• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer, 3 hours ago

Last year, my eight-year-old granddaughter sat at the edge of my bed and told me a heartwarming story about two animals who became friends, and some of the adventures they had along the way.

As she became the storyteller, I videoed her on my iPhone. The adventure seemed so detailed that I researched it to ensure it did not exist elsewhere. When I felt confident that her imagination created it, and her idea would be protected, I transcribed the words and began turning it into an adventure book for her with Adobe Firefly.

Adobe for decades has been at the heart of advertising and filmmaking. But this year, its IP-safe generation AI models have attracted the entertainment industry. About 85% of movies premiering this year at the Sundance Film Festival were created using Adobe tools.

On Thursday, Adobe announced that Foundry, which launched in October, has drawn support from talent agencies, filmmakers, schools and others. The idea is to help companies build generative AI models trained on branded content and intellectual property.

The AI models can generate high-fidelity images, video, audio, 3D and vector outputs with a complete understanding of a brand or franchise’s creative universe to protect their intellectual property (IP).

Storytelling is an art  -- even when it comes to advertising and the content brands put on their websites or across social media.

The words that create the message must match the images. Media and entertainment leaders, talent, directors and visionaries are being asked for more -- more nuances and more creativity at increasing speed.

Early partners include Creative Arts Agency, United Talent Agency, WME, B5 Studios, Promise Advanced Imagination, Cantina Creative, and directors David Ayer from the the Fast and Furious franchise, and Jaume Collet-Serra from Black Adam, and Jungle Cruise.

Sean Bailey, founder and CEO of B5 Studios and former film studio production chief at Disney, said his company is partnering with Adobe in part because of its history in the creative community.

“At B5 Studios, we share that commitment as a next-generation content and technology company, collaborating with creators to develop premium storytelling across film, television, and emerging formats,” Bailey said, adding that B5 Studios brought its creative and technical expertise to Firefly Foundry.