Latest news with #Metaphysic
Business Wire
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Moonvalley Hires VFX Trailblazer Ed Ulbrich to Lead Strategic Growth in AI-Powered Entertainment
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Moonvalley, an AI research company building foundational AI video models and tools trained exclusively on licensed content, today announced the appointment of visual effects industry veteran Ed Ulbrich as Head of Strategic Growth & Partnerships. In this role, Ulbrich will help shape the company's broader growth strategy while deepening Moonvalley's relationships across studios, brands, agencies, and creative communities. He will also collaborate closely with Moonvalley's studio arm, Asteria Film Co., to accelerate adoption and integration of its technology within professional filmmaking communities and workflows. Ulbrich brings over 30 years of experience driving innovation at the intersection of storytelling, production, and technology. His credits include some of cinema's most ambitious films including Top Gun: Maverick, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Titanic. He also produced the sci-fi epic Ender's Game and helped pioneer live digital human performances with the now-iconic 'Tupac Shakur hologram' at Coachella. Most recently, Ulbrich served as Chief Content Officer and President of Production at Metaphysic, where he worked with major studios, streamers, talent, brands, agencies, and labels to integrate generative AI into high-end production and post. Over three decades, he has led innovation in visual effects across film, TV, streaming, advertising, music videos, and live entertainment. Beyond features, he has delivered VFX for more than 500 commercials for global brands, earning honors including the Cannes Lions Titanium Award. He held senior roles at Deluxe and spent two decades at Academy Award-winning Digital Domain—co-founded by James Cameron, Scott Ross, and Stan Winston—where he also served as CEO. The announcement reflects Hollywood's evolving relationship with AI technology. Following industry strikes partly centered on AI concerns, studios are seeking partners who can deliver professional tools while respecting creators' rights. Moonvalley's approach of building models exclusively from licensed content directly addresses these concerns. "From his pioneering work on 'Benjamin Button' to leading AI adoption and integration at Metaphysic, Ed knows how to turn innovative technology into tools that actually work for filmmakers at scale,' said Naeem Talukdar, Co-Founder and CEO of Moonvalley. 'He knows what it takes to earn the trust of filmmakers and how to bring transformative technology into their workflows. We're thrilled to have someone with his expertise and relationships help us bring this technology to the studios and creators who will define its future.' Ulbrich's appointment follows Moonvalley's launch of Marey, the first high-quality AI video model trained exclusively on licensed content. Named after pioneering cinematographer Etienne-Jules Marey, the model proves that powerful generative AI can be built without exploiting creators' work - something tech giants have claimed is impossible. 'I've spent my career pushing the boundaries of how technology serves storytelling,' said Ulbrich. 'What drew me to Moonvalley is their respect for the craft, their use of clean, licensed data, and their focus on empowering creators without compromise. They're solving the right problems the right way, and that's exactly what the industry needs right now. This is the kind of company that can actually change how films get made, and I'm all in.' Hollywood is at a critical crossroads with generative AI. The technology could slash production costs and democratize high-quality content creation, but adoption has been slow over legal concerns about training data and tools that fall short of professional standards. Moonvalley's clean-data approach and focus on filmmaker needs position it to break through these barriers. About Moonvalley Moonvalley is an AI research company building next-generation models and tools for creative professionals. The company brings together talent from DeepMind, Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok, and leading entertainment companies, unified around advancing visual intelligence. Through partnerships with film studios, production companies, and brands, Moonvalley is proving that powerful generative AI can be built while respecting artists' and creators' rights.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Moonvalley Hires VFX Trailblazer Ed Ulbrich to Lead Strategic Growth in AI-Powered Entertainment
