Is ChatGPT a tool for the writer or a future crutch?
I was writing a scene that I wanted to produce for a reel. I was using the typical “The Shield” or “The Wire” tropes to get the scene written. The script was good, and I know I could show my skill as an actor using those lines.
EXT. PARKING GARAGE - DAY
David parks, gets out of his car. Mark has been waiting.
MARK
You’re going to release him?
DAVID
I have to. You had no evidence and his alibi was rock solid.
MARK
Come on, Davy! I finally got him.
David pushes Mark aside and walks past him.
MARK (CONT’D)
This is the guy who killed Rose and you are going to just let him go?
DAVID
Mark, I gotta go by the book. I’m not going to break the rules over Rose.
MARK
He’s guilty.
DAVID
Not this time. You had nothing.
MARK
And now he’s going to be gunning after me. My kids? I won’t be able to protect my family.
David stares at Mark. He knows what he’s saying is true.
DAVID
I’ll put a car on him. I agree that this guy has been untouchable for way too long.
(BEAT)
I’ll tell you what, I’ll give you 24 hours to come up with something I can hold him on. Anything. It’ll give you time to make that rape charge stick. In the mean time, keep your nose clean.
MARK
Fine. For Rose.
David nods and walks into the door to the precinct.
Not a bad script, I know. I have been getting into ChatGPT and other AI as a fan of tech. So, I wanted to try an experiment. I distilled the above script into prose.
Write a scene containing over 3000 words for a demo reel for a 40 year old actor with the character name of Detectce Mark Richards and a male scene partner named Police Cheif David Malloy who is in early 50s in the standard screenplay format. Chief Malloy is a police chief who has been forced by the 72 hour holding law to release an assault suspect. Mark is a detective in the same police force. The suspect is accused of assaulting Mark’s 35 year old sister named Rose. As Malloy walks to his car in a parking structure, Mark confronts him and asks him why. Malloy tells Mark that there wasn’t enough evidence. Mark worries that the murder suspect will threaten his wife and his two kids. Malloy puts a police detail outside of Mark’s house and gives Mark 24 hours to come up with enough evidence to hold the murder suspect. The scene ends with Mark leaving Malloy near his car as Mark maintains his resolve to catch the person who hurt Rose. While composing the script make the time of day late afternoon of a partly cloudy day. Please contain extreme detail, and also have a clear beginning, middle and end to the scene. Mark needs emotional key points in his dialog. Mark should have a 6 six sentence monologue. Scene should be in the style of the Shield TV show.
What came next shocked the hell out of me.
FADE IN:
EXT. PARKING STRUCTURE - LATE AFTERNOON
Police Chief DAVID MALLOY (early 50s) walks to his car in a dimly lit parking structure, his shoulders slumped in defeat. As he approaches his car, he hears footsteps behind him. He turns around to see DETECTIVE MARK RICHARDS (40s), his fellow officer and friend, standing there with a look of determination on his face.
MARK:
(voice low, but firm)
Chief, I need to talk to you.
MALLOY
Malloy sighs, What is it, Mark?
MARK:
(frustrated)
You know damn well what it is. You released the suspect who assaulted my sister, Rose.
Malloy winces at the mention of Rose's name.
DAVID:
(calmly)
Mark, there just wasn't enough evidence to hold him. His alibi was rock solid.
MARK:
(angry)
Bullshit! I know he did it, and so do you. He threatened her in front of witnesses, for god's sake!
DAVID:
(sighing)
I understand you're upset, Mark, but we can't just throw people in jail without evidence.
MARK:
(voice trembling with emotion)
My sister is scared to death, Chief. She won't even leave her house. And now this guy is out there, free to hurt her again, or even come after my wife and kids.
Malloy puts a hand on Mark's shoulder in a gesture of comfort.
DAVID:
(consolingly)
I know this is tough, but I'm not leaving you guys out there alone. I'll have a police detail outside your house tonight. And you have 24 hours to come up with enough evidence to hold this guy. Can you do that?
Mark looks up at Malloy with a mix of determination and gratitude.
MARK:
(resolute)
You can count on me, Chief. I won't stop until we catch the person who hurt Rose.
DAVID:
(nodding)
I know you won't.
Mark watches as Malloy gets into his car and drives away. He takes a deep breath and looks up at the cloudy sky, steeling himself for the task ahead.
MARK (V.O)
I can't let Rose live in fear anymore. And I can't let this guy hurt anyone else. I'll find the evidence, no matter what it takes. I owe it to my sister, and to my family. And I owe it to myself, to prove that justice can be served.
Mark turns and walks away, his mind already racing with ideas and plans.
FADE OUT.
It’s massively better than what I had written originally. It’s also not the end of creativity for me, but it is a spark.
I also couldn’t believe my eyes. I did this as an experiment. I know that I didn’t spend a lot of time working on the original script. I wrote it a while ago and I hadn’t given it any edits. And the result challenges my thinking. Is Chat GPT a tool that can be used to spark a fire? I had to be entirely specific with the Chatbot to get the result I wanted. I was very detailed about the scene. I had condensed the idea of the original script into something that I could type to the interface.
People are designing code for programs by asking the bot to be a tool in the creation.
I don’t believe that AI can ever take the place of creativity. But this experiment was sure a spark, wasn’t it?