Idea Generation in Media Studies: Write a Movie with ChatGPT

One of the hardest things for my media studies students is coming up with ideas when they have to make a film. This article shows how ChatGPT can be used as a sparring partner and advisor by writing a short horror film together.

We start by asking ChatGPT if it can help us:

We need to make a short horror film together. Ask about the story, plot, characters, location, etc.

Sounds exciting! I want to help you plan your horror movie. To start, can you tell me a little bit about what you're going for the plot of the movie? What kind of thrills and suspense would you like to have in the movie? Do you already have any ideas for the characters or location? It will help me give some specific suggestions on how you can develop your horror movie.

We'll tell ChatGPT a little more:

The plot is something with a bunch of friends going to a summer house, and then all sorts of scary things happen. 3 boys and 2 girls. One of the boys and one of the girls are lovers. It's going to be a psychological thrill. Maybe with something supernatural.

ChatGPT now comes with a whole bunch of inputs for our movies:

It sounds like you have a solid foundation for your horror movie. You may want to develop the plot further by adding some specific details, such as what kinds of creepy things happen and how the characters react to them. Perhaps you can also consider adding a twist to the story so that there is a surprise for the audience.

To make the movie more psychologically chilling, consider adding elements that make the characters doubt their own senses or the reality around them. This can be through hallucinations, illusory behaviors or other phenomena that make the characters doubt what is real and what is not.

If you want to include something supernatural in the movie, consider adding a villain or an evil force that drives the creepiness. This could be a ghost or other paranormal presence that affects the characters in a creepy way. You can also consider adding a riddle or secret that the characters must unravel in order to survive.

When it comes to the characters, consider adding some individual traits and personalities that help make them unique and interesting to the audience. This can include things like their motivations, fears, desires, and so on. You may also want to add some conflicts between the characters so that there is tension and drama within the group.

Finally, the location will also play a role in the film. The cottage can be a perfect place for creepy things to happen as it is an isolated place where the characters can feel trapped and helpless. You might consider adding some specific details about the house, such as a dark basement or a forest close by, that could add to the creepiness.

Hope this helped give some ideas on how you can develop your horror movie!

We can continue to ask for help with our films, such as character traits:

Can you help with personality characteristics?

Yes, I can absolutely help you develop character characteristics for your characters in the horror movie. This can be a good way to make the characters more realistic and interesting to the audience as it gives them depth and dimensions.

To start, consider giving each of the characters a name and age. This can help put them into context and make them more human to the audience. You can also consider adding some specific traits and personalities to each character, such as their hobbies, interests, desires, and fears. This can help make them unique and interesting.

You may also want to consider what drives each character. What are their motivations? What do they want to achieve? This can help make the characters more realistic and sympathetic to the audience.

Finally, you can also consider adding some conflicts between the characters. These can be internal conflicts, such as inner doubts or guilt, or external conflicts, such as disagreement or competition. This can help create suspense and drama in the film.

Hope this helped give some ideas on how you can develop the character characteristics of your characters in the horror movie!

We're not that creative ourselves, so we're asking for a little more help:

Suggest some people for my movie

It sounds like you need some suggestions for people for your horror movie. Here are some possible characters you can consider adding to your movie:

A group leader figure: This may be the girlfriend of one of the boys who is a natural leader and has a plan for what to do in case of scary things.

A skeptic: This may be one of the girls who does not believe in supernatural things and tries to keep a cool head, even when strange things happen.

A strong but sensitive character: This can be one of the boys who is physically strong, but also sensitive and empathetic. He may be the first to step forward and help others, but also the first to feel guilt and shame for his actions.

A terrible character: This may be one of the girls who is afraid of everything and is always on the hook to prevent something sinister from happening. She may have a tendency to overreact to things and be an obstacle to the other characters' plans.

A villain: This can be an evil force driving the creepiness in the movie. This could be a ghost or other paranormal presence that affects the characters in a creepy way.

Hope this helped provide some ideas for characters you can add to your horror movie!

We can ask ChatGPT to regenerate the response to get a new suggestion:

It now corresponds with concrete examples of characters for the film (though a bit very American)

Suggest some people for my movie

Sure! Here are some suggestions for characters to consider including in your horror movie:

Dave, a 25-year-old photographer who is passionate and daring, but also a bit of a smart alec. He is one of the first to discover the creepy things that happen in the cottage.

Sarah, a 22-year-old doctor who is intelligent, responsible and caring. She is Dave's boyfriend and tries to keep a cool head in difficult situations.