Hollywood Innovator Joins Visionary AI Company Building the First Fully-Licensed Video Generation Model LOS ANGELES, June 18, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Moonvalley, an AI research company building foundational AI video models and tools trained exclusively on licensed content, today announced the appointment of visual effects industry veteran Ed Ulbrich as Head of Strategic Growth & Partnerships. In this role, Ulbrich will help shape the company's broader growth strategy while deepening Moonvalley's relationships across studios, brands, agencies, and creative communities. He will also collaborate closely with Moonvalley's studio arm, Asteria Film Co., to accelerate adoption and integration of its technology within professional filmmaking communities and workflows. Ulbrich brings over 30 years of experience driving innovation at the intersection of storytelling, production, and technology. His credits include some of cinema's most ambitious films including Top Gun: Maverick, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Titanic. He also produced the sci-fi epic Ender's Game and helped pioneer live digital human performances with the now-iconic "Tupac Shakur hologram" at Coachella. Most recently, Ulbrich served as Chief Content Officer and President of Production at Metaphysic, where he worked with major studios, streamers, talent, brands, agencies, and labels to integrate generative AI into high-end production and post. Over three decades, he has led innovation in visual effects across film, TV, streaming, advertising, music videos, and live entertainment. Beyond features, he has delivered VFX for more than 500 commercials for global brands, earning honors including the Cannes Lions Titanium Award. He held senior roles at Deluxe and spent two decades at Academy Award-winning Digital Domain—co-founded by James Cameron, Scott Ross, and Stan Winston—where he also served as CEO. The announcement reflects Hollywood's evolving relationship with AI technology. Following industry strikes partly centered on AI concerns, studios are seeking partners who can deliver professional tools while respecting creators' rights. Moonvalley's approach of building models exclusively from licensed content directly addresses these concerns. "From his pioneering work on 'Benjamin Button' to leading AI adoption and integration at Metaphysic, Ed knows how to turn innovative technology into tools that actually work for filmmakers at scale," said Naeem Talukdar, Co-Founder and CEO of Moonvalley. "He knows what it takes to earn the trust of filmmakers and how to bring transformative technology into their workflows. We're thrilled to have someone with his expertise and relationships help us bring this technology to the studios and creators who will define its future." Ulbrich's appointment follows Moonvalley's launch of Marey, the first high-quality AI video model trained exclusively on licensed content. Named after pioneering cinematographer Etienne-Jules Marey, the model proves that powerful generative AI can be built without exploiting creators' work - something tech giants have claimed is impossible. "I've spent my career pushing the boundaries of how technology serves storytelling," said Ulbrich. "What drew me to Moonvalley is their respect for the craft, their use of clean, licensed data, and their focus on empowering creators without compromise. They're solving the right problems the right way, and that's exactly what the industry needs right now. This is the kind of company that can actually change how films get made, and I'm all in." Hollywood is at a critical crossroads with generative AI. The technology could slash production costs and democratize high-quality content creation, but adoption has been slow over legal concerns about training data and tools that fall short of professional standards. Moonvalley's clean-data approach and focus on filmmaker needs position it to break through these barriers. About Moonvalley Moonvalley is an AI research company building next-generation models and tools for creative professionals. The company brings together talent from DeepMind, Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok, and leading entertainment companies, unified around advancing visual intelligence. Through partnerships with film studios, production companies, and brands, Moonvalley is proving that powerful generative AI can be built while respecting artists' and creators' rights. View source version on Contacts press@
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
AI Business, Creativity and Jobs Take Center Stage at HPA Tech Retreat: ‘What We're Trying to Be Is Pixar'
It was fitting that the acquisition of generative AI tech company Metaphysic by DNEG Group's Brahma AI arm was announced on Tuesday, as a large part of the annual HPA Tech Retreat – which was held this week in Palm Springs – was largely dedicated to AI and this deal underscored several of the predicted trends, including convergence. 'Convergence is one of the main things that we will see in 2025,' I2A2 president and CEO Renard Jenkins forecasted, while showing a slide with a lengthy list of just some of the AI startups that are targeting the media and entertainment space. 