Christopher Nolan, cinematic, concept art, gaussy, dramatic lighting
- prometheus, moody, lighting through clouds, mist, anamorphic, film grain
- like a baroque painting, cinematic, moody, atmospheric, painterly, intricate, high detail, alphonse mucha and jeremy mann
- zack snyder, avatar, james Cameron, realistic cinematic lighting, establishing action shot, misty mood, ultra detailed, hyper realism, photo, octane render, –ar 20:9 –no dof –stop 85** –
You can look through the discord and find images you like… pay attention to what they’re putting in their text.
You can adjust the aspect ratio by adding –ar 16:9 (or w/e ratio you want at the end 9:16 for mobile, 2.31:1 for anamorphic).
Like I said before, it’s not perfect, it takes time. But hot damn is it fun.
MidJourney is going to make treatments and reference images SO much easier.
AI-powered vision is the future of filmmaking. And it’s already here. If you’re a filmmaker, Artificial Intelligence will give you a leg up to showcase your ideas.
So what are you waiting for? It’s time to jump on the train and show the world what you’re made of.
Best,
Chris Neal
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