Advancements in AI are revolutionizing the filmmaking landscape, enabling projects like Robert Zemeckis’ Here to achieve cost-effective visual effects and enhanced storytelling. Using generative AI tools from VFX studio Metaphysic, the production de-aged Tom Hanks in real-time, allowing him to adapt his performance to match his character’s age across decades. This technology slashed costs compared to traditional methods, enabling Here to operate within a $45 million budget. Hollywood executives, including Lionsgate’s Michael Burns and Artists Equity’s Ben Affleck, view AI as a tool to revitalize production, reduce costs, and greenlight films that were previously financially unfeasible. Partnerships like Lionsgate’s with Runway and Blumhouse’s with Meta underscore the industry’s shift toward AI integration.
However, the adoption of AI has sparked labor concerns, particularly for postproduction workers who face automation risks. While writers and actors have secured protections against AI through union agreements, animation and VFX professionals lack similar safeguards, leaving their jobs vulnerable. AI is increasingly used in preproduction tasks like storyboarding, character design, and background art, alongside its ability to expedite labor-intensive VFX processes. Despite concerns, some VFX artists are embracing AI as a tool to enhance efficiency, requiring fewer workers but still relying on skilled artists to wield the technology effectively. This evolving paradigm recalls the emergence of CGI in the 1990s and signals a transformative era for Hollywood.
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