International
Australian actor Ray Barrett no more
MUMBAI: Ray Barrett, one of the best-known veteran actors of the Australian film industry, died of a brain haemorrhage yesterday. He was 82.
Though in his sunset years, Barrett preferred to keep working rather than retire. in Australia he played the father of Nicole Kidman‘s character.
Barrett played a big role in the birth of the Australian film industry in the 1970s when he appeared in films like Don‘s Party and The Chant Of Jimmie Blacksmith, that fetched him the Australian Film Institute (AFI) Award for best supporting actor in 1977.
He won the AFI Award for best actor for Goodbye Paradise in 1982 and again in 1995 for Hotel Sorrento, and was nominated for AFIs for the films Brilliant Lies and In The Winter Dark.
He was also the recipient of several major awards including the Kodak Eastman Award for outstanding contribution to the Australian film industry in 1995 and the Raymond Longford Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.
Barrett is survived by his wife Gaye, his two sons, Reg and Jon and daughter Suellen.
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.
