logo
'We're seeing AI-enhanced workflows, not replacement': Storytek CEO Sten-Kristian Saluveer

'We're seeing AI-enhanced workflows, not replacement': Storytek CEO Sten-Kristian Saluveer

Korea Herald2 days ago
AI takes center stage as Bucheon Film Festival explores cinema's future
BUCHEON, Gyeonggi Province -- The 29th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival opened Thursday with a bold statement on cinema's future, selecting as its opening film "About a Hero" -- a hybrid documentary by Piotr Winiewicz featuring an AI-generated screenplay trained on Werner Herzog's complete filmography.
The festival's commitment to exploring artificial intelligence runs deep, with 11 AI films among its 217-title program and a three-day conference dedicated to examining how the technology is reshaping creative processes in cinema.
Sunday marked the first day of the festival's AI conference at Bucheon Art Center, bringing together industry pioneers, technologists and policymakers to examine practical applications and future implications of AI-driven production. The sessions revealed both the technology's rapid development and the film industry's varied responses to its integration.
Sunday's conference began with presentations from leading Korean producers working with AI technology. Roy Oh, who runs the YouTube channel Oddy Studio, premiered his short film "Color My Garden," a biographical piece about Frida Kahlo told from the artist's perspective.
The film, created using tools like Midjourney and Runway, showcased the creator's signature style of blending classical art with contemporary settings. While the film at times exhibits the uncanny sleekness and occasional awkwardness of AI-generated content -- repetitive compositions, abrupt cuts between scenes -- moments of genuine visual innovation were palpable, particularly in sequences showing flowers blooming from Kahlo's body.
"It's not just what AI makes, it's how we make AI tell your story," Oh said, describing his week-long production process that treats AI collaboration like "writing a book in real time."
Lee Sang-wook of MBC C&I Content Lab followed with a demonstration of AI's integration into traditional television production, showing how his team enhanced space scenes in a TV show by combining AI-generated visuals with live actors. Viewers who watched the show responded positively to the hybrid approach.
"Starting from prompts, we can now visualize concepts that would have cost millions," Lee said. His lab, launched in 2024, runs training workshops for aspiring creators and has produced several award-winning AI films, including "Mateo," which won the grand prize at Korea's first AI International Film Festival.
The afternoon panel discussion, originally intended to focus on AI, quickly pivoted to broader industry concerns about Korea's declining theater attendance and competition from streaming platforms. Featuring festival director Shin Chul, French National Cinema Center President Gaetan Bruel and producer Lee Dong-ha, the conversation centered on Korea's struggling film industry and potential lessons from France's protective measures.
Bruel outlined the French government's comprehensive support system, including mandatory "holdback" periods that reserve theatrical releases for four months before they are available for streaming. In Korea, films often appear on platforms within weeks of theatrical release.
"In France, we had 181 million tickets sold last year — only a 10 percent decrease from pre-pandemic levels," Bruel noted, comparing it to Korea's nearly 50 percent drop. He emphasized that, in France, people with the most streaming subscriptions are often the most avid moviegoers.
The French model mandates streaming platforms reinvest part of their revenue into local content -- a system that generated €900 million for 180 projects by 140 independent production companies.
When asked about AI's impact on cinema's future, Bruel expressed measured skepticism.
"Cinema is about emotions, about the infinite complexity of dialogue," he said. "While AI brings new possibilities, I have more reasons to be concerned than enthusiastic. The risk is reducing the extent of creativity."
The day's most practical analysis came from Sten-Kristian Saluveer, CEO of Storytek and Strategic Advisor for Cannes NEXT, who delivered a recorded lecture mapping AI's integration across global film production. His presentation showcased how major festivals beyond BIFAN have adapted, with Rotterdam and Tribeca now accepting AI films in their official competitions.
Saluveer highlighted the evolution from "AI artists" to "AI studio directors" -- creatives who combine traditional filmmaking knowledge with technical expertise. Major studios now use AI for pre-visualization, with one TV series generating 24 VFX shots in a single day versus weeks it would take using conventional methods.
"We're seeing AI-enhanced workflows where the technology supports rather than replaces traditional filmmaking," Saluveer explained. The applications extend beyond visual effects into budgeting, script development and regulatory compliance -- what he termed a comprehensive "optimization paradigm."
Genre filmmaking would particularly benefit from this trend, with tools like Veo helping independent horror directors create proof-of-concept materials previously requiring studio backing.
Looking ahead, Saluveer predicted the rise of AI-transparent filmmaking within a few years, in which the technology becomes as ubiquitous and routine as digital cameras.
"Instead of thinking narrowly about AI producing visual content, it's becoming a huge optimizer," he said, emphasizing that success requires investing in talent development over the acquisition of tools. "Great filmmakers powered with AI will make great AI films. Underskilled filmmakers will ultimately make bad films."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

