Takeaways From BIFF-CII AI in Filmmaking Seminar. AI is Here to Stay. Artists Will Survive AI Disruption

By Pickle March 3, 2025

The Rise of AI in Filmmaking Explored at 16th Bengaluru International Film Festival in partnership with The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Bengaluru: The 16th Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFF) successfully hosted a groundbreaking discussion on the transformative impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in filmmaking. The seminar was curated by Natarajan Vidyasagar, Organizing Committee Member of the Bengaluru International Film Festival, and Managing Editor of Pickle Media, in partnership with The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Industry leaders, technology pioneers, and creative professionals came together to explore how AI is reshaping storytelling, production, and the future of cinema.

The event featured four insightful sessions:

The Rise of AI in Filmmaking featuring Biren Ghose, Managing Director, Asia Pacific for Technicolor; Senthil Kumar, Co-founder, Real Image and Qube Cinema, and Dr. S. Raghunath, Professor, IIM Bangalore.
Approaching AI for Films: From Script to Screen presented by Chaitanya Chinchlikar, Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Business Head, Whistling Woods International.
AI Copyright and Creativity discussed by Ravi Kottarakara, President, South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce & Founder, Ganesh Pictures; and Shibasish Sarkar, Group CEO, Reliance Entertainment, and President, Producers Guild of India.
AI Disruption: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Way Forward – a thought-provoking panel discussion with industry experts, Arul Moorthy, MD Digital Magic and Founder Da Vinci Media College, Vivek Reddy, Founder, Viga Entertainment Technology, Aditya Mani, Founder YOLOgram

AI’s Growing Role in Filmmaking

AI is revolutionizing the film industry, offering cutting-edge tools for scriptwriting, pre-visualization, visual effects, and post-production. Industry experts highlighted AI’s role in enabling filmmakers to conceptualize and visualize entire scenes before production begins, reducing costs and increasing efficiency.

A key example discussed was the use of AI in Hollywood blockbusters:

Avengers: Infinity War & Avengers: Endgame – AI-driven facial animation brought the character Thanos to life with unprecedented realism.

The Lion King – AI-powered CGI recreated lifelike animals and natural environments, setting a new standard in animation.

The Mandalorian – AI-supported virtual production techniques enabled immersive digital landscapes, reshaping how scenes are filmed.

The Rapid Evolution of AI

Chaitanya Chinchlikar highlighted the challenge of keeping up with AI’s fast-paced development. “Every year, new AI applications emerge, making it difficult to track advancements and their implications for filmmaking,” he noted.

While AI has made significant strides, he emphasized that certain aspects of filmmaking, such as screenplay writing, still require substantial human creativity and will take longer for AI to master.

Chinchlikar also presented some of the AI-generated works created by his students, showcasing how AI is being experimented with in script development, visual storytelling, and pre-production planning.

These examples demonstrated the potential of AI as a tool for filmmakers while reinforcing the need for human oversight in creative decision-making.

Democratizing Filmmaking through AI

A central theme of the discussion was how AI is making high-end filmmaking tools more accessible. Advanced CGI, motion capture, and generative AI are no longer limited to big studios but are now available to independent filmmakers. “AI is not replacing artists or filmmakers; it is augmenting their creativity, helping them visualize and iterate faster,” emphasized Biren Ghose.

AI and Copyright Challenges

Ravi Kottarakara highlighted the complex legal and ethical concerns surrounding AI-generated content. As AI tools generate content by referencing pre-existing works, fundamental questions arise: Who owns the copyright? The AI developer, the user who inputs prompts, or the original creators whose work was used for training?

The key copyright challenges discussed included:

Ownership Dilemmas – The use of AI in scriptwriting, music composition, and visual effects raises concerns about intellectual property rights.

Real-World Cases – The Bruce Willis deepfake case and AI-generated music have prompted debates over consent and ownership.

Global Legal Perspectives – Various nations, including the US and Europe, are drafting legal frameworks to regulate AI-created content, with organizations like the Oscars and BAFTAs scrutinizing AI involvement in filmmaking.

AI and Job Opportunities in Film

Despite fears of job losses, AI is expected to create new opportunities for professionals who learn to integrate AI tools into their workflow. Kottarakara emphasized that while AI can streamline processes, it cannot replace human expertise in storytelling and creative direction.

Examples include:

AI-assisted set design still requires human input for artistic direction.
AI-powered color grading, first seen in 2014 with Panasonic’s smart cameras, has been integrated seamlessly into industry workflows without replacing human technicians.
AI-enhanced scriptwriting tools offer filmmakers multiple versions of a screenplay, but final creative decisions remain with the human writer.

Ethical Considerations in AI-Filmmaking

The rapid evolution of AI in filmmaking also raises ethical concerns, including deepfake misuse, unauthorized use of celebrity likenesses, and AI-driven plagiarism. Experts urged filmmakers to adopt best practices, such as:

Obtaining explicit permission before using copyrighted content in AI applications.
Clearly disclosing AI involvement in film production.
Staying informed about evolving copyright laws and AI regulations.

Looking Ahead

As AI continues to evolve, its role in filmmaking will expand beyond production and post-production into marketing, distribution, and audience engagement. The panelists encouraged filmmakers to embrace AI as a collaborative tool, experiment with its capabilities, and explore new storytelling frontiers.

The 16th Bengaluru International Film Festival successfully highlighted the exciting possibilities AI brings to the film industry while addressing the challenges it poses. With continuous advancements in AI-driven filmmaking, the future of cinema is set to be more immersive, efficient, and innovative than ever before.