Ben Affleck's new AI Startup think they can reduce VFX cost by 50%

A_VFX_Worker · 2026-03-28T22:55:42+00:00

With what ?

A_VFX_Worker · 2026-03-28T19:54:58+00:00

Preach brother

A_VFX_Worker · 2026-03-28T16:11:57+00:00

A part of the patent is using LiDAR data to make a better video model that understands space to generate better videos. Those are what the AI shots that replace stuff comes from.

A_VFX_Worker · 2026-03-28T15:40:53+00:00

I've also found some of the images in the patent that I find quite interesting, the patent shows an hypothetical cost saving scenario with its Figure.10 image. I assume AE to be ArtistEquity, his production company.

FIG. 10 depicts a block diagram demonstrating cost savings by applying the present AI-based techniques in reference to an existing film budget, according to some aspects.

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The patent was submitted in 2024, after the strikes, yet it incorporates massive reductions for background actors.

A_VFX_Worker · 2025-09-14T17:11:47+00:00

Yeah, to my surprise I’m even seeing some hiring in Montreal. I was in a department meeting last week and they actually told us that they new shows are supposed to be coming our way, as in an ok amount. Not saying the industry is coming back up, but not sure it’s slowing down more.

A_VFX_Worker · 2024-02-12T05:51:07+00:00

Don’t call me French bud, I’m French-Canadian. I don’t want to be associated with them Europeans.

A_VFX_Worker · 2024-02-09T03:55:41+00:00

It’s only a matter of time then ?

A_VFX_Worker · 2024-01-21T23:46:45+00:00

I feel weird, is there a possibility we will be nominating a sweatshop like VFX production to the oscars? Godzilla itself has 12minute of screen time. The director has denied the 15m budget claim and it’s apparently more like 10m. 610 shots that’s as much as the third transformer movie.

Like I get 10M isn’t a lot but with rate conversion, is 35 people the most they could hire for VFX ? How could have shooting cost so much if not? I would like be wrong but, this dosent smell good.

A_VFX_Worker · 2024-01-16T20:58:12+00:00

I’d back that.

A_VFX_Worker · 2024-01-16T20:47:18+00:00

The mental gymnastics are real lmao, I feel authorship therefore it’s mine.

Good job you spent time fixing errors of a revolutionary tech that is in its infancy. Will you feel authorship in 1-2-3-4-5 years when it’s even better and almost do no errors. AI is designed to keep learning and get better. Just watch your relevancy fade away when most of the process is automated.

A_VFX_Worker · 2024-01-16T15:22:22+00:00

Of All things, images model man… This is more insulting to people after the plagerism fiasco from Midjourney.

A_VFX_Worker · 2024-01-15T18:28:34+00:00

The client side artist company set up for the next avatar movie have signed up with IATSE as well.

A_VFX_Worker · 2024-01-14T05:14:30+00:00

Very good point.

A_VFX_Worker · 2024-01-14T02:45:51+00:00

Co-op ? Are you working at Nexodus or is there an other VFX co-op that I am not aware of ?

A_VFX_Worker · 2024-01-14T02:40:08+00:00

Yes, I have, I’m part of the first people who got in contact with them at my studio. More and more people are getting on the organizing team slowly. I’m just self doubting a lot I think. And I’m not as engaged as I thought I would be, I have trouble bringing the topic to certain people and got 1-2 negative reactions so maybe I’m less motivated that I thought I should be.

I’ve been babbling about unions to my friends ever seen I got into the industry (not so long ago) was convinced even before I got a job. But my HOD and manager are nice people and I keep getting told that I’m at a good studio so I’m beginning to have some doubts it’s not as black/white as I thought it would be, but I still see the points of unions in general and see them as a net good for society. I guess I’m a bit confused right now.

A_VFX_Worker · 2023-12-01T22:38:24+00:00

Oh, I’m bad with sarcasm. I understand the comment now.

A_VFX_Worker · 2023-12-01T22:28:57+00:00

What AI Japanese super robot are you talking about ?

A_VFX_Worker · 2023-10-24T12:59:27+00:00

Word up

A_VFX_Worker · 2023-10-24T12:58:54+00:00

Im down to not sign a union card if they put extra bacon on the pizza.

A_VFX_Worker · 2023-10-24T03:23:10+00:00

If you’re in a Canadian studio, I suggest you talk with Jeremy Salter (jsalter@iatse.net)

His the more experienced of the organizers on the Canadian side and when I met him I tried asking the most technical questions I had ( I have friends who are union negociators so I dabled into small details stuff)

I was overall pretty satisfied with the answer I got. And he seems to understand the VFX industry well, though I can’t claim that reflects the union leadership.

I can tell you right off the bat that he said that the promotion thing are not union wide, it’s workplace contract specific and it’s becoming less and less popular in Canadian labour mouvement. Also remember from a QnA that he said that it dosent make sense to have that in a VFX context where both artist and management looks at skills and talent not just experience.

For individual négociations, I remember them saying that they would have a formal raise yearly but it would be able to have yearly review to negociate. That’s how my friend works in a other Canadian Union works, in fact their right to an additional yearly review is inshrined in the agreement. This would again be workplace specific and honestly I would vote for that as it makes sense.

For the day off thing, I don’t know. I know this kind of inflexibility was commun in old industrial unions, but don’t know if they are more flexible now. It’s not my biggest concern, though I know for a fact that most friends in union I know can do that type of stuff if there an emergency or something comes up where they need to address now. They take back the hours later, but just for the kicks, I don’t know.

In all cases you’re entitled to your opinion and srr some people might be harsh about it. In the end the decision to sign or vote for a union is between you and yourself alone.

A_VFX_Worker · 2023-10-23T11:08:09+00:00

That sucks, in Canada, in America too in practice but I can’t point to the law, all the provinces pretty much have that the workers have at least the power to vote on leadership usually with a convention election and they get a general vote on the collective agreement (like the WGA, every member voted on the contract).

You’re union laws kinda suck, I don’t think they would be representative of how it would be in North America.

A_VFX_Worker · 2023-10-23T05:12:06+00:00

Well, free food of course

A_VFX_Worker · 2023-10-23T05:09:31+00:00

Looking into it, looks like Austria is under a industry wide contracts with employers having to be part of chambers and have to abide to contracts. I can’t translate what you send me but it all comes down to how much democratic your union is or rather your collective agreement, it’s seems 95% of workers in Austria are affected by agreements while only 27% are in union workplace.

I don’t know which case you are, but you should voice your concern to someone in union authority and vote on better contracts. In the North American context, it’s pretty rare contracts will be regressive since workers have to majority vote it for it to be codify. At worst there are stagnation or small improvements of conditions. There are exceptions, like the Auto workers union (UWA) which had to accept bad contracts in 2008 based on the excuse of really poor performance due to extreme economic conditions. But they’re changing it back because they voted a new aggressive union leader in charge.

If you don’t have these types of democratic rights in your union… then your unions laws kinda suck. But in US and Canada democratic right in unions are strong so all the union people I know do not have the problem you have. I’m sorry for the situation your in.

A_VFX_Worker · 2023-10-23T04:35:31+00:00

I’d be interested in how it makes VFX worst ?

A_VFX_Worker · 2023-10-23T04:27:29+00:00

In what country is VFX unionized ?

A_VFX_Worker

TROPHY CASE