Winner: Midjourney

Curious Refuge Score: 9/10

Midjourney creates the most realistic AI imagery at the moment. With Midjourney you can create realistic shots and have a ton of control over the quality of the image produced. While Midjourney’s interface is rather clunky, it more than makes up for the hassle with incredible images and realistic results. It also features advanced tools like repeaters, in-painting, advanced style controls, and an online database with all community generations in one place.

There is a slight learning curve to Midjourney. But once you know how to use the tool, you can get the best image results in just a matter of seconds.

Leonardo

Curious Refuge Score: 8/10

Leonardo not only allows you to use their AI algorithms (models) to create artwork. But they also provide you access to various open-source models like Stable Diffusion to see which result is best for your project. They have a great interface, upresing tools, and record of fantastic updates. The biggest downside is that they don’t allow for quick iterations and their credit system can be a bit expensive. Otherwise, this is a great 2nd-place tool.

Dall-E 3

Curious Refuge Score: 6/10

Dall-E is capable of producing interesting imagery that more closely matches your prompts. However, the limited directorial controls, a slow workflow, and less-than-realistic cinematic results make it better suited for stylized artwork and novelty.

Dall-E 3 also works in ChatGPT. As a result, the creative back and forth process is very conversational.

Adobe Firefly

Curious Refuge Score: 6/10

While Adobe Firefly’s interface is incredibly easy to use, the quality of the images produces fall far behind Midjourney at the moment. The advantage of using Firefly is the images are all copyright clear as they are trained on Adobe’s library. They also allow for some camera controls and effects for increasing the art-direction potential. There are also in-painting tools inside Firefly quick adjustments to your images.

Stable Diffusion

Curious Refuge Score: 7/10

Stable Diffusion is an open-source AI platform that allows you to have full-control over the way in which the AI generates your images. However, Stable Diffusion requires quite a bit of technical understanding and (unless you are running a cloud instance) the tool requires high-end GPUs to operate. The tool unlocks various perks like Lora models and ControlNet. But for the average artists and storyteller, the technical and hardware hurdles required to create with Stable Diffusion is typically too much to justify.

The Best Image-to-Video AI Tool

The best tool for taking an image and converting it to video is Runway Gen-2, with Pika in a close second.

Winner: Runway Gen 2

Curious Refuge Score: 8/10

Runway Gen 2 can convert images (like those produced in Midjourney) into a moving video. This is important because it will essentially use your uploaded frame to generate the first frame of the video, giving you video quality that closely resembles your reference images. While the quality isn’t quite ready for the silver screen, it is clear that the creative potential of AI in a creative workflow is here. With Runway have the ability to adjust camera controls and direct the action in your scene. Movements can be unpredictable, but with advanced tools like the motion brush you are still capable of generating incredible results.

Runway has an extensive library of AI tools that go far beyond this tool alone.

This sci-fi scene example was created using Runway Gen 2.

Notable Alternative: Pika Labs 7/10

Pika Labs is an image-to-video tool that offers realistic movements, great atmospheric animation, and advanced tools like video inpainting and aspect ratio changes. It creates realistic movement but (like many AI video generators) can struggle with large movements.

The Star Wars video example was created using Pika Labs.

Notable Image to Video Runner Ups:

• Haiper (7/10) - The most realistic free video option.

• Pixverse (7/10) - A great free option that creates 4K renders.

• Leondardo Video (6/10) - Not free but is a helpful all-in-one tool.

• Stable Video Diffusion (5/10) - Can be run locally on your machine.

• I2V (4/10)

• Moonvalley (3/10)

Winner: Runway Gen 2

Curious Refuge Score: 7/10

Runway Gen 2 is producing some incredible results based on text prompts. From a simple prompt, you can produce clips that show the potential of text-to-video entertainment. The quality of video from text-only prompts in Gen-2 is incredible, but you may have trouble with consistency between shots if you circumvent using uploaded reference imagery. But it’s still quite incredible.

Language Processing: Script Development, Outlining, Research, Distribution, & More.

Winner (Tie): ChatGPT4

Curious Refuge Score: 8/10

While ChatGPT doesn’t have the native scriptwriting format features of tools like Nolan AI. Their language model running on the latest version of ChatGPT is (in our opinion) the most advanced language processing tool available. The writing quality for scripts alone is equivalent to film student quality, but for developing scripts, outlines, treatments, and more, ChatGPT is an essential tool. It also has integrations with Bing and can be expanded far beyond just screenwriting alone. ChatGPT also has built in image generation using Dalle making it powerful for quick visualizations and a library of custom GPTs that can assist with doing repeated prompts..

