If youtube is to be believed, thumbnails make a dramatic difference to first-glance engagement. A model trained to find great(by what metrics?) screenshots from the film sounds like a fun project.
https://netflixtechblog.com/ava-the-art-and-science-of-image...
https://netflixtechblog.com/artwork-personalization-c589f074...
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/oct/20/netflix-film-b...
1: https://hard-drive.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/youtubers-...
This reminded me of this article I read a few years back. I wonder if they still use the same method.