Kim Sung-soo: I'll Never Make Films the Old Way Again — SkimNews
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- Kim Sung-soo said his pivot came via 'Worm Train,' an eight-minute short he first abandoned after AI failed to render its key scene of a giant insect colliding with a packed train crowd; months later, the technology caught up and he declared: 'I'll never go back to the way I used to make films.'
- Kim assembled a nine-person team for 'Worm Train,' choosing to generate only part of the short with AI and handle the rest with conventional filmmaking, and plans the same hybrid approach for a developing seven-part drama series whose 15-minute opening chase on the Gyeongin Expressway would demand 'enormous financial resources' to shoot traditionally.
- Li Wei, Chinese animation director and co-director of 'Jiang Ziya,' presented a trailer for 'Born of the Tide,' a 105-minute AI-animated feature about China's Tanka boat-dwelling community, and said the technology shines at trial-and-error concept design that used to require enormous hand-drawing time.
- Harry Hyun, CEO of AI production company MooAm, said her directing team now includes an 'AI coordinator' who decides which cuts will be generated, maintains a continuity script and checks cuts with AI artists; MooAm hires only AI artists who have directed at least one live-action short.
- Lee Sangwook of MBC C&I's AI Contents Lab is producing 'Rendering Love,' a short-form K-pop romantic comedy about a virtual idol group, with story development by 'Parasite' producer Barunson E&A, and warned that lagging on the learning curve drags down overall project quality.
- Kim argued that commercial use and permissions should be settled before the industry sets technical standards, saying: 'Whenever I generate outputs, I scrutinize the results closely to ensure they do not infringe upon existing works or violate anyone's publicity rights.'
- The panel, hosted by Kling AI, took place Sunday at the Busan International Film Festival's Asian Contents & Film Market.
Why it matters: Kim's plan to AI-generate the 15-minute opening chase of his seven-part series — a shot he said would cost 'enormous financial resources' to film traditionally — shows how studios can pre-visualize expensive sequences before committing actors and crews. MooAm's new 'AI coordinator' role signals an emerging production specialty, while Kim's copyright warning frames a regulatory fight the industry hasn't settled.
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