In recent years, the rise of Web 2.0 has turned internet users from passive consumers into active creators, shaping online communities in ways we couldn’t have imagined before. YouTube is the clearest example: today it’s a crossroads for personal videos, vlogs, web series, tutorials, science explainers, reviews, and much more.
This explosion of digital activity, combined with rapid advances in visual tech and ICT (Information and Communication Technologies), has had deep structural, creative, and cultural impacts, sparking nothing short of a revolution in the industry most devoted to making content: the audiovisual world.
With the arrival of specialized tools, AI has stretched its influence far beyond post-production, reaching into every stage of filmmaking: from scriptwriting and co-creation, to pre-production (“text to storyboard,” location and casting finders), production, post-production (upscaling, denoising, video interpolation), distribution (audience analysis), and even marketing. Not long ago, only big Hollywood studios could afford to use these tools – both in terms of costs and expertise. Now, the technology is accessible to independent filmmakers, writers, technicians, and small to mid-sized production and distribution companies.
Major studios like 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros are already using AI to analyze scripts, evaluating elements like plot, characters, and dialogue. These systems can assess not only artistic quality but also the potential box office appeal of a film, guiding investment decisions. But AI isn’t limited to analysis. The short film Sunspring showed just how far it can go, with a fully AI-written script generated by the software Benjamin, a tool that proved surprisingly capable of producing quirky, complex, and entertaining content.
AI is also making life easier in less creative but equally critical areas, like scouting locations or coordinating actor schedules, streamlining production and cutting costs. In casting, for example, AI can search massive actor databases, narrowing down options and automating parts of the process.
When it comes to visual effects, AI already has an impressive résumé. From generating virtual crowds in films like Gladiator and The Lord of the Rings to digitally reconstructing historical settings and elaborate scenes, these technologies free directors from budget or logistical constraints, opening new creative possibilities.
Another area where AI has made its mark is age manipulation. In Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, for instance, Robert De Niro was digitally aged and de-aged across different scenes using advanced de-aging techniques.
AI’s impact is just as transformative in post-production – especially dubbing. Start-ups like Flawless are pushing the boundaries by syncing actors’ lip movements and facial expressions to new dialogue tracks with uncanny accuracy. This innovation not only solves long-standing issues with translation and lip-sync but also reimagines the very idea of dubbing. A striking example is the film Fall, where AI was used to swap out profanity with family-friendly language – without reshoots.
Through sophisticated facial manipulation algorithms, actors’ mouths can be digitally aligned with new dialogue so seamlessly that it becomes nearly impossible to tell what’s original and what’s altered. This approach, known as “vubbing” (visual dubbing), is setting the stage for a future where dubbed versions might be indistinguishable from the originals.
Artificial intelligence, then, isn’t just about making traditional post-production more efficient – it’s expanding creative possibilities, raising quality standards, and reshaping what “realism” means in cinematic dubbing. At the same time, AI is becoming an invaluable ally for composers. Neural networks can now sift through vast musical archives, absorbing styles, techniques, and structures across genres and eras. For musicians, that means inspiration at their fingertips: tools that can suggest melodies, generate fresh ideas, or even orchestrate full pieces.
And it doesn’t stop there. AI speeds up drafting and prototyping, helping creators test multiple options in record time. It can adapt to specific genres to keep soundtracks coherent, or even match music to the emotional beats of a scene, making the score feel like an organic part of the storytelling.
In the end, the growing availability of AI tools is democratizing filmmaking, narrowing the gap between pros and prosumers. At the same time, these technologies are reshaping industry workflows, forcing a rethink of long-standing practices and resource management.
Still, as powerful as AI may be, it raises big ethical questions. Yes, it’s a partner in efficiency, cost-cutting, and even creativity—but the real challenge now is whether this revolution will drive new opportunities for growth and value creation across the industry, or end up threatening the very people who make it possible.
Photo Credits: Pexels/LJ Checo