German publishers commend Korean readership
German publishers commend Korean readership

Korea Herald

time4 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

German publishers commend Korean readership

German publishers expect rising global interest in Korean literature, want German literature to reach Koreans German publishers admired South Korea's literary culture and the appeal of Korean literature Seoul International Book Fair 2025 on Thursday. The German booth drew strong interest from Korean readers, with publishers praising the fair's vibrant energy and organization. 'Koreans have so many great ideas about publishing and how to do it. They are very, very well versed to understand what readers love to read,' Natalja Schmidt, Publishing Director at Knaur Fiction & Bramble from Germany, told The Korea Herald. 'They (Koreans) are really keen on bringing Korean book culture to the world. I was really fascinated by that. I really think that the interest in Korean literature worldwide is about to grow,' she said. Schmidt described the fair as 'absolutely beautiful' and 'so well organized,' noting the impressive network of Korean publishing houses and literary agents. 'I came here this year because I was invited by the K Book Market. They invite people from publishing houses around the world to get to know more of the publishing culture in South Korea,' said Schmidt. 'From the German side, we can bring some interesting titles to Korea as well,' she hoped. Juergen Boos, President and CEO of Frankfurt Book Fair, shared similar sentiments with Schmidt's seeing literary ties with Korea. 'I have a long-standing relationship with Korea because back in 2005, Korea was the Guest of Honor in Frankfurt. Since then, we have had a close relationship with many institutions,' Boos said. 'Last year, it was pretty quiet. This year, it's very lively — lots of young people. It's a wonderful book community here,' he said, noting growing excitement among Korean readers. Asked about German literary recommendations for Korean readers, Boos emphasized the enduring value of classics. 'I think it's all about the classics. Hermann Hesse and Thomas Mann have been translated many, many times,' he said. Boos also mentioned a personal favorite: Wasserland by Christian Kracht. 'It's about a young guy traveling through Germany. I love this book — and my 25-year-old son loves it too, so it's become a kind of family tradition,' he said. Meanwhile, speaking with The Korea Herald, Joern Beissert, Deputy Ambassador at the German Embassy in Seoul, expressed delight at the Korean youth's enthusiastic participation. 'So many young people come here,' Beissert observed. 'We're very happy with the great resonance we have among the Korean public. German literature has something to offer for Koreans,' he added. sanjaykumar@

X for borderless, frontier music: ACC rebrands its global festival
X for borderless, frontier music: ACC rebrands its global festival

