TVREAL
Off the Fence has entered a one-year co-development partnership with AI specialist Return to Earth Studio.
Under the deal, Off the Fence and the newly launched studio will produce AI-powered storytelling projects. The first will be What If Evolution…, in which scientists and AI artists will work together to imagine the animals that might have evolved if the Earth’s history had happened differently.
The three-part series will blend state-of-the-art technology, robust science and the latest thinking in paleontology, genetics and evolutionary biology to explore the processes that have and will continue to shape life on Earth.
Among the scenarios to be addressed are how life would have evolved if the continents never split and what hybrid creatures might have resulted if the animal species of today interbred with each other. Some of the concepts will explore scientifically plausible outcomes of environmental shifts or evolutionary pressures, while others will seek to inspire debate by illuminating fundamental biological principles.
“We’re at an inflection point, both in terms of AI and what audiences around the world expect from factual storytellers,” said Bo Stehmeier, CEO of Off the Fence. “We know there’s still huge demand for traditional blue-chip documentaries, particularly from older-skewing audiences. But in parallel, the data is showing us that younger demographics want their natural-history programming served up in a fresher, more visual, more surprising format. To deliver that, it’s vital that Off the Fence partners with companies who are native to this brave new world—partners who have the creative and economic skills to operate in this environment but who also share our core corporate, environmental and social values. We believe that Return to Earth Studio is that partner and that, together, we will reimagine the future of factual storytelling.”
“Return to Earth Studio has embraced AI as a means to a more efficient and sustainable production model and enabler of thrilling new possibilities for visualizing the ‘what-if’s of our human imagination,” commented Tony Stearns, co-founder and executive producer at Return to Earth Studio. “We are honored to partner with the renowned storytellers of Off the Fence to help them create fresh, never-before-seen content.”
Laen Sanches, co-founder and creative director of Return to Earth Studio, added, “Imagining how life could have evolved differently is fascinating, but visualizing the details can be challenging. With the latest generative creative tools, we can now explore these possibilities with a new approach and greater precision. This allows us to study, for example, different shapes, textures, behaviors and even sounds. Through our partnership with Off the Fence, we’re excited to bring these visions to life and share them with the world.”
