01 April 2025
As movie-production costs continue to rise amid tragically diminishing revenue expectations, the film industry is looking to AI-enabled drones to deliver stunning cinemagraphic experiences without human intervention.
"Drones can work tirelessly and repeatedly until they get the shot, they don't require hours of setup and lighting adjustments to do their job, they don't have safety concerns, and they don't argue with the director," said an industry source who wished to remain anonymous. "Plus, we can save skyrocketing production costs by replacing a large human cinematography team with two or three drones. Think of a film like Netflix's The Electric State. If we had used drones to shoot that movie, it wouldn't have been a $320 million bomb. It could have only been a $300 million bomb."
Rapid technological advances in drone design, AI, and UAV-mounted cameras appear to have made conventional filming methods things of the past—no more relevant to today's moviemaking than the hand-cranked cameras of the Silent Era.
"Look, we need to produce content fast and furious," said an unnamed film director. "Customers subscribing to streaming services seem to want new movies every week. We can't keep up with that. It takes a week just to organize the catering service for a film set. But now, I can enter five movie scripts into an autonomous drone system, ship a few camera drones to five different locations, and I'll have five different movies shot and ready to edit in less than two or three days!"
On the whole, actors appear to be celebrating the new methodology.
"I love have quick location shoots have become," said XXX, an action-flick actor who refused to be identified due to a union affiliation. "No more waiting, waiting, and waiting. You hit your mark, say your lines, take out the bad guys, and the drone is right there. No hassles or resets due to human error or operator fatigue. Even on a tortuous shoot, I can be home or in my hotel by 6:00 pm, and I don't have to feel bad about not inviting the cinematographer to dinner or out for drinks."
The next step on the horizon looks to be adding AI direction to the drone systems—a move that will make all but the most famous directors unnecessary.
"Looking forward to that, as well," said XXX. "Drones don't yell, don't get drunk on set, don't ask for constant takes, and don't mess with an actor's interpretation of his or her part. Seems like bliss."
There has been no comment from the various Hollywood film unions about this new development.
