GoQuest touts AI tools in helping to create local versions of scripted formats
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools are being used by international distributors such as India’s GoQuest Media to help shop remake rights to scripted formats.
Vivek Lath
Vivek Lath, founder and MD of Mumbai-based independent content distributor GoQuest Media, told C21 his company is frequently using such tools, while also emphasising the continued need for human writers.
“We use AI within our business a lot. It’s not to replace the writing talent, but to enhance them,” Lath said, adding that the new technology can be used to get over writer’s block and improve output.
One example the exec gave is in relation to getting local versions of international dramas from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in its catalogue remade in markets such as India.
Using generative AI tools to speed up the process, GoQuest will create pitch materials for different versions of the same show based on an existing IP to decide which one to pitch to a buyer.
“We’ll create 10 different adapted versions for India within different universes. Characters would be designed different ways, in different cities with different nuances. We iterate on them and we create about six or seven different adaptation options.
“We look at them and we decide which one looks the best. Sometimes we present all five and we see what the buyer is responding to. And then we take it forward from there and, of course, actual writers are brought on board. We only use AI for the initial pitch process to give visualisation to our buyers,” said Lath.
The exec added that GoQuest is already using AI tools to localise programming in different markets and monetise library content on ad-supported VoD (AVoD) platforms such as YouTube by quickly subtitling a show in Spanish and launching it across Latin America, for example.
“It’s super easy and it’s significantly more accurate now. We’ll see those tools being used more often. The cost of subtitling is really, really low. So you still get to launch and monetise your local content on free, ad-supported streaming TV [FAST], AVoD and a bunch of other platforms.”
Under Lath’s leadership, GoQuest has acquired and licensed several CEE drama titles such as Ruby Ring (Ukraine), Civil Servant (Serbia), Traitor (Estonia), Divorce in Peace (Estonia), Erinyes (Poland) and Rats (Czechia) to platforms including Disney+ Hotstar, Globoplay, Telemundo, Voyo, SBS in Australia and Wowow in Japan.
Lath was speaking at last week’s Content Warsaw in Poland, where the use of AI tools such as ChatGPT was a major talking point. Executives working in the CEE region said they are discovering that such tools are producing much higher-quality TV series synopses than expected.
