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Artificial intelligence is increasingly being recognized for its ability to cut production costs, enhance operational efficiency, and lower barriers to entry for aspiring filmmakers as it assumes a growing role in film and television production. Industry insiders believe AI has the potential to revolutionize the filmmaking process by enabling smaller creative teams and helping emerging creators attract investment and develop projects. However, they emphasize that human creativity, emotion, and artistic judgment remain irreplaceable.
This perspective was shared during activities surrounding the debut of the “AI Backlot” section at this year’s film festival. The new exhibition showcased visually enhanced works created by four teams, each pairing filmmakers with “AI super creators”—a term that includes both specialists skilled in AI technologies and various AI models. The teams demonstrated their production workflows and discussed future applications of AI in film and television during the event.
Filmmakers expressed hope that AI will eventually facilitate entirely new forms of storytelling rather than just serve as a cost-effective alternative to traditional methods.
Human Creativity Is Essential in AI Films
“Film art must be crafted by humans,” stated director Huang Lei, a member of one of the production teams. “It demands human emotions, intuition, and artistic judgment—elements AI cannot and should not attempt to replace.” Huang views AI more as a flexible assistant that can handle a wide array of tasks reasonably well. “As this technology becomes ingrained in the traditional film and TV creation process, I recognize I must learn to utilize it,” he added.
For filmmakers, AI’s main benefits include boosting efficiency and reducing expenses. Tasks once requiring a team of 25 could now be accomplished by a team of just four, Huang explained. He also noted that AI tools could lower entry barriers for young filmmakers by providing them with resources to attract investment, such as AI-generated sample reels that give investors a clearer picture of the project.
The high costs associated with gaining hands-on experience in the film industry had previously prevented many young talents from stepping into the field.
“Many passionate young people lacked opportunities because no one was willing to invest hundreds of thousands or even millions of yuan in first-time filmmakers,” Huang said.
AI Brings New Opportunities for Emerging Creators
Producer Ren Ning mentioned that many young creators now include AI-generated sample videos with their scripts, helping producers and investors better visualize the stories and presentation styles envisioned by directors.
Li Xinxin, a member of another AI-focused team and a graduate student at the Communication University of China, shared that AI has opened new doors for young creators.
“AI enables me to make my own works, express myself, and share them with a wider audience,” Li said. She currently runs a studio dedicated to animation production and aspires to produce feature-length animated films in the future.
According to respected director Huang Jianxin, the initiator of the AI Backlot section, AI technology has the potential to democratize production, allowing even small creative units to generate innovative content. “AI tools can turn creators’ ideas into visuals rapidly,” he explained. In the context of Chinese policy, “new productive forces” refers to fresh sources of productivity driven by technological advancements.
Fellow filmmaker Yu Baimei, a member of the expert advisory team for this year’s AI Backlot, expressed hope that AI would in time produce content beyond the reach of traditional methods.
“AI shouldn’t just be a cheaper alternative to conventional films and TV shows,” he stated.
Over the past couple of years, many talented but inexperienced young creators have used AI to develop entirely new visual languages—styles that only AI can produce. Yu believes this could point toward future directions for AI in filmmaking.
However, he warned against replacing live-action productions with AI-generated content in the near future.
“It’s not advisable to substitute AI films for live-action within the next two years because viewers can still distinguish AI footage from real scenes,” Yu noted. He stressed that producers who compromise quality to cut costs would face strong criticism from audiences.
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