International
Battsek to exit Miramax in January next year
MUMBAI: Miramax president Daniel Battsek is set to put in his papers in January 2010. This is because Disney has decided to close Miramax‘s New York office. It is also said that the move will bring Miramax‘s Los Angeles operations into the fold at head office at Burbank.
It may be recalled that a year ago Battsek spoke out about oversupply in the sector during a keynote speech at Film London‘s second Production Finance Market.
A few years ago the studio‘s specialty divisions were a prestigious business, albeit a business that was occasionally inefficient and profligate.
In early October, Disney had cut down 70 per cent staff of Miramax, reducing the strength to around 20. It had also slashed Miramax‘s annual film output to a bare three.
Said Walt Disney Studios chairman Rich Ross, “During Daniel‘s 18 years of service, he has brought some very prestigious and award-winning films to the studio from Calendar Girls to The Queen to No Country For Old Men. We wish Daniel the very best on his future endeavours.”
Battsek, in a statement to the staff, said, “After further reflection and discussion about the change in direction for Miramax, Rich Ross and I have agreed that I will step down as president of Miramax, effective the end of January, 2010.
“With this decision, we have also agreed that the best chance of success for Miramax is for the company to be located in Los Angeles, and I will work with the group on a transition plan. I‘m very proud of all the great work we have accomplished here at Miramax and equally proud of my overall career at Disney.”
Battsek was appointed Miramax president in July 2005 and entered the Disney fold in 1991 when he was asked to start up a UK company as part of Buena Vista International‘s worldwide distribution network.
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.
