Use Of AI Can Reduce Film Budgets By Up To 40%

Can AI also make better scripts and come up with new ideas?

AI Can Cut Film Budgets by Up to 40%, Says ‘The Outlaws’ Director Kang Yoon-sung, as Netflix Reveals Use on 300 Titles: ‘A Human Touch Is Absolutely Essential’

Netflix has used AI in one form or another on some 300 of its titles, Lee Sung-gyun, the streamer’s senior director of APAC production, told an audience at the Busan International Film Festival.

On the same panel, “The Outlaws” director Kang Yoon-sung said AI workflows could take 30% to 40% off a feature film’s production budget.

Lee shared the stage with Kang and Kimball Thurston, chief technology officer at W?t? FX, for “Film Production and AI: New Tools, New Possibilities.” Netflix and the MPA co-hosted the session. It was part of Creative Asia, the Netflix and BIFF program for emerging Asian talent. Film critic Yun Sung-eun moderated.

“Across around 300 Netflix titles, AI has actually been put to use in various ways,” Lee said. “It’s being used in previs, in production design, in working out set-dressing concepts ahead of time, in editorial, and of course in VFX.”

Lee said new technology has always startled people when it arrives. “All these technological changes and new tools have helped a great deal with the ‘how,’ how we make what we make better, but they never decided the ‘why,’ why we have to tell this story,” he said. “AI is the same.”

He gets it: AI is a tool. A powerful tool. But, that is it. It is not sentient. It’s still programming. Powerful programming that can assist and decrease costs while providing a heck of a lot of help.

Lee said he related strongly to Kang’s point. Some things now come out with a single click, he said, “but when it comes to conveying emotion, ultimately a human has to touch it once more. I strongly agree that a human touch is absolutely essential.”

Humans are still necessary to actually act. Everyone needs to calm down about AI doom. But, perhaps they could let AI pick out good books to convert into movies and write scripts, things we haven’t seen before.