digital domain We have launched DDAI. A.I.-Introduced a unified infrastructure designed for modern film and episodic production, and appointed VFX industry veteran Matt Smith to lead the effort as Director of Creative Development for AI.
According to the company, DDAI is an artist-driven framework built around model provenance, data security, and transparent usage that combines CGI pipelines and generative AI tools. This infrastructure is designed to support hybrid production models that integrate into existing pipelines, while providing a fully generative track for projects requiring speed, scale, or a different creative approach.
“Generative AI is advancing rapidly,” Smith said. “Through DDAI, we provide a powerful framework of artist-driven tools that integrate seamlessly into traditional production pipelines. DDAI is built around model provenance, data security, and transparent usage.”
Smith will lead a team of generative AI artists, researchers, and engineers who have spent years working with filmmakers and studios while testing their production processes.
“While technology has always changed the way artists create, the core of storytelling has never changed,” said Sudhir Reddy, President, Global VFX Business, Digital Domain. “With DDAI, we are building tools to increase efficiency for artists and pipelines, which means they can iterate, discover, and refine ideas in real time while keeping creativity firmly human-driven. We believe that artistry should be amplified, not automated. That means using these tools ethically and transparently, and always collaborating with the people behind the work. Our mission is simple: to empower artists to tell better stories and push their creative boundaries further than ever before.
Digital Domain’s visualization team was the first to adopt DDAI, with AI concept artists now involved every step of the way, “helping teams make faster adjustments on visuals and design, reducing costly last-minute revisions, and handing creative decisions back to directors earlier in the production process.”
“Integrating DDAI into our visualization pipeline allows us to secure early appearance and design approvals, significantly shortening production timelines and allowing directors to quickly iterate on their vision at stages in the process that were previously not possible,” said Matt McClurg, Head of Visualization at Digital Domain.
According to Digital Domain, DDAI builds on existing work in machine intelligence, including proprietary digital human technologies such as Masquerade, a markerless motion capture system, and Charlatan, a neural network-driven facial replacement process. The company also said key technology partnerships with leading software companies will provide early access to new models and direct feedback loops to help shape DDAI workflows to meet production challenges. Details of the software partnership have not been disclosed.
Digital Domain is a leading visual effects company with over 30 years of experience in film, advertising, gaming and immersive media. Credits include Academy Award-winning films such as: titanic, what makes dreams come trueand The Curious Life of Benjamin Button. Since 2016, the company has expanded into virtual reality, real-time production, photorealistic virtual humans, artificial intelligence, and next-generation visualization.
Source: Digital Domain
Dan Sarto is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Animation World Network.
