Bending Reality: Scaling Film Productions with AI Workflows
Summary
Go behind the scenes of groundbreaking short films, The Bends and Pathways, developed under the Entertainment Technology Center, to explore how AI is reshaping the future of filmmaking. The Bends and Pathways both pushed the boundaries of traditional workflows using AI-integrated pipelines. In this panel, filmmakers and tech leads reveal how they reimagined VFX and production processes to deliver ambitious visuals without ballooning resources. This session offers an inside look at what’s possible when artificial intelligence becomes a central creative force in production.
- Format: Panel
- Category: Panel
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Contributors
- Tom Thudiyanplackal
- Sarah Ivy
- Khayyam Khan
- Christina Lee Storm
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"details": "🎬 Creative Executive | Producer | Innovation Strategist\n\n🔁 Bridging Storytelling, Technology, and the Future of Production\n\nI'm Tom Thudiyanplackal — a producer, creative technologist, and former Bollywood development exec (3 Idiots) now leading frontier cinematic R&D at USC's Entertainment Technology Center and School of Cinematic Arts. My work focuses on developing the next generation of storytelling pipelines, including virtual production, AI-assisted workflows, and scalable tools that enhance creative ambition.\n\nAt USC, I serve as Executive Producer for Europa, ChikaBOOM!, The Bends, and Pathways — four short-form productions that explore the creative and ethical dimensions of AI, immersive media, and production labor transformation. I also mentor MFA and PhD filmmakers through the Amazon-funded Future Cinema Creators Project, helping shape how new voices engage with disruptive technologies.\n\nMy white paper for Fathead (Amazon Stage 15) became a widely referenced guide for studios adopting real-time production. I speak regularly at NAB, SIGGRAPH, and AI on the Lot, and collaborate with innovators like Google, Promise Studios, Asteria, Moon Valley, and Topaz Labs to rethink what filmmaking can be.\n\n💡 My mission: Build systems where story and computation evolve together — ethically, artistically, and exponentially.\n\n🌱 Currently building the future of trust-enabled, values-based, and human-centered entertainment at Forever Halcyon [dot] com.",
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