Netflix VFX chief says generative AI still needs artists' judgement
Generative AI can multiply the options for a shot, but artists still pick the one that serves the story.
That was the message from James Rustad, global head of GenFX at Eyeline, Netflix's in-house visual effects studio. Visual effects means imagery made or altered by computer. He was speaking at the InnoAsia session titled 'Making What's Next: Generative AI and the Future of Filmmaking at Eyeline' Variety.
The session took place at the Asian Contents & Film Market, the industry market attached to the Busan International Film Festival. The market lists it as a 45-minute InnoAsia session starting at 13:30 Asian Contents & Film Market. Festival organisers placed it in a line-up focused on how cinema is evolving through AI Busan International Film Festival.
Rustad used Netflix's 'Brazil '70: The Third Star' to explain how the work is done. The project carries more than 1,300 visual effects shots, with over 800 set on the football field. Scale like that leaves no room for guesswork.
His answer is a hybrid method. Eyeline runs it with 45 artists, bringing generative tools, meaning systems that create images from prompts and reference material, into a pipeline that still uses established effects techniques. Generative AI widens the choice. Then comes judgement. "Artists' judgments are also important," Rustad said.
He broke the process into four stages: setup, narrative, look and delivery. Early work sets the shot up. Then the team shapes the action. Then the appearance. Delivery closes it out.
Refinement stays hands-on. Lighting, small scene details and period accuracy are adjusted by artists. After that come compositing, meaning layering elements into a final image, plus upscaling, bit-depth checks and technical review.
What makes this stand out for viewers is the emphasis on finish. More versions does not mean faster approval. Someone still has to decide what looks true to 1970 and what keeps the eye on the play.
InnoAsia has put more AI filmmaking on the table this year. Its 2026 programme also includes 'InnoAsia Cinematic AI' and 'InnoAsia AI Creators Camp', as reported by Variety. Rustad's session kept the focus narrow: tools can help build the crowd, the stadium and the light, but a crew makes the call.
