Following the initial preview of Sora last month, OpenAI has been working closely with visual artists, designers, creative directors, and filmmakers to explore the model's potential in bringing ideas to life. Take a look at the new examples and comments that they have shared below:
Director Paul Trillo, known for his multi-disciplinary work and numerous Vimeo Staff Picks, sees Sora as a game-changer in the industry. "Working with Sora is the first time I've felt unchained as a filmmaker," he shares. "Not restricted by time, money, other people's permission, I can ideate and experiment in bold and exciting ways." Trillo emphasizes that Sora shines when used to create new and impossible ideas, rather than replicating the old.
Toronto-based multimedia production company shy kids utilized Sora for their short film "Air Head," featuring a balloon man. The team, consisting of Walter Woodman, Sidney Leeder, and Patrick Cederberg, express their excitement about Sora's ability to make the surreal tangible. "We now have the ability to expand on stories we once thought impossible," they share, adding that "people from all over the world with stories ready to burst out of their chests finally have the opportunity to show the world what's inside."
Creative agency Native Foreign's Co-Founder Nik Kleverov suggests that Sora can help overcome budgetary constraints that often limit creativity. "I'm one of those creatives that thinks in motion, so when I'm in Sora it really feels like I can bring any idea to life," he explains, as he uses the tool to visualize concepts and iterate on creative for brand partners.
For multi-disciplinary artist August Kamp, Sora is a turning point. "Sora represents a real turning point for me as an artist whose scope has always been limited by imagination being at odds with means," she says. "Being able to build and iterate on cinematic visuals this intuitively has opened up categorically new lanes of artistry to me."
Josephine Miller, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Oraar Studio, echoes the sentiment of Sora enabling previously impossible ideas. "The ability to rapidly conceptualize at such a high level of quality is not only challenging my creative process but also helping me evolve in storytelling. It's enabling me to translate my imagination with fewer technical constraints," she shares.
Digital AR/XR artist Don Allen Stevenson III, who has collaborated with major tech and entertainment companies, finds Sora's "weirdness" to be its greatest strength. "It's not bound by traditional laws of physics or conventions of thought," he says, adding that working with Sora shifted his focus from "technical hurdles to pure creativity…unlocking a world of instant visualization and rapid prototyping."
OpenAI's Artist In Residence, Alexander Reben, has been using Sora as a starting point for creating 3D sculptures. "My thoughts drifted towards exploring the realm of photogrammetry and its potential applications to sculpture. The prospect of transforming video into 3D models intrigued me, as it hinted at propelling the AI system beyond its initial scope," he shares.
As OpenAI continues to refine Sora based on the valuable feedback from the creative community, the potential for AI to transform the filmmaking landscape becomes increasingly apparent. While there are still improvements to be made, Sora is already sparking creativity and opening up new possibilities for storytelling in the film industry.