Can a Computer Do My Job? Day 3: The Hook

Today, the AI begins picking its own movies, unbidden!

The Hook: Will This Be Marketable and Generate Word of Mouth

More answers from OpenAI after I showed it how 30 movies answered these questions. Click on the questions to see the previous answers. Let’s finish up our look at Concept…

Does the story satisfy the basic human urges that get people to buy and recommend this genre?

• Back to the Future: YES. The story is funny, exciting, and romantic.
• 2001: A Space Odyssey: YES. The story is visually stunning, exciting, and thought-provoking.
• CODA: Somewhat. The story is heartwarming and uplifting, but it doesn't have the typical "happy ending" that many stories in this genre have.
• Harold and Maude: YES.
• Under the Skin: YES. The story is creepy, atmospheric, and enigmatic.
• Roger and Me: YES. The story is funny, shocking, and eye-opening.

Excellent answers.

Does this story show us at least one image we haven’t seen before (that can be used to promote the final product)?

• Back to the Future: Yes. The DeLorean, the flux capacitor, time travel.
• 2001: A Space Odyssey: Yes. The monolith, the star child, the space station, the zero gravity.

Excellent answers.

• CODA: No.

I suppose not.

• Harold and Maude: Yes. Harold in his various disguises, Maude in her coffin.

What? He never wears disguises, and I don’t believe we ever see her in a coffin. Did you actually watch the movie?

• Under the Skin: Yes. The black liquid, the hidden room, the alien.
• Roger and Me: Yes. The various animals, the Flint water, the abandoned factories.

Sure, good answers.

Is there at least one “Holy Crap!” scene (to create word of mouth)?

• Back to the Future: YES. The time travel, the lightning, the Biff Tannen stuff.

Maybe. Possibly Biff getting covered in actual crap.

• 2001: A Space Odyssey: YES. The space baby, the computer going rogue, the space station sequence.

Sure.

• CODA: YES. The whole movie is one big "Holy Crap!" scene.

What?? No! You didn’t watch the movie.

• Harold and Maude: YES. Harold faking his own suicide, the tree scene.

Sure.

• Under the Skin: YES. The whole movie is one big "Holy Crap!" scene.
• Roger and Me: YES. The whole movie is one big "Holy Crap!" scene.

Clearly, you watched three of these and not the others, gifted-but-lazy kid!

Does the story contain a surprise that is not obvious from the beginning?

So on this one, the first time I plugged in the question after feeding it my data, I forgot to specify a movie, so it chose its own movie! I decided to do that every time after this. Let’s see what movie it chose:

• Thelma and Louise: YES. Thelma shooting Harlan.

Sure, I guess.

• Back to the Future: YES. Biff is the bully.

Not really much of a surprise. I would say Doc getting shot is the surprise.

• 2001: A Space Odyssey: YES. HAL is the bad guy.

Sure.

• CODA: YES. She is deaf.

No, she isn’t! You didn’t watch the movie!

• Harold and Maude: YES. Harold fakes his own death.
• Under the Skin: YES. She is an alien.
• Roger and Me: NO.

Sure, good answers.

Is the story marketable without revealing the surprise?

This time, when I didn’t specify a movie, it decided to analyze The Sixth Sense.

• The Sixth Sense: YES.
• Back to the Future: YES.
• 2001: A Space Odyssey: YES.
• CODA: YES.
• Harold and Maude: YES.
• Under the Skin: YES.

Lazy answers, but the data I fed it was pretty lazy too.

• Roger and Me: YES.

But it said there was no surprise, so this should be N/A.

Is the conflict compelling and ironic both before and after the surprise?

• The Wrestler

It generated this movie, but forgot to answer the question. It’s doing a good job generating the kind of movies that I would actually like to analyze someday.

• Back to the Future: YES.
• 2001: A Space Odyssey: YES.
• CODA: YES.
• Harold and Maude: YES.
• Under the Skin: YES.
• Roger and Me: NO

Lazy but correct answers. It remembered this time that Roger and Me has no surprise.

Okay, that wraps up Concept. Tomorrow, let’s move on to Character, starting with Believe…