'That can be good and bad, because if your favorite tool gets purchased by someone who intends to maybe keep it under wraps or they fully don't understand its value, then all of a sudden you've got to learn something new. That changes your workflow, what happens in your development, where things are going to go.' More from Variety 'The Ultimate Goal Is to Make More Movies,' Says CTO of Stability AI, the Tech Company for Which James Cameron Serves as a Board Member AI Is a Potential 'Goldmine' and a 'Ticking Time Bomb,' Says SMPTE Chief at HPA Tech Retreat Metaphysic, The Company That De-Aged Tom Hanks and Robin Wright in 'Here,' Acquired by DNEG's AI Arm Metaphysic has already made an impression in the VFX space — notably its toolset was used to age and deage Tom Hanks and Robin Wright in Robert Zemeckis' 'Here' — an application that last week won a Visual Effects Society Award in its emerging technology category. According to DNEG Group, the Metaphysic deal is about creating tools for a range of industries, but VFX is clearly a critical part, particularly as DNEG Group also encompasses VFX giant DNEG, whose work on 'Dune: Part Two' is currently nominated for an Oscar. At HPA, Jenkins reported that in the AI media and entertainment space, 'the most impacted areas right now are visual effects and sound.' During another session, VFX vets Barbara Ford Grant and Daniel Kramer discussed what they learned creating a personal project, titled 'Unhoused,' using various AI tools. Ford Grant described the 'iterative cycle where we layered in different AI tools throughout the entire process. And so we were kind of iterating development, preproduction, production and post.' AI tools ranged from Runway to Midjourney. Kramer, a VFX supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks, discussed some lessons learned. 'We really need a lot more control in visual effects,' he said, citing areas such as facial animation, lip syncing and compositing. 'I really am looking for these tools that sort of help enable the artists and help us, you know, work a little bit faster, a little bit better.' Speaking more broadly about filmmaking, director David Slade ('30 Days of Night,' 'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse') said, 'It's not the AI that makes the film. It's the human with the idea and the structure.' He added that all of his prior experience has been useful in his AI-applied work, 'not because I want to make copies of other films in a different way, but just because the form persists. The cinematic language we've had for a hundred or so years persists in this space.' Slade also believes AI will be a factor in launching new channels, and these 'new ways to distribute are going to allow weird or odd movies … that aren't necessarily for everybody, but that have a niche. Niche movies will be possible.' Filmmakers representing some new studios enabled by AI also shared perspectives. Filmmaker Dave Clark, who is co-founder and chief creative officer at Promise, described the development of Promise's Muse proprietary software and workflow layer. 'That's going to be able to move at the speed of AI,' he said, adding, 'We want to build a creative production pipeline that allows us to always, constantly shift and move as the technology evolves. Because I do believe that technology will keep evolving, at least for the rest of my career.' Promise was founded last fall with investment from Peter Chernin at North Road and Andrew Chen at Andreessen Horowitz. Walter Woodman of Shy Kids, the team behind the 'Air Head' short made with OpenAI's Sora, warned, 'I think that when people talk about AI, they talk about faster and cheaper. And I think that's a horrible way to think about things. I think that my job is to make things that were previously impossible. 'What we're trying to be is Pixar. What we're trying to compete with is Disney. And I think what I like most about AI is that it has the promise that we can actually compete with those guys,' he declared, adding 'We're looking for our Steve Jobs.' A range of additional, sometimes opposing, views were also presented during the retreat, including in presentations by Hasso Basse — chief technology officer of AI tech developer Stability AI, whose board members include James Cameron — and Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers president and Deluxe vice president Richard Welsh. Amid these conversations, Hollywood jobs remain a critical concern, driving the 2023 double labor strikes. But Jenkins contends that his research, including that from the World Economic Forum, suggests that business owners (though not specific to filmmaking) 'would rather reskill their existing employees or upskill their existing employees.' He elaborated, 'What that means is that if anybody is telling you that AI is going to replace the worker, AI is going to replace the artist, AI is going to replace, replace, replace – I would theorize that that person is extremely misguided as to how these tools and how these systems should be used, and how they can be most impactful. 'Upskilling is the way forward,' he said, suggesting education and urging, 'for those of you who are concerned about where our industry is going, don't wait.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Grammy Predictions, From Beyoncé to Kendrick Lamar: Who Will Win? Who Should Win? What's Coming to Netflix in February 2025
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Scarlett Johansson Is Right: Tech Platforms Shouldn't Profit From Her Likeness In Unauthorized AI
