Martin Scorsese · June 2, 2026
Martin Scorsese Joins Black Forest Labs as Adviser, Uses FLUX for Storyboards
Variety · Trade Article
What happened
Director Martin Scorsese has joined generative-AI company Black Forest Labs as an adviser, revealing that he is utilizing the startup's FLUX model to help storyboard scenes for an upcoming project. In an announcement video recorded at his New York office, Scorsese demonstrated how generative image tools allow him to quickly communicate visual concepts to his creative team, including the cinematographer, production designer, and art director. Reflecting on past complex sequences—such as the iconic Copacabana Steadicam shot in Goodfellas—Scorsese noted that using tools like FLUX during preproduction allows filmmakers to work through intricate staging and blocking much faster, saving production time and reducing wear and tear on the crew. The partnership was facilitated through investors BroadLight Capital and Michael Ovitz, alongside Black Forest Labs CEO Robin Rombach.
Why it matters
This development demonstrates how generative AI is practically integrating into elite film workflows as an advanced previsualization and communication aid rather than a replacement for physical filmmaking. Storyboarding and visual concept development have traditionally required long turnaround times or rough hand sketches. By deploying text-to-image models to explore staging, framing intentions, and vignette composition, directors can iterate concepts rapidly before handing them off to craft specialists. This compresses early preproduction phases, sharpens alignment across departments before physical sets are constructed, and reduces costly trial-and-error during principal photography. Scorsese's framing highlights a distinct industry shift: leveraging generative tools specifically to protect production time, optimize department collaboration, and refine visual intent without bypassing practical on-set execution.
Antique Robots take
Scorsese adopting FLUX fits his lifelong pattern of testing new technology to serve storytelling needs, from 3D on Hugo to digital de-aging on The Irishman. His framing is exactly how working filmmakers should approach generative AI: as an agile visual scratchpad, not an automated director. Using image generation to quickly articulate camera blocking, framing ideas, or mood to your cinematographer and production designer is practical preproduction efficiency. It does not replace the storyboard artist's nuance or the DP's creative eye; it gives them a clearer brief to elevate. The key takeaway is purpose-driven adoption. AI will not capture a nuanced performance or replace on-set problem solving, but if it helps a director clarify their visual grammar before expensive production clocks start running, it earns its place in prep.