Secret Invasion’s Opening Credits, Created With AI, Cost ‘No Artists’ Jobs,’ Says VFX Firm

The visual effects house that created the opening credits for Disney+’s Secret Invasion says that their use of AI cost no human artists a job.

Concurrent with the live-action Marvel series’ release, the website Polygon published some quotes from director Ali Selim, revealing that VFX house Method Studios used AI to create the moody, shapeshifting opening credits. (“It felt explorative and inevitable, and exciting, and different,” Selim explained.)

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There was immediate backlash, with some taking Selim’s quotes to mean that, like, someone pushed a button on a computer and let AI do the rest. In actuality, AI was simply one of many tools used by Method Studios, which per the end credits assigned eight employees to Secret Invasion, including an art director, an animator and a AI Technical Director.

In a statement to our sister site THR, Method Studios said, “Working on Secret Invasion, a captivating show exploring the infiltration of aliens into human society, provided an exceptional opportunity to delve into the intriguing realm of AI, specifically for creating unique character attributes and movements. Utilizing a custom AI tool for this particular element perfectly aligned with the project’s overall theme and the desired aesthetic.

The “highly collaborative and iterative” production process “involved a tremendous effort by talented art directors, animators (proficient in both 2D and 3D), artists, and developers, who employed conventional techniques to craft all the other aspects of the project,” the statement went on to say. “However, it is crucial to emphasize that while the AI component provided optimal results, AI is just one tool among the array of toolsets our artists used. No artists’ jobs were replaced by incorporating these new tools; instead, they complemented and assisted our creative teams.”

Now having that necessary context, where do you stand on this use of AI as but one tool in the creation of art such as the opening credits for a TV show?

Watch scoop on Secret Invasion, or for any other TV show ? Email your question to InsideLine@tvline.com, and it may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line!

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