Summary of Key Points
This summer, there has been a surge in AI-driven film and television production, but the employment challenges for traditional film and television professionals have not diminished. They are still working in basic roles such as data annotation and short film production, albeit in a new format. The article explores the impact of AI on film and television education, creative practices, and career choices by interviewing three industry insiders: Qiu Fan, a university professor; Veda, a creative; and Bu Yu, who has transitioned to using AI in her work. AI has lowered the barriers to entry, allowing universities to quickly adjust their curricula to accommodate these changes, and giving students the opportunity to catch up. However, students also face challenges in expressing themselves authentically. Creators save money with AI but face increased mental stress, as they need to collaborate with teams to overcome limitations. Traditional filmmakers are using AI to reconnect with audiences, while younger creators are breaking away from the traditional film-making dreams and exploring more diverse career paths. There is a consensus that AI is not meant to replace traditional film and television, but rather to potentially “reinvent” it, which holds promise for the future.
1. Universities Changing: AI Takes the Lead; Graduation Projects Now Include 90-Minute AI Films
AI has entered university film and television classrooms faster than expected. Last summer, the applied undergraduate program where Qiu Fan works taught teachers how to use AI, and now 50%-60% of the courses focus on AI applications. The rules for graduation projects have also changed: students can graduate with a 20-minute real-shot project, or they can create an AI film with the duration determined by the number of team members—two-person teams can make a 50-minute film, and three-person teams can make a complete 90-minute film.
These changes have both positive and negative aspects. Students using AI to write scripts have improved their writing skills, but the authenticity of their observations in the stories has sometimes been lost. On the other hand, students with weaker writing abilities have had to repeatedly adjust the storyboards and narratives, resulting in AI-generated works that sometimes exceed expectations. More importantly, AI has leveled the playing field for creation. Students from applied undergraduate programs, who previously had difficulty competing with those from top art schools, can now win awards in specialized competitions with their AI-based projects. Of course, some students still prefer real-shot films and hold onto traditional film-making dreams, recognizing that such opportunities may be rare in the future.
2. AI in Creation: Saving Money but Comes with Mental Strain
Veda’s experience of using AI to create a 60-minute commercial film is typical. The cost of real-shot demos was too high, so she learned AI from scratch to produce a pilot that led to further development opportunities. While AI saves money, it significantly increases the workload for individuals. She had to act as multiple roles, such as art director and storyboard artist, to coordinate with AI tools and produce the final footage. This multitasking has been very demanding mentally. AI-based films also require teamwork; her ideal team consists of 3-5 people, including a director/writer/editor, an artist with a good aesthetic sense to prevent homogenization of the visuals, a modeler to fix spatial issues, and a quality controller to identify and address flaws. Music mixing is outsourced to professionals. Currently, AI-generated content does not generate immediate revenue, so Veda relies on her past experience to make ends meet, with AI being more of a bonus skill that opens up additional collaboration opportunities.
3. Traditional Film and Television Professionals Reconnecting with Audiences with AI
Bu Yu, a trained filmmaker with experience in directing, writing, and marketing, has switched to AI-driven animated films. Her transition was inspired by her marketing background. She believes that while schools teach what art is, they do not teach how to connect with audiences. Many creators fail to meet audience needs, leading to unsuccessful works. AI helps her understand what audiences want and enables her to deliver it more efficiently. She sees AI as a tool for creating new art forms, not a replacement for traditional film and television. For example, her current project is an AI-driven animated film aimed at theaters, aiming to make AI-generated content more recognized. She believes that the business model will evolve as creators, driven by passion, continue to change public perception of AI-generated media.
4. Young Creators: No More “Film Dreams”; Diverse Career Paths
Qiu Fan notes that his students are different from his generation. While his teachers aimed to make feature films for theaters and TV series, his students do not set out to become directors or writers from the start. Growing up in the era of short videos, they are open to various career paths. Some use AI to create 2D images, some work as DMs for script-based games, some produce promotional videos for governments and companies, and some engage in AI-driven creative work. They are not burdened by the concept of “art vs. technology” and are open to using AI tools, but they dislike meaningless repetition. They value their own creativity and practicality. Although AI has not solved their employment challenges, their career options are more flexible; they are exploring different roles to find what suits them best.
5. The Future of AI in Film and Television: Not a Replacement, but a “Reinvention”
Director Jia Zhangke believes that AI may lead to a reinvention of film, guiding imagination towards new dimensions. Bu Yu agrees, saying that the future is inevitably moving towards AI, and high-quality AI-generated content will become a new form of art. The most important factor is the audience; Bu Yu’s goal is to create films that people enjoy. AI is not meant to replace human creativity but to provide creators with more tools and possibilities, such as enabling those without funding to realize their ideas and helping traditional creators find new ways of expressing themselves. With enough high-quality AI content, this new ecosystem will continue to grow and develop its unique value.