International
CineAsia gets underway
MUMBAI: With a focus on multiplex development and the rollout of d-cinema systems in the mainland China market, which is currently enjoying 40 per cent box-office growth, the CineAsia distribution and exhibition conference got going in Hong Kong on Tuesday.
On an average, at least one new screen is being opened every day in China.
Rance Pow, president of theatrical consultancy Artisan Gateway, gave a visual depiction of the way that multiplexes are mushrooming across the country – 90 cinemas with 386 screens have opened so far this year – and argued that there is still plenty of room for further growth.
According to Pow, China currently has 1,635 cinemas with 4,483 screens, which is estimated to grow to 2,000 cinemas with 6,000 screens by the end of 2010. In comparison, the North America market, with a fraction of China‘s population, has around 5,400 cinemas with 39,000 screens.
Delegates also heard about the impressive rollout of d-cinema and 3D systems in mainland China, which is now the world‘s second biggest territory in terms of digital screens.
The rollout has been driven by the Chinese government that provides subsidies and other forms of support to help cinemas upgrade. As a result, local players such as Time Antaeus – a real estate turned exhibition company – have been encouraged to join the fray. Time Antaeus has already deployed 895 DCI-compliant screens across China and aims to hit 2,000 by the end of 2010.
According to Yang Buting, chairman of China Film Distribution and Exhibition Association, China now has 1,388 2K D-cinema screens of which around 500 can play 3D. By November 2009, a total of 102 movies had been released in digital formats, grossing a combined $167m (RMB1.14bn), compared to 62 digital titles grossing $76m (RMB520m) in 2008.
The growth in traditional and d-cinema screens is having a direct impact on the mainland box office, which is on course to hit $882.4m by the end of 2009, a 40 per cent increase on the $635.5 haul in 2008. As of the end of November, with the normally lucrative month of December yet to come, box office had already reached $755.3m.
In addition to new cinemas, growth is also due to a strong line-up of Chinese movies and the fact that the Chinese authorities are allowing big-ticket US movies, such as Transformers 2 and 2012, for exhibition.
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.
