International
Dolby Laboratories is sponsor of next Academy awards
MUMBAI: Under a 20-year deal, Dolby Laboratories has been named sponsor of the former Kodak Theatre in the Hollywood & Highland Center that will host the Academy Awards. The complex is owned by the CIM Group.
The naming rights became available after the Eastman Kodak Co. went bankrupt and a federal judge allowed it to get out of its 20-year deal, which was costing the company a little more than $4 million a year. Kodak left the venue after 10 years as name sponsor.
Last December, the Academy in anticipating Kodak‘s problems, had not renewed its option on the theatre that allowed it to negotiate a new deal or leave for another venue. It was clear from the beginning,however, that the Academy preferred to stay in the venue. The organization had given CIM an exclusive first window to negotiate, which resulted in Tuesday‘s three-way deal.
Simultaneously, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has also stated that it has renegotiated its deal with the CIM Group for the Oscars to remain in the theatre through at least 2033. That‘s a 20-year extension beyond the current contract, which was to expire after the 2013 show.
The Academy also closed a separate 20-year deal with Dolby related to the naming rights.
“The Academy‘s board of governors believes that the home for our awards is in Hollywood; it is where the Academy and the motion picture industry are rooted,” Academy president Tom Sherak has reportedly said. “We are pleased to have a new agreement with CIM that will continue our long-standing partnership,” he observed.
CIM also welcomed the new deal.
International
Utopai Studios unveils 4K three-minute video generation for PAI platform
New Story Agent and editing tools aim to streamline AI-led filmmaking workflows
MUMBAI: Utopai Studios has announced a major upgrade to its PAI storytelling AI platform, introducing what it claims is an industry-first capability to generate three-minute videos in 4K resolution, alongside enhancements to its Story Agent feature.
The update, rolling out from April 15, expands the platform’s capabilities across the filmmaking process, from early concept development to post-production. The company said the new features are designed to help filmmakers maintain continuity across characters, scenes and visual styles, a key challenge in AI-driven storytelling.
At the heart of the release is a next-generation model that enables more structured narrative development, allowing creators to move more seamlessly from idea to execution. With tools such as multi-shot sequencing and multi-turn editing, the platform aims to give both studios and independent creators greater control over complex storytelling workflows.
Commenting on the launch, Utopai Studios co-founder and CTO Jie Yang said, “The next phase of AI in media will not be defined by isolated tools, but by systems that can carry story, continuity and collaboration across the full creative process.” He added that the update is a step towards enabling more practical, end-to-end narrative development at a professional level.
Echoing this, Utopai Studios co-founder and chief scientific officer Zijian He said, “Generative video is opening the door to a new production model, where creative ambition is less constrained by traditional cost and complexity.” He noted that the platform combines multimodal models with iterative editing to give creators more speed, control and consistency.
The company said PAI is already being used in professional film and television productions, particularly in Hollywood, for tasks such as pre-visualisation, scene design and post-production refinements. The latest update adds features including improved voice options, character consistency, unlimited editing and more flexible asset management.
Utopai also emphasised that its models are not trained on copyrighted material, positioning the platform as a cleaner alternative for creators and rights holders navigating the evolving AI landscape.
As AI continues to reshape content creation, Utopai’s latest push signals a shift from standalone tools to integrated systems, aiming to make high-quality filmmaking faster, more flexible and increasingly accessible.