Winner (Tie): Claude 3

Curious Refuge Score: (8/10)

Claude is an incredible tool for creativity and processing. With Claude you have the ability to input up to 150K words, making it powerful for script breakdowns. ChatGPT has the ability to create images and share GPTs, but for text-only workflows, Claude is supreme.

Notable Alternative: Google Gemini (7/10)

Google Gemini is a great alternative to using ChatGPT & Claude. However, it lacks features like Custom GPTs and advanced integrations. Gemini is also more restricted than ChatGPT, making it very tricky for edgy creative work. In some cases, Gemini can be more creative than ChatGPT, but it’s built-in filters make it a slightly less-appealing tool.

Notable Alternative: Nolan AI (6/10)

Nolan AI is specifically created for writing and collaborating on scripts. The resulting scripts and limited scope make it more of a helpful collaboration tool when used in conjunction inside writer’s rooms, but not as an all-purpose GPT tool.

The Best AI Music Tool for Film Scores

Winner: Suno

Curious Refuge Score: 7/10

While Suno’s primary function is in creating AI songs with lyrics, it is also a very powerful tool for creating incredible AI scores. You can use emotive language and their ‘instrumental’ feature to create music that has never existed.

Notable Runner-Up: Soundful

Curious Refuge Score: 6/10

Soundful’s easy-to-use interface and library of templates make AI music creation very easy. While in our opinion, the music isn’t quite to the quality of typical stock libraries, there is a lot of potential for this amazing tool.

Notable Alternatives

• Stable Audio 5/10

• Google MusicML 4/10

The Best AI Music Tool for Lyric-Based Music

Suno.AI

Curious Refuge Score: 8/10

Suno allows users to type in a prompt and hear a song in return. The song’s can be hit-or-miss, but recently the hits have been outweighing the misses. This tool showcases the future of music production. It is perfect for generating quick songs for video production or film projects. The theme song in AI Advertising was created using Suno,.

The Best AI Text-to-Voice Tool

Winner: Elevenlabs

Curious Refuge Score: 8/10

Elevenlabs gives artists the ability to type in text and hear a professional voice-over in seconds. While the directing options are currently limited, in terms of realism, they are the closest to reality. Elevenlabs is incredibly easy to use and you can also create new voices and clone existing voices in their tool. We only wish they also had a voice-to-voice matching feature to make dubbing easier.

Note: Our Lord of the Rings Trailer used Elevenlabs.

The Best AI Tool for Voice Cloning & Modulation (Speech Synthesis)

Winner: Elevenlabs

Curious Refuge Score: 8/10

Elevenlabs gives artists the ability to clone voices by simply uploading examples of the speaker talking. This tool is already being used in Hollywood to create cloned voices in film projects. While there are directorial limitations, it works incredibly well for typical voice projects.

You can also change your voice input to match that of another voice. This makes AI voice acting incredibly easy.

The Best AI Tool for Generative Inpainting (Adding Objects to Images)

Winner: Midjourney Inpainting

Curious Refuge Score: 7/10

Midjourney Inpainting is incredibly powerful. Using the inpainting features, you can easily add objects to your images with photo-real accuracy. There are limitations to be sure, but as long as you use Midjourney as the base image generation, the results are incredible.

Noteable Alternative: Photoshop Generative Fill (5/10)

Generative Fill in Photoshop has the ability to add content to your images. You also aren’t limited to images only produced inside Midjourney, you can upload and use any photography you want. However, when adding in images into your frame, Generative Fill has a hard time with compositing.

Best Affordable Option: Canva Magic Brush (2/10)

The Best AI Tool for Subtractive Inpainting Images (Object Removal)

Winner: Photoshop Generative Fill

Curious Refuge Score: 9/10

Photoshop’s Generative Fill tool integrates with Adobe Firefly to remove objects by simply typing what should be replaced in the background. The technology is completely realistic and impressive. This tool has changed photography manipulation forever. The only downside is it does have resolution limitations. Be sure to double check that your generations are not pixilated if you are manipulating large scenes.

Best Affordable Option: Canva Magic Eraser (4/10)

The Best Tool for Faceswapping (Images & Video)

Winner: Akool

Curious Refuge Score: 7/10

Akool is the easiest tool for doing quick face swaps and the online interface makes it so much easier than using other third-party tools.

Notable Alternative:

• Face Fusion: 5/10 - The results from Face Fusion can (sometimes) look better than Akool, but the technical setup makes it less-than-ideal for most users.

