International
Nab Show to examine breakthrough technology from ‘Oz’ to ‘Oblivion’
MUMBAI: The Nab Show, taking place 6 to 11 April in Las Vegas, Nevada, will feature back-to-back panel discussions with one on Sam Raimi’s 3D feature ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’ preceded by a session on Oscar winning cinematographer Claudio Miranda’s upcoming film ‘Oblivion’ starring Tom Cruise on 9 April.
Each session will examine the impact that technologies such as 4K and 3D have on filmmaking today.
‘Oblivion’ which is slated to be released the week following the Nab Show on 19 April, leads a summer slate of big-budget feature films shot with Sony’s F65. Miranda, ASC, alongside accomplished Digital Imaging Technician Alex Carr, will discuss their experiences shooting Universal Pictures ‘Oblivion’ The Q&A discussion, which takes place on 9 April at 11.45 am, will be moderated by Jon Fauer, ASC of Film and Digital Times.
‘Oz the Great and Powerful’ Colorist Stephen Nakamura will guide a discussion about the technical and aesthetic challenges involved in colour grading 3D and 2D versions of the film. The makers of ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’ were intent on creating a lush and vivid colour palette that would evoke the feeling of L. Frank Baum’s ‘Land of Oz’ books, and Nakamura will explore how the feature makes use of such an intense, otherworldly color scheme.
‘Oblivion’ and ‘Oz’ are not the only films featured at NAB Show this year. Other recent panel additions include Paul Schrader’s ‘The Canyons’ a discussion with the director of ‘The Heat’ Paul Feig; and a Technology Summit On Cinema keynote from the Academy Award and two-time Golden Globe winning producer of ‘Avatar’ and ‘Titanic’ Jon Landau.
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.
