VFX artists are worried about their job security with the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence in film and TV post-production.
Ian Thompson, a 3D artist who has worked on the blockbuster film Avatar 2: Way of Water, insists that this line of work relies heavily on an artist’s creative input and eye for detail.
Major studios like Disney embraced the currently available AI technology in the wake of Hollywood strikes and massive layoffs, which has only intensified fears.
Thompson said failed attempts by AI to recreate seemingly simple details like hands showcase its inability to replace real artists.
Thompson said: “AI can make something that is correct, but it will never understand what’s good. Only an artist can tell what’s good.”
VFX artists are wary about improvements to this technology as many Artificial Intelligence experts claim the technology is the worst it will ever be.
This disposition to new technology in the Film & TV industry is nothing new, said Thompson.
“There will always be resistance but once people see how it can help them, and they can get to the more enjoyable parts of the creative process, they will start to see the benefits of it.”
Thompson’s more recent work on A Quiet Place Day One involved modelling hard surfaces like buildings and roads. These small but necessary details make up the entire film and require a large workforce just to complete one scene.
The 3D artist hoped to quell any worries about the viability of careers within the industry. In his talk to journalism ands media students at Leeds Trinity University, he said: “The mindset has to change, you look at [AI] as something that adds to what you do rather than taking something away from what you do.”
The VFX industry in the UK is expected to see a massive uptick in the coming years after the recently announced tax incentive, with a predicted additional £ 175 million in spending and 2,800 new jobs.
The British Film Commission has said the tax incentive also considers costs for the use of Generative AI in post-production effectively future-proofing the UK’s VFX sector.
Thompson has worked at Industrial Light and Magic London, one of the many VFX firms scattered around the UK that make up this bustling industry. This, along with the country’s greenspace fit for on-location filming has made the UK a very popular choice amongst international studios.
Thompson said: “We always tend to have a good rapport with studios, and we are popular because of the service they get when they come over here.”