The largest film and entertainment marketplace in Asia makes its way to Hong Kong this week, inviting esteemed speakers from production houses that create animations including the record-breaking film, Ne Zha 2, to discuss the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the industry.

The marketplace, Filmart, running from March 17 to 20, invites creatives and filmmakers from the Malka Media, the Heguang Post-Production, and the Hong Li Animation Studios, to participate in a panel discussion: Gearing up for the AI Opportunities on March 18. The expo has already attracted 760 exhibitors from 34 countries.

Yu Zhixin from Hong Li Animation Studios, who played a key role in the CG animation of Ne Zha 2, acknowledges the growing presence of AI in the field and infuses it in her practice, however it has some limitations.

“When it comes to motion capture in animation, some of the data still needs to be manually debugged,” Zhixin says. “But don't be afraid. We have to welcome the new opportunities and challenges that AI will bring us in the future.”

When it comes to the anticipated Ne Zha 3, Zhixin is confident that AI will not take over the production completely, but proposed to be implemented by the company. “In Ne Zha 3, we will apply some AI production, but script writing and traditional ideas from directors, these are still important parts that cannot be replicated,” Zhixin says. “I think it may be more difficult to simulate the work of dubbing actors in terms of their voice characteristics.”

The Gearing up for the AI Opportunities panel discussion.

Liu BaoYu from Heguang Post-Production, who contributed to the music and audio editing of Ne Zha, embraces AI and its ability to assist directors and actors. But she believes there is still a need to maintain a certain level of respect for traditional methods in production, as well as for original creations from artists.

“We can also take advantage of the rapid development of AI. It can help us to transform labour-intensive work into data-intensive work. Then this is a sustainable development in the film and television industry,” BaoYu explains.

Filmmaker David Carpenter from the US also joins the discussion. At Malka Media, nearly 50% of production incorporates AI technology, he claims productions could be done “quickly and seamlessly” with the advanced tools that comes with AI.

“You could then film exactly how you want the cameras move with actors in a room, and then skin them basically with an AI look,” he says about the favourable customisation with AI in unlocking potential methods with filming.

“Maybe you want characters to look live action, but you want them to look like, maybe they're from the medieval period or they're from the future. You can skin them in that way,” he adds.

By adding a human touch to what AI models can generate in animation brings a sense of resonance. To David, identifying these models and knowing how to prompt them are becoming important skills in this industry.

The fear of AI taking over the entertainment industry has not threatened creatives and filmmakers. Instead of stigmatising this tool, the film industry is learning to accept it.

Cover photo: HKTDC

Picture credits: Orange News

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