Amazon to test AI tools for film and TV production with industry partners starting March

Amazon to begin testing AI tools for film and TV production next month | TechCrunch

Last summer, Amazon MGM Studios launched a dedicated AI Studio to develop proprietary AI tools to streamline TV and film production, with a focus on areas like improving character consistency across shots and supporting pre- and post-production. According to a report from Reuters, those tools are now ready to move beyond internal testing. Amazon will begin a closed beta program in March, inviting industry partners to try out its AI tools. Amazon said it anticipates sharing initial outcomes from the program by May. The company chose not to provide further details on the developments when approached by TechCrunch for a comment. The AI Studio is collaborating with notable producers like Robert Stromberg, known for "Maleficent," Kunal Nayyar from "The Big Bang Theory," and former animator Colin Brady from Pixar to learn the best way to implement these tools. Amazon is also tapping Amazon Web Services for support and intends to work with several LLM providers. Albert Cheng, who heads the AI Studios initiative, emphasized that the goal is to support creative teams, not to replace them. The focus is on improving efficiency and reducing costs while ensuring that intellectual property is protected and AI-generated content isn't absorbed into other AI models. One example used is Amazon's "House of David" series, which featured 350 AI-generated shots in season two. However, the rise of adoption of AI in Hollywood has stirred up plenty of debate. Many people in the industry worry about what it means for jobs, creativity, and the future of filmmaking. The conversations around AI are only getting louder as more companies experiment with these new tools. For instance, Netflix has also jumped on the AI bandwagon, with Co-CEO Ted Sarandos revealing that its series "The Eternaut" used generative AI to create a building collapse scene.

Exclusive: Amazon plans to use AI to speed up TV and film production

LOS ANGELES, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab plans to use artificial intelligence to speed up the process for making movies and TV shows even as Hollywood fears that AI will cut jobs and permanently reshape the industry. At the Amazon MGM Studio, veteran entertainment executive Albert Cheng is leading a team charged with developing new AI tools that he said will cut costs and streamline the creative process. Amazon plans to launch a closed beta program in March, inviting industry partners to test its AI tools. The company expects to have results to share by May. Cheng described AI Studio as a "startup" operating under Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's "two pizza team" philosophy -- keeping the group small enough to be fed by two pizzas. The team consists primarily of product engineers and scientists, with a smaller creative and business contingent. Amazon is publicly embracing AI in response to spiraling production budgets that limit the number of shows and films companies can finance. The technology will fast-track certain processes to make more movies and TV shows more efficiently. "The cost of creating is so high that it really is hard to make more and it really is hard to take great risk," Cheng said in an interview. "We fundamentally believe that AI can accelerate, but it won't replace, the innovation and the unique aspects that (humans) bring to create the work." The move to adopt artificial intelligence comes as A-list actors like Emily Blunt have expressed fears about the rise of AI -- and particularly AI actress Tilly Norwood would make their jobs obsolete. Amazon emphasized writers, directors, actors, and character designers will be involved at every stage of production, using AI as a tool to enhance creativity. Like many other tech companies, Amazon is also pushing nearly every division to find uses for AI and pointed to the successes of the technology as among the reasons it cut about 30,000 corporate jobs since October, its largest layoff ever. That included a number of job cuts at Prime Video. Cheng said AI could help Prime Video overcome some of the inherent challenges of large scale film and television production. The AI Studio is building tools that bridge what Cheng described as "the last mile" -- perhaps a cheeky reference to Amazon's delivery operation -- between existing consumer AI offerings and the granular control directors need for cinematic content. That includes improving character consistency across shots, and integrating with industry-standard creative tools. Amazon is leaning on its cloud computing division, Amazon Web Services, for help and plans to work with multiple large language model providers to give creators a wider array of options for pre- and post-production filmmaking. Cheng said protecting intellectual property and ensuring AI-created content won't be absorbed into other AI models are essential to making the AI Studio work. The AI Studio is working with producers Robert Stromberg ("Maleficent") and his company Secret City, Kunal Nayyar ("The Big Bang Theory") and his company Good Karma Productions; and former Pixar and ILM animator Colin Brady, as it explores new tools and how best to implement them. The Studio, which launched last August, points to its hit series, "House of David," as an example of how AI could be used in the future. For the second season of the biblical epic, director Jon Erwin used AI combined with live-action footage to create battle scenes, seamlessly editing the two together to expand the scope of sequences at lower cost. Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles and Greg Bensinger in San Francisco Editing by Nick Zieminski Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab * Suggested Topics: * Artificial Intelligence Greg Bensinger Thomson Reuters Greg Bensinger joined Reuters as a technology correspondent in 2022 focusing on the world's largest technology companies. He was previously a member of The New York Times editorial board and a technology beat reporter for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. He also worked for Bloomberg News writing about the auto and telecommunications industries. He studied English literature at The University of Virginia and graduate journalism at Columbia University. Greg lives in San Francisco with his wife and two children.

