🧠 78% of Film Production Companies Cannot Imagine Working Without AI
At the XII St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum, a session titled "AI in Feature Films" brought together producers, top executives from major media holdings, and streaming services to discuss how neural networks are reshaping film production—from optimizing budgets to creating fully generative feature films.
The main takeaway from the discussion: AI has officially evolved from an exotic experiment into a core component of the production pipeline. According to a study by the Institute for Development of Internet Content (IRI), 78% of film production companies regularly use neural networks, with 89% of them scaling up their usage over the past year. AI is most commonly deployed for image generation (100%), text creation (67%), as well as video and audio production (around 50%).
Pragmatism and Economics
Producers emphasize that artificial intelligence has become the primary tool for curbing industry inflation. According to producer Gevond Andreasyan, incorporating AI during pre-production and production allows studios to keep franchise budgets stable despite rising rates for actors and film crews. Director Anton Maslov added that neural networks boost daily output and help elevate domestic visual effects to global standards without exponential cost increases.
At the streaming platform Okko, AI tools are integrated end-to-end—from development to marketing—helping calculate optimal locations, optimize shooting schedules, and even assess legal risks in screenplays. However, Gavriil Gordeev pointed out the rising issue of “neuro-charlatans”: non-specialized contractors equipped only with software subscriptions who lack an understanding of film production specifics.
Technology and Security
The industry is actively building its own infrastructure:
- Tools for Independent Studios: Versus Pictures and ID Production have developed a specialized app that bridges traditional art teams with generative AI specialists.
- Legalization of AI Content: Soyuzmultfilm is launching a platform that offers official access to the studio’s characters, voices, and locations for user-generated animated short films.
- TV Games and Generative Feature Films: Channel One is preparing a game show where viewers must distinguish a real host from an AI agent. Konstantin Ernst predicted the arrival of high-quality generative feature films within the next one to two years.
Despite this technological optimism, speakers stressed the need for sensible regulation. As Ernst noted, as algorithms penetrate every layer of production, legal and ethical boundaries will inevitably need to be established.
According to expert forecasts, AI will become seamlessly embedded into the filmmaking process over the next two to three years, transforming into an invisible yet indispensable industry standard.
Source: Kinometro
