WEEK 1

CGI is for losers

• What does he gain by saying this?
• Is it simply provocative, or is it an ironic comment?
• Why do some directors, filmmakers or studios say “no CGI”?

I found some quotes about :

“I mean, I’ve done a lot of explosions in a lot of films,” Nolan told Empire in the latest issue of the magazine. “But there is something very unique and particular about being out in a desert in the middle of the night with a big cast, and really just doing some enormous explosions and capturing that. You couldn’t help but come back to this moment when they were doing this on the ultimate scale, that in the back of their minds they knew there was this possibility that they would set fire to the atmosphere. It was pretty amazing to engage in that kind of tension.”

Christopher Nolan

Clients continually change the brief. Shot design and planning are no longer a priority, and we have a lot more work to get through in a shorter amount of time.

“We have and can create work better than back in the day, it just needs the right leadership team, planning, and time to make sure it happens.

Rassoul Edji, a lead VFX artist

Director view:  Practical > CGI 

Real effects offer a sense of danger, scale, and emotional realism.

CGI can feel safe, sterile, or disconnected from reality.

VFX Artists’ View: CGI Isn’t Bad — It’s Mismanaged

CGI can be excellent when properly planned and executed.

The problem is production pressures, not the tool itself.

Deepfake:  What is deepfake

Deepfakes are created through deep learning that map and replicate facial and vocal features. They spread easily on social media, exploiting users’ tendency to trust familiar or confirming information. The availability of cheap hardware and open-source software makes producing both low-quality “cheap fakes” and high-quality deepfakes accessible to almost anyone.

Despite the risks, deepfake technology has many positive applications. In film and media, it can recreate actors’ voices, restore old footage, or dub films seamlessly into other languages. It’s also used in education, gaming, and virtual communication, improving realism and breaking language barriers. In healthcare and social contexts, it can help with therapy, grief support, and medical visualization (e.g., recreating limbs or detecting X-ray anomalies). Businesses use deepfakes for virtual modeling, personalized advertising, and e-commerce features like virtual try-ons or AI branding voices.

Deepfakes are produced by four main groups:

1. Hobbyist communities are experimenting with the technology,

2. Political actors use it for propaganda or manipulation,

3. Criminals and fraudsters are exploiting it for deception, and

4. Legitimate creators, such as media and entertainment companies, use it for ethical or commercial purposes.

 

 

The theme I have chosen for my final project is :

Compositing and AI:  How AI Is Used in VFX Compositing and Its Future Role in Helping Artists Focus on Creativity.”

I’m fascinated by how invisible VFX can transform simple footage into cinematic worlds. I love the idea that compositors make magic feel real.

AI-based rotoscoping, color grading, and background removal — and how they change a compositor’s workflow.

• I want to explore how AI tools can speed up compositing without removing the human touch.

• I might show before-and-after examples of manual vs AI-assisted rotoscoping.

• I’m curious about how artists feel about these changes — do they find it freeing or limiting?

• Could AI ever develop a “visual style” of its own in compositing?

• How is AI changing the role of the compositor in VFX?

• Can AI-assisted tools enhance creativity rather than limit it?

• What are the benefits and risks of relying on AI in visual storytelling?

 I want to explore how much “creative control” an artist keeps when AI assists in compositing. Can AI understand aesthetic decisions, not just technical tasks?

How AI Might Shape the Future of Compositing

• Smart Scene Understanding: AI could automatically analyze lighting, shadows, and depth in footage.

• Voice/Text Commands: “Blend the dragon into this scene with fog” → AI executes base composite.

• Creative Suggestions: AI could suggest matching LUTs, lighting setups, or matte layers.

• Collaborative AI Assistants: AI learns a compositor’s style and automates their preferred workflow.

• Quality Control: AI could flag matte edges, lighting mismatches, or color inconsistencies.

AI won’t replace the creative vision — instead, it takes over repetitive tasks so artists can focus on storytelling, emotion, and visual tone.
It shifts the balance from “technical cleanup” to “creative composition.”

WEEK 2:

I`m also thinking to make a interview conversation between  FIlm DIrector – VFX supervisor and AI (chat GTP for example). This will probably give and idea of where we are at the moment on this topic and how far we can go.