The Best AI Tool for Subtractive Inpainting Videos (Object Removal)

Winner: Runway Content-Aware Fill

Curious Refuge Score: 7/10

With Runway’s object removal tool, you can easily remove pesky objects from video utilizing the power of AI. The tool isn’t perfect, but it works well for simple removals. More complex shots may take a little extra effort.

This is one feels like magic the first time you use it.

The Best AI Tool for Outpainting Images
(Expanding Images & Set-Extension)

Tie: Midjourney Image Expansion

Curious Refuge Score: 9/10

Midjourney’s expansion tool allows you to expand Midjourney-created images to expand the composition frame after upscaling. You can also adjust the composition and expand in different directions using this tool. The only downside is you can’t upload images created outside of Midjourney.

Tie: Photoshop Generative Fill

Curious Refuge Score: 9/10

Photoshop’s Generative Fill tool can expand images beyond their boundaries. With using the power of Firefly, images can be expanded in a realistic way. The tool works incredibly well and isn’t limited to Midjourney produced images alone. Professionals use Photoshop Inpainting all the time for set extension and object removal.

The Best AI Tool for Expanding Image Resolution

While you can natively upscale images using Midjourney, sometimes you may need to get more quality from an image that wasn’t created inside of Midjourney alone.

Winner: Topaz Gigapixel AI

Curious Refuge Score: 9/10

Topaz Gigapixel AI is an incredible tool for expanding image resolution and cleaning up fuzzy images. Using the power of AI, Topaz can easily give you resolution and details that you never dreamed were there. This tool keeps the details in the image and doesn’t manipulate the contents.

Notable Alternative: Magnific (8/10)

Magnific works differently from Gigapixel. Rather than simply upresing and depixelating, Magnific changes the base image (just a little). By reinterpreting the image, Magnific is able to upres images to huge resolutions. This is great if the base image can be slightly altered. But the results can sometimes vary too greatly from the original input. So the results can be hit-or-miss.

Notable Alternatives:

• Krea AI Upreser

• Leonardo Image Upreser

Best Affordable Option: BigJPG (Free)

Best Option In Midjourney: Midjourney x2 or x4 Upresing.

The Best AI Tool for Removing Backgrounds from Images

Quick Winner: Canva Background Remover

Curious Refuge Score: 9/10

Canva Background Remover is an incredibly easy tool that can be used to remove backgrounds in a few mouse clicks. While you have limited control over the edge details, the easy-of-use makes it an essential tool for creatievs. They also have a magic grab tool that makes moving your subject around the frame incredibly easy.

Professional Winner: Photoshop

Notable Alternative: Photoshop 9/10

Photoshop is the industry-standard tool for removing backgrounds. With AI, background removals are just one click away. Plus, they have advanced features for fine-tuning background removal.

The Best AI Tool for Removing Backgrounds from Video (Rotoscoping)

Winner: Runway BG Remover

Curious Refuge Score: 7/10

While the results aren’t perfect, if you need to quickly remove your subject from the background (even without green screen) Runway’s BG removal tool is incredibly helpful. You won’t find the major fine-tuning settings that you might expect in high-end CG tools like After Effects or Silhouette FX, but the result is nothing short of quick magic.

The Best AI Tool for Expanding Video Resolution

Winner: Topaz Video AI

Curious Refuge Score: 8/10

Topaz Video AI allows you to scale up video and generally clean your footage in a way that feels like magic. You can easily convert low-resolution footage into (almost) crystal-clear footage. While the tool is quite pricey and intense on your computer, the quality is unmatched.

The Best AI Tool for Slowing Down Footage

Winner: Runway Super Slow Motion

Curious Refuge Score: 7/10

Runway’s Super Slow Motion tool allows you to slow down footage by generating in-between frames using the power of AI. The tool still has some progress to make, but the current status is impressive. It also processes in the cloud which can make things easier on your machine.

Notable Alternative: Topaz Video AI

Curious Refuge Score: 6/10

Topaz Video AI can also be used to slow down footage. The results aren’t quite as breathtaking as their upresing feature, but the quailty is still pretty nice. You can also change the frame rate with ease (with mixed results).

The Best AI Tool for 3D Quick Image Parallaxing

Winner: Leiapix

Curious Refuge Score: 6/10

Leiapix creates incredibly quick animations from 2D images. While the tech can be finicky, the results are visually impressive. Unfortunately, the quality of the rendered footage isn’t great. So this tool is best used in conjunction with an upres tool or third-party app.

The Best AI Tool for Quick Depth Maps

Winner: Leiapix

Curious Refuge Score: 6/10

Leiapix also creates quick depth-maps from images. The results aren’t perfect, but the workflow is incredibly fast, convenient, and free.