South Korean startup Beeble AI is set to transform the film industry after developing an AI-powered virtual production platform that offers affordable visual effects (VFX) tools for independent filmmakers.

The company seeks to address the expensive cost of producing high-end VFX in movies to level the playing field and empower amateur movie makers and content creators to deliver alongside larger productions in terms of post-production editing.

Democratizing Virtual Production

Visual effects and virtual production have been widely practiced in the film industry as part of storytelling, pushing creativity to the next level using digital techniques. However, for independent filmmakers with a limited budget, the price of VFX prevents this kind of production from being completely reachable.

“Powered by Unreal Engine and giant LED walls, virtual production creates the illusion of on-location shooting without the actual travel. However, this technology has been accessible only to filmmakers with million-dollar budgets due to its high cost and complexity,” Beeble AI CEO and co-founder Hoon Kim.

To address this, the startup built an AI tool that makes an infinite collection of set locations, lighting, and camera options within a virtual environment available to all types of users with only their smartphones. According to the chief executive, if customers cannot afford to bring virtual sets into real life, their tech will take human actors to the virtual world.  

This breakthrough was made possible through Beeble’s foundational AI model that “automatically digitizes 2D footage of an actor’s performance into a physically accurate 3D representation. The reconstructed actor in a 3D space has precise geometry and textures, allowing artists complete freedom to alter lighting, environments, and camera angles,” as published in a report at the Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition 2024.

Kim also added that the virtual production platform is not limited to filmmakers, content creators, and other business-to-consumer clients since business-to-business companies like the video-streaming app ReelShort can also benefit from the technology.

From Humble Beginnings to Massive Fundings

Beeble AI has come a long way in the business of artificial intelligence. So far, it has raised $4.75 million in seed funding, which catapulted the company to a valuation of $25 million. Major venture capitals that made this happen were Basis Set Ventures, with participation from Fika Ventures.

Nevertheless, before amassing this money, the South Korean startup began in 2022 after five ex-game researchers noticed that there was no AI firm specializing in lighting. This resulted in the company’s flagship product, SwitchLight, which is a desktop app that incorporates AI to allow users to customize the lighting and background of their content.

Moving forward, Beeble AI plans to use the investment as its starting point to focus more on expanding its virtual production platform and improving its technological capabilities and product development. It is also looking forward to hiring more manpower and adding new staff to its small team of only seven employees.