AI Filmmakers Advocate for Human-Centered Productions at TheWrap's TheGrill Conference

At TheWrap's TