AI may slash film production costs by 40% in 2 years

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS increasingly reshaping the creative economy as filmmakers, animators and content creators turn to prompt-driven production. Conversations with senior executives on the sidelines of the CII Big Picture Summit in Mumbai on Monday indicate that India’s entertainment industry has begun embracing AI in a significant way, shifting tasks such as storyboarding, scriptwriting and VFX production to AI tools. Last month also saw the re-release of the Nagarjuna-starrer Shiva—first released in 1989 in Telugu and remade in Hindi in 1990—after being digitally restored using AI-based tools and modern sound technology.

- VIVEAT SUSAN PINTO

Executives estimate that studios and film production companies could end up saving as much as 30-40% of content costs over the next two years through the use of AI. For animation companies, the cost reduction is even higher—around 50%—with Al adoption, Rajiv Chilaka, founder and MD of Green Gold Animation, best known for the animated series Chhota Bheem, told FE.

“We are encouraging our staff to quickly upskill as AI will disrupt the market. Competition in this AI age is also coming from new-age startups and upcoming studios. All of this is keeping us on our toes to ensure we are quick to adapt to the evolving scenario,” Chilaka, who founded Green Gold Animation over two decades ago, said.