Amazon is turning to AI to cut film and TV production costs

The company's AI Studio is building tools to streamline pre- and post-production workflows. Amazon is moving to bring artificial intelligence deeper into the way movies and TV shows are made, aiming to speed up production and reduce costs at its MGM Studio unit. The company plans to use AI tools across the creative process, even as Hollywood remains cautious of the technology's potential impact on jobs and industry practices. According to Reuters, Albert Cheng is leading a small team at what Amazon calls its "AI Studio," focused on building proprietary tools to streamline everything from pre-production planning to post-production editing. In an interview, Cheng said the main goal of the AI Studio is to cut costs and improve creative workflows, while keeping writers, directors, actors, and other creative professionals involved at every step. Recommended Videos Amazon plans to invite industry partners to test its AI tools in a closed beta program in March, with initial results expected by May. The company is reportedly relying on its cloud computing division, Amazon Web Services, for assistance and plans to work with multiple large language model providers to give creators a range of tools for pre- and post-production filmmaking. Company assures AI will not replace creative talent Amazon says it is not trying to replace humans with AI, and that creative decisions will remain in human hands even as the tools automate more technical work. The initiative comes as production costs have risen sharply, making it harder for studios to finance large projects. The AI Studio is collaborating with producer Robert Stromberg and his company Secret City, actor-producer Kunal Nayyar and his Good Karma Productions, and former Pixar and ILM animator Colin Brady as it tests new tools and explores the best ways to integrate them into production.

Amazon MGM Studios to test AI production tools in upcoming closed beta

Amazon MGM Studios will launch a closed beta program in March to test proprietary AI tools for TV and film production with industry partners. The tools, developed by its AI Studio launched last summer, target streamlining production, character consistency across shots, and pre- and post-production support. The AI Studio initiated operations last summer to create tools specifically designed for internal use in Amazon's TV and film projects. According to Reuters, these tools have completed internal testing phases and progressed to external evaluation. Amazon plans to share initial results from the beta program by May. Key collaborations involve producers Robert Stromberg, recognized for directing Maleficent, Kunal Nayyar, known from The Big Bang Theory, and Colin Brady, a former Pixar animator. These partnerships aim to identify optimal implementation methods for the AI tools in production workflows. Amazon integrates support from Amazon Web Services and plans engagements with multiple large language model providers to enhance tool capabilities. Albert Cheng, head of the AI Studios initiative, stated that the tools intend to support creative teams rather than replace them. Priorities include boosting efficiency, lowering production costs, safeguarding intellectual property, and preventing AI-generated content from integration into external AI models. These measures address concerns over content ownership in AI applications. An application example appears in Amazon's series House of David, where season two incorporated 350 shots generated by AI. This usage demonstrates practical integration in a live production, handling visual elements that required extensive rendering. AI adoption in Hollywood has generated discussions among industry professionals regarding effects on employment, creative processes, and filmmaking practices. As additional companies test AI technologies, these conversations intensify. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos disclosed that the series The Eternaut employed generative AI for a building collapse scene, illustrating similar experimentation by competitors. Amazon referenced its AI advancements as contributing to workforce reductions. The company executed 16,000 job cuts in January, succeeding 14,000 eliminations in the prior October. These actions occurred amid ongoing integration of AI into operational strategies.