Korea Herald

time6 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

X for borderless, frontier music: ACC rebrands its global festival

The National Asian Culture Center Foundation, based in Gwangju, has relaunched its global music event, the ACC World Music Festival, under a new name and an expanded vision as the ACC X Music Festival (ACC XMF). The newly rebranded festival is set to take place from Aug. 29 to 31. Coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the ACC, the rebranding aims to redefine the festival's identity and direction. Organizers say the change reflects a shift toward a broader, more inclusive global perspective and a more contemporary cultural ethos. 'The term 'world music' carries connotations of marginalizing non-English music -- labeling it as 'Third World' or 'other.' I felt it was time to decisively shift the image," said Won Il, who also leads the Gyeonggi Sinawi Orchestra, a traditional music group based in Gyeonggi Province, during a press conference in Seoul on Tuesday. The new name, "X", symbolizes cross-cultural exchange, borderlessness and undiscovered arts, encapsulating the festival's ambition to become a contemporary, genre-defying celebration of music. 'We want to showcase music at the frontier -- sounds that exist at the intersection of cultures,' Won added. The 2025 edition will feature a diverse lineup of Korean and international acts. From Korea, the lineup includes singer-songwriters O3ohn and Car the Garden; indie bands Touched, Danpyunsun and the Moments; acoustic duo Animal Divers; and alternative electronic band 64ksana. From abroad will be reggae artist Kabaka Pyramid (Jamaica), experimental/folk duo Fran & Flora (UK), experimental band Senyawa (Indonesia), boundary-blurring music project Nubim Kim Group (Netherlands) and gayageum performers the DoYeon Kim Quintet (US). One of the key highlights of ACC XMF 2025 will be three international collaboration stages that spotlight the festival's vision of cultural fusion: a Korean-Japanese project featuring Min Young-chi and percussionist Hidano Shuichi, a collaboration between European jazz artists and Korean samulnori group Newdot, and a Korea-UK project, Hilgeum and Alice Zawadzki. While specific dates and venues have yet to be announced, the festival will also expand its programming to Seoul through a partnership with the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture. 'The ACC's performance spaces are remarkably beautiful -- music blends into them naturally,' said Kim Myung-kyu, president of the National Asian Culture Center Foundation. 'It's a powerful asset and a space with enormous potential. I hope people will come see for themselves how music and space harmonize here.'

Uzbek Novel ‘The Days Gone By' translated into Korean
Uzbek Novel ‘The Days Gone By' translated into Korean

Korea Herald

time7 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

Uzbek Novel ‘The Days Gone By' translated into Korean

The Uzbek Embassy in Seoul unveiled the Korean edition of the Uzbek novel "The Days Gone By" on Monday. Originally published in 1926 and authored by Abdulla Qodiriy, "The Days Gone By" is a foundational work of modern Uzbek literature. The Korean edition of the novel has been translated through a comparison of three English versions, a German translation, and the original Uzbek text for linguistic accuracy and cultural depth, according to the embassy. Qodiriy is regarded as the father of modern Uzbek prose. Nationalism, enlightenment ideals, and the Jadid movement — a reformist wave among Muslim intellectuals across Central Asia between the 1880s and 1920s — inspired his writings. The term Jadid, meaning "new" or "modern" in classical Persian, advocated educational reform, social renewal and cultural revival. Tragically, Qodiriy was executed in Tashkent in 1938 after being labeled an 'enemy of the people' during Joseph Stalin's rule, but posthumously he was rehabilitated in 1956 and later honored with Uzbekistan's National Award in 1991 and the Independence Order in 1994. 'Qodiriy's literary treasures, preserved through blood and sacrifice, remind us that what is transmitted is not merely text, but culture itself,' Uzbek Ambassador Alisher Abdusalomov said in his remarks at the event. The ambassador also lauded the Korean translation, noting that the research undertaken using original sources in multiple languages captures historical and cultural layers of the novel. Set in the 19th-century Kokand Khanate, the novel portrays the realities of Uzbek society under Russian expansion, oppressive structures of traditional Islamic life, and a tragic love story. The novel has themes of identity, modernity and resistance, with insight into national trauma and cultural resilience. The event also highlighted historical parallels between Korea and Uzbekistan, underscoring their deep-rooted cultural ties, with speakers highlighting that King Sejong and Alisher Navoi lived during the same era, as did King Taejo of Joseon and Amir Timur.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store