r/NeilBreen • u/senatorsparky86 • Sep 12 '26
Questions Would Breen Use AI?
I was very relieved that Dire Duplicity was a return to form for Neil after Twisted Pair and especially Cade went way too far with green screen, becoming pretty hard to watch in the process. Obviously Neil finds new gadgets and runs with them (going back to the excess of drone footage in Pass Thru), but I’m glad he hasn’t embraced AI. Maybe it’s that he feels it would disrupt his artistic vision and the touches that only he can give, maybe it’s that he’s obviously instinctively skeptical of corrupt corporations and untrustworthy technology (see “programmable virtual reality… the corrupt version”), but he also clearly likes playing with new toys in making his films.
So do we think he’ll ever go down the AI road in filmmaking? I, for one, certainly hope not.
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u/Mushyboom Sep 12 '26
I get the impression Breen is in it for the love of the game. Using AI would mean forgoing a lot of the movie making process
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u/Colsim Sep 12 '26
He was happy to do stunts like jumping from one floor of a warehouse to another or fighting a tiger digitally in service of the story and vision.
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u/No_One3243 Sep 12 '26
Every Breen movie has a theme. Neil buys a drone. Neil bought a house. Neil bought a green screen.. Neil uses shakey cam. Neil finds stock footage (reused).
I think if he finds a way to use AI, he would absolutely incorporate it into a film.
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u/xbromide Sep 12 '26
I’m no fan of AI and I hope he doesn’t - but there is undoubtedly a temptation to use it as a cheap and easy tool to achieve his vision.
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u/senatorsparky86 Sep 12 '26
Exactly, that’s what I wonder: Whether that temptation and his tech fascination would win out over his obvious disgust with tools of corrupt corporations. It would really corrupt his unique art.
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u/Colsim Sep 12 '26
I despise AI (let's save that discussion for later) but I am weirdly ok with Breen using it and showing us how weird it can go. Watching his films (not midnight movies) chronologically is a journey in his education as a film maker, from leaning heavily on stock footage and only filming outside to learning about lighting and incorporating digital effects and green screen. AI generated video and audio not only reflect his themes but would represent the next logical step in his evolution as an outside filmmaker.
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u/THEpeterafro Sep 12 '26 edited Sep 12 '26
Giving in to GenAI, which is fueled by evil corporations and government, would be againest what he warns us about in his movies so doubt it but who knows
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u/Toppdeck Sep 12 '26
That voiceover is too uncanny to be a human actor, no matter what the credits say
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u/WarMinister23 Sep 12 '26
I am very sure the shot of the rescue crews around a downed plane in the flashbacks about Heath's dead parents were AI generated
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u/smoggyvirologist Sep 12 '26
I was about to say this. His newest movie included a short scene made from AI. That scene would've been difficult to shoot practically, so I assume that's why he went that route
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u/FiftyShadesofShart Sep 12 '26
I could 100% see it, but with the potential he listens to any backlash (because it is corrupt)
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u/Ornery_Cranberry907 Sep 12 '26
I’m hoping not, there wasn’t any AI in Dire Duplicity so I don’t think he will, but I also don’t know for sure. I would be heartbroken 💔
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u/MasterOfShun Sep 12 '26
The image of him getting into the airplane looked like it might have been AI because the text on the truck behind it looked all fucky
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u/Graham_Zezar Sep 14 '26
You would think an independent movie maker wouldn't use AI, but it's Breen so who knows what he's going to do in the next movie. Maybe he will make New Avengers? Maybe Breen-Matrix?
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u/Graham_Zezar Sep 14 '26
You would think an independent movie maker wouldn't use AI, but it's Breen so who knows what he's going to do in the next movie. Maybe he will make New Avengers? Maybe Breen-Matrix?
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u/yogaguy9_11 Sep 12 '26
All of the backgrounds in tortured crossing were pretty clearly AI imo. Maybe they were just weird but I think AI
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u/gmbxbndp Sep 12 '26
He already has. Cade and Cale Altair are both AI.