Amazon plans to use AI to speed up TV and film production

At the Amazon MGM Studio, veteran entertainment executive ⁠Albert Cheng is leading a team charged with developing new AI tools that he said will cut costs and streamline the creative process. Amazon plans to launch a closed beta program in March, inviting industry partners to test its AI tools. The company expects to have results to share by May. Amazon plans to use artificial intelligence to speed up the process for making movies and TV shows even as Hollywood fears that AI will cut jobs and permanently reshape the industry. At the Amazon MGM Studio, veteran entertainment executive ⁠Albert Cheng is leading a team charged with developing new AI tools that he said will cut costs and streamline the creative process. Amazon plans to launch a closed beta program in March, inviting industry partners to test its AI tools. The company expects to have results to share by May. Cheng described AI Studio as a "startup" operating under Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's "two pizza team" philosophy - keeping the group small enough to be fed by two pizzas. The team consists primarily of product engineers and scientists, with a smaller creative and business contingent. Amazon is publicly embracing AI in response to spiraling production budgets that limit the number of shows and films companies can finance. The technology will fast-track certain processes to make more movies and TV shows more efficiently. "The cost of creating is so high that it really is hard to make more and it really is hard to take great risk," Cheng said in an interview. "We fundamentally believe that AI can accelerate, but it won't replace, the innovation and the unique aspects that (humans) bring to create the work." The move to adopt artificial intelligence comes as A-list actors like Emily Blunt have expressed fears about the rise of AI - and particularly AI actress Tilly Norwood would make their jobs obsolete. Amazon emphasized writers, directors, actors, and character designers will be involved at every stage of production, using AI as a tool to enhance creativity. Like many other tech companies, Amazon is also pushing nearly every division to find uses for AI and pointed to the successes of the technology as among the reasons it cut about 30,000 corporate jobs since October, its largest layoff ever. That included a number of job cuts at Prime Video. Cheng said AI could help Prime Video overcome some of the inherent challenges of large scale film and television production. The AI Studio is building tools that bridge what Cheng described as "the last mile" -- perhaps a cheeky reference to Amazon's delivery operation -- between existing consumer AI offerings and the granular control directors need for cinematic content. That includes improving character consistency across shots, and integrating with industry-standard creative tools. Amazon is leaning on its cloud computing division, Amazon Web Services, for help and plans to work with multiple large language ⁠model providers to give creators a ⁠wider array of options for pre- and post-production filmmaking. Cheng said protecting intellectual property and ensuring AI-created content won't be absorbed into other AI models are essential to making the AI Studio work. The AI Studio is working with producers Robert Stromberg ("Maleficent") and his company Secret City, Kunal Nayyar ("The Big Bang Theory") and his company Good Karma Productions; and former Pixar and ILM animator Colin Brady, as it explores new tools and how best to implement them. The Studio, which launched last August, points to its hit series, "House of David," as an example of how AI could be used in the future. For the second season of the biblical epic, director Jon Erwin used AI combined with live-action footage to create battle scenes, seamlessly editing the two together to expand the scope of sequences at lower cost.

Amazon plans to use AI to speed up TV and film production

LOS ANGELES, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Amazon plans to use artificial intelligence to speed up the process for making movies and TV shows even as Hollywood fears that AI will cut jobs and permanently reshape the industry. At the Amazon MGM Studio, veteran entertainment executive Albert Cheng is leading a team charged with developing new AI tools that he said will cut costs and streamline the creative process. Amazon plans to launch a closed beta program in March, inviting industry partners to test its AI tools. The company expects to have results to share by May. Cheng described AI Studio as a "startup" operating under Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's "two pizza team" philosophy -- keeping the group small enough to be fed by two pizzas. The team consists primarily of product engineers and scientists, with a smaller creative and business contingent. Amazon is publicly embracing AI in response to spiraling production budgets that limit the number of shows and films companies can finance. The technology will fast-track certain processes to make more movies and TV shows more efficiently. "The cost of creating is so high that it really is hard to make more and it really is hard to take great risk," Cheng said in an interview. "We fundamentally believe that AI can accelerate, but it won't replace, the innovation and the unique aspects that (humans) bring to create the work." The move to adopt artificial intelligence comes as A-list actors like Emily Blunt have expressed fears about the rise of AI -- and particularly AI actress Tilly Norwood would make their jobs obsolete. Amazon emphasized writers, directors, actors, and character designers will be involved at every stage of production, using AI as a tool to enhance creativity. Like many other tech companies, Amazon is also pushing nearly every division to find uses for AI and pointed to the successes of the technology as among the reasons it cut about 30,000 corporate jobs since October, its largest layoff ever. That included a number of job cuts at Prime Video. Cheng said AI could help Prime Video overcome some of the inherent challenges of large scale film and television production. The AI Studio is building tools that bridge what Cheng described as "the last mile" -- perhaps a cheeky reference to Amazon's delivery operation -- between existing consumer AI offerings and the granular control directors need for cinematic content. That includes improving character consistency across shots, and integrating with industry-standard creative tools. Amazon is leaning on its cloud computing division, Amazon Web Services, for help and plans to work with multiple large language model providers to give creators a wider array of options for pre- and post-production filmmaking. Cheng said protecting intellectual property and ensuring AI-created content won't be absorbed into other AI models are essential to making the AI Studio work. The AI Studio is working with producers Robert Stromberg ("Maleficent") and his company Secret City, Kunal Nayyar ("The Big Bang Theory") and his company Good Karma Productions; and former Pixar and ILM animator Colin Brady, as it explores new tools and how best to implement them. The Studio, which launched last August, points to its hit series, "House of David," as an example of how AI could be used in the future. For the second season of the biblical epic, director Jon Erwin used AI combined with live-action footage to create battle scenes, seamlessly editing the two together to expand the scope of sequences at lower cost. (Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles and Greg Bensinger in San FranciscoEditing by Nick Zieminski)