Mike, a 28-year-old bartender who is fun, sociable and loves to party. He tends to be naïve and inattentive when scary things happen.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student who is intelligent but also nervous and insecure. She has a secret fear of dark places and has a hard time dealing with the creepy things that happen in the cottage.

Ryan, a 30-year-old writer who is shy, introverted and deliberate. He tends to be perceived as a "weapons amateur" in the group, but proves to be a useful resource in sinister circumstances.

These are just a few suggestions for characters you can consider including in your horror movie. I hope these ideas help you develop your characters further.

We can also ask for concrete suggestions for cinematic effects:

Offer some suggestions for cinematic effects for the horror film

There are many cinematic devices you can consider using in your horror movie to create suspense and creepiness. Here are some suggestions:

Suspenseful music: Using suspenseful music can help create a sense of excitement and creepiness. Consider adding music that has a low, thundering rhythm or sharp stinging sounds that signal danger.

Jump scares: Jump scares are short, sudden moments of intense creepiness that are typically combined with a sudden sound or movement on the screen. They can be effective in creating a shock instantly, but should be used sparingly so as not to become too predictable.

Darkness and dusk: Using darkness and dusk can help create a sense of isolation and ignorance. You may consider filming certain scenes in the dark or at dusk to create a feeling of discomfort.

Camera movements: You can also consider using camera gestures, such as pans, tilts, and dollies, to create excitement and creepiness. For example, you can use a panning shot to show a ghost or an evil force approaching the characters.

Exciting sound effects: Using exciting sound effects, such as sharp stinging or muffled sounds, can contribute to creating spooky. You might also consider using sound effects that imitate natural disasters, such as thunder or earthquakes, to create a sense of danger.

These are just a few suggestions for cinematic effects you can consider using in your horror movie. I hope they help you create an exciting and spooky movie.

As seen here, idea generation with ChatGPT can be an exciting opportunity in media studies. We conclude by asking for a summary:

Make a summary of what we've found out so far.

To sum up, we've planned a horror movie with an action involving a group of friends who go to a summer house and experience scary things. The film will be psychologically chilling and possibly include something supernatural, such as a ghost or an evil force. We've also discussed possible characters that could be included in the film, such as Dave, Sarah, Mike, Jenna, and Ryan, each with their own personalities, traits, and motivations. Finally, we have also discussed some cinematic effects, such as suspenseful music, jump scares, darkness and dusk, camera movements, and sound effects that can be used to create suspense and creepiness in the film.

We challenge ChatGPT in the end:

Suggest a script for the first scene of the film

Here's a suggestion for the script for the first scene of your horror movie:

(We see a picture of a car driving along a country road. The camera follows the car until it parks in front of a cottage.)

(Dave, Sarah, Mike, Jenna, and Ryan get out of the car and start unpacking their bags.)

DAVE: (happy) Finally on vacation!

SARAH: (smiling) I can't wait to relax in the cottage.

MIKE: (excited) Yes, and I can't wait to have a drink by the pool.

JENNA: (nervous) Are you sure this place is safe? It looks a bit dark.

RYAN: (reassuring) There's no need to be nervous, Jenna. It's just a cottage.

(The group enters the cottage and begins to explore it. The camera follows them until they find a living room with a large window facing the forest.)

DAVE: (impressed) Wow, this place is huge!

SARAH: (smiling) I think we have found our main living area

(The group begins to relax in the living room, but suddenly they hear a cutting sound outside. Everyone buckles up.)

MIKE: (afraid) What was that?

RYAN: (reproachful) It was probably just a bird.

JENNA: (nerve-wracking) I hope that's it...

(The camera pans away from the group and out into the forest, where we see a figure moving in the dark.)

(Dish to black.)

This is just a suggestion of the script for the first scene of your horror movie, and of course, it can be changed according to your preferences. I hope this gave you some ideas to get started writing your script.

We hope this little article has given an insight into the possibilities of ChatGPT in connection with the practical part of media studies. Try to explore the possibilities yourself before using it with your students.

In viden.ai, our position is that we need to accept and incorporate artificial intelligence into the teaching of the future. Students are already using technologies on a large scale, and we, as educators, need to know what's happening out there. This article shows some of the existing possibilities, but they have not yet been tested or didactic for use in teaching. 

We need to be critical, but especially curious, about new technology - also when it challenges how we think about our subjects, our view of creativity, and tampers with our entire understanding of our subject.

Shortly, we will provide another example of how we can work with idea generation in media studies using artificial intelligence.