Weta FX technology chief says AI saves time but tech firms must work more with creatives
Weta FX CTO Kimball Thurston told a Netflix panel in Busan that AI brings real efficiencies, but artists need better tools and a seat at the table.
The technology chief of visual effects studio Weta FX says AI is bringing real efficiencies to film production, but still has clear limits that tech companies need filmmakers' help to fix.
Kimball Thurston made the comments during Netflix's Creative Asia day at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea, as reported by Deadline on Saturday 10 October 2026. He appeared alongside Korean filmmaker Kang Yun-sung and Sung Q Lee, Netflix's senior director of production for Asia-Pacific.
Thurston said one major problem is largely being solved: many AI tools can now output images at 4K resolution, the standard for cinema and premium streaming. But he said there are still issues with colour range, which matters when footage has to match the rest of a film.
He said there are still areas where he hopes technology companies will work with the creative industry more than they have done in the past, so filmmakers can help them solve these problems.
Thurston also questioned how artists are expected to use the tools. He argued that typing text prompts is not a natural way for a visual artist to work, and that the industry needs better interfaces built around how artists actually think and create.
All three panellists agreed that AI is bringing efficiencies to production workflows. They framed its main value as giving filmmakers more creative options, such as more versions of a sunset or a battle scene to choose from, rather than replacing actors or generating entire images from scratch.
Thurston stressed that AI is not only about image generation. He pointed to assisted AI, meaning tools that support artists and the story they are telling, as just as important.