Editors note: Dan Neely is a serial entrepreneur who was recently named to the Time 100 list of the most influential people in AI. He is CEO of Vermillio, a company that uses AI tools to identify and eliminate unauthorized content for clients that include public figures, performers, creators and IP owners. He advocates for greater IP protection and monetization standards around AI. Scarlett Johansson has stepped up once again with a strong statement on unauthorized AI. This time, she called out the use of her likeness in an AI-generated video addressing Kanye West's latest hate speech. More from Deadline Scarlett Johansson Calls On Legislators To Limit AI After Viral Video Shows Fake Image Of Her Condemning Kanye West Scarlett Johansson Had To Threaten OpenAI With Legal Action To Get Soundalike Voice Taken Down, Wants 'Appropriate Legislation' To Stop Such Deepfakes – Update AI Arm Of 'Dune' Visual Effects Firm DNEG Acquires Metaphysic, Which De-Aged Tom Hanks In 'Here' She's right: It's not only about the message itself or the misuse of her own image but an unchecked technology rapidly reshaping our reality, with little to no guardrails in place. Time is of the essence to get national AI policies right and establish industrywide standards. Leading talent, like Johansson, have important voices and critical leverage to counterbalance the influence of the biggest tech platforms. Social media platforms are profit-driven ventures designed to maximize engagement. This means algorithms prioritize virality over veracity. The most interesting content is often about the most interesting people, which includes the world's most famous celebrities. AI-generated content featuring talent – whether it's deepfake videos, fabricated audio, or AI-written misinformation – can spread like wildfire, good or bad. This particular video was all over the internet – Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and more. There were no mechanisms at the platforms in place to stop it from spreading. While the platforms each theoretically have the ability to act, history tells us they won't unless compelled to do so. We can't expect them to police themselves. From IP rights to fair compensation, the entertainment industry has long fought to protect talent from exploitation at the hands of tech platforms. They've generally reacted, rather than led. In the new era of AI, these battles take on an entirely new urgency. Unauthorized AI-generated content isn't just an inconvenience – it's an existential threat to personal identity, professional livelihoods (of both talent and IP holders), and even democratic institutions. History has shown that platforms will leverage the world's leading talent and most beloved IP without sharing a fair piece of the growing pie. If we don't act now, we risk ceding control of reality itself to technology that can fabricate and spread convincing falsehoods at scale. As the CEO of an AI licensing and protection platform, of course I believe that this remarkable technology isn't inherently bad. With proper guardrails, AI regulated by AI offers a powerful tool to talent and creators. Instead of having it used without her consent, what if Scarlett Johansson wanted to license her voice for an educational tool for children or for a cause of her choice? Consider a podcaster who wants to license their AI-generated likeness to create promotional material for lucrative compensation that fuels their creativity. These are positive applications of AI that could empower talent, rather than exploit them. But this only works if real technology guardrails, industrywide standards, and the proper legislation are all in place. The leverage of leading talent, like Johansson, is critical. Regulation cannot be left to the discretion of tech CEOs, whose incentives are not always aligned with Hollywood or the general public's. Hollywood, Washington and the tech industry are all circling AI. Hollywood's leading voices need to fight for a spot at the table when it comes to passing legislation that regulates the spread of AI-generated content. All parties need to come together to establish clear and enforceable guardrails. That means legislation ensuring consent in AI-generated likeness and voice replication, meaningful data protections, and regulated platform accountability for the spread of unauthorized content. The recent decision in the Thomson Reuters case shows that courts are beginning to take AI-related copyright issues seriously. Talent must leverage this momentum to ensure their voices are heard and shaping these decisions. If talent doesn't step up, tech platforms will dominate the conversation, and history has shown that when that happens, creators and the public more broadly get left with the smallest piece of the pie. Johansson's voice carries weight, but she shouldn't have to fight this battle alone. More people – especially the most recognizable faces who are driving so much of the most viral content – need to speak up. The technology exists to monitor and enforce regulations on the biggest platforms, so let's require the platforms to use them. The time to act is now – before tech platforms drown out the voices of talent and we collectively lose our ability to distinguish fact from fiction.
