Griffin Animation Studios created 90-second short Phantom Sky in a third of the time it would have before MotionMaker.

The media and entertainment industry has always defied the impossible—bringing dinosaurs back from extinction, making toys come alive, or convincing us a (super) hero could fly.

Yet too often, the best ideas get stuck behind technical barriers, steep learning curves, and high costs—barriers that can stop great stories before they even begin. But what if creating the impossible didn’t have to feel so impossible?

We believe AI can help more stories find their way into the world. Autodesk has been exploring that possibility for several years, developing AI for film, TV, and games—tools designed to lift barriers and give storytellers the space to dream big.

Under pressure, time for a change

Our industry is constantly under pressure, with rising costs, shrinking timelines, and even higher expectations. AI won’t erase the pressures, but it does change how we respond. While this new era brings uncertainty, it’s also unlocking capacity.

In Autodesk’s 2025 State of Design & Make Report, 55% of Media & Entertainment leaders believe AI will destabilize the industry. At the same time, 70% of those leaders believe AI will make us more creative, enhance how we work, and become essential to the future of this business.

This tension isn’t new. We’ve been here before. Computers felt disruptive until they became essential. Cloud adoption felt risky until it transformed how we work. AI is following that same path—another transformative tool that makes our lives easier and gives us more time to focus on what has always mattered the most, the story.

Built for creators, powered by imagination

Autodesk’s AI strategy for Media & Entertainment is straightforward—build practical solutions for everyone from independent artists to major studios.

At AU 2025, we’re making three commitments to keep artists at the center by supporting how you work today, while delivering new solutions that help bridge you to the future.

1. Remove the drudgery that drains creative energy. We’re integrating AI into the digital content creation tools you already rely on to cut down the daily grind by automating repetitive tasks, while keeping you in control.
   • A preview of the upcoming Autodesk AI Assistant showcases how natural language can be used to automate traditionally manual tasks—such as adjusting scene lighting to match the time of day—enabling creators to iterate faster and direct scenes intuitively during postproduction.
   • FaceAnimator, our upcoming AI-powered tool, uses previously animated sequences of a project to generate facial and lip-sync animation from an audio file. It learns from any production rig, creating high-quality animations that mimic the style of your project.
   • MotionMaker blends keyframing, motion capture, and machine learning to quickly generate motion you can use as a strong starting point. Early adopters like Griffin Animation Studios are already seeing the benefits of MotionMaker—producing a 90-second animated short in a third of the time.
2. Rewrite who gets to create. We’ve seen how platforms like YouTube and TikTok changed distribution. Now, we’re transforming creation itself by putting professional grade, AI-powered VFX and animation tools within everyone’s reach.
   • Autodesk Flow Studio, now available in a free tier, uses AI to automate complex VFX tasks like motion capture, camera tracking, and character animation, so more creators can bring their stories to life. VFX houses like Boxel Studio are already using Flow Studio to elevate their character work on shows like CW’s Superman & Lois.
3. Unify the production lifecycle. With Autodesk Flow—the industry cloud for Media & Entertainment—we’re connecting teams, tools, and data across the entire pipeline. Collaborate in real time, make smarter decisions, and stay in sync with your teams from concept to final delivery.
   • Shared Playlists is our new unified review system that connects Autodesk Flow Capture and Autodesk Flow Production Tracking, enabling teams to review, comment, and align faster, anywhere in the world.
   • Our newest integration between Flow Capture and Avid Media Composer streamlines editorial workflows from production to post. This integration enables seamless media handoffs and real-time review across locations, helping editors and VFX teams work in sync.

The future of storytelling belongs to you

We know every creator’s challenges are different. An animator may need smarter ways to handle background characters. A YouTuber might want effects on par with top studios. A production manager may need help breaking down silos between teams. That’s why Autodesk is building AI solutions that meet your unique challenges, removing the barriers between imagination and execution, so you can unlock your full creative potential. We can’t wait to see what you create next.

Visit our blog for the latest M&E updates, and discover how Boxel Studio used Autodesk Flow Studio in Superman & Lois.