International
Disney trims 5 per cent of workforce
MUMBAI: Walt Disney Studios has decided to retrench 5 per cent of its employees even as its revenue from the home entertainment business has dipped.
DVD was one of the major revenue drivers for Hollywood, so much so that even if the movie didn‘t do well in theatres home entertainment business made up for the losses. Ever since the downfall of DVD sales, studios are becoming cautious about spending and are trimming their overheads. The reason for the decline is the emergence of other digital alternatives like Netflix and Amazon.com which are more convenient and less expensive.
The DVD slump has forced Hollywood studios to re-evaluate budgets. Although majority of the layoffs are a result of Disney combining its global and domestic distribution operations, a few cuts have also come from marketing and production.
It is not just Disney that has been affected by the home entertainment business; other studios like Paramount are soon going to follow Disney‘s lead.
The increase in the number of films made by DreamWorks, Marvel and Pixar and Disney‘s dependence on these studios have also led to Disney‘s decision to shed off 250 people. Disney‘s decrease in original production means fewer employees are needed.
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.
