Copyright Deadline
EXCLUSIVE: Beta Film has teamed with a trio of industry execs to launch artificial intelligence start-up Chapter41. The Munich-headquartered film and TV outfit has partnered with Hannes Jakobsen, Dominik Böhm, and Lars Stark on the new Berlin-based company. It will focus on use of AI across three areas: content generation and production, consulting, and optimizing workflows. Beta is well established in terms of film and TV production and global sales and said the launch is recognition of the importance of AI in the entertainment business. “Artificial intelligence is one of the key strategic issues for the film industry,” the company said as it told Deadline about the launch. “The question of how to approach this challenge might be crucial to its future financial and creative success.” Jakobsen will be Managing Director of Chapter41. He is producer and founder of DRIVE beta, a digital studio based in Berlin that works across production and marketing. Stark, meanwhile, is a generative AI specialist and will be Chief Creative Office. Böhm will serve as Chief Technology Officer. His background is in AI, camera work, post-production and software development. Specifically, Chapter41 will develop generative AI tools and products, an area that remains contentious topic at industry level. The start-up will also offer consultancy and training services for creatives and companies that want to skill-up and learn about the applications. The new business will also specialize in producing AI-generated video. The company will work with Beta and Drive on projects and also make its services available to the wider industry. “The core idea of the partnership with Hannes, Dominik, and Lars is to rethink the production processes within the Beta Group and make them more efficient utilizing AI,” said Moritz von Kruedener, Managing Director at Beta Film: “Within Chapter41, AI tools are not created in a vacuum, but rather always in connection with specific productions, be it from DRIVE beta or together with the production companies belonging to Beta Group.” “Chapter41 is supposed to be part of the burgeoning creative AI ecosystem,” Jakobsen added. “Together with our partners, we are creating a space for working on making generative AI usable and valuable in moving image production. We want to push creative boundaries and ensure real added value for our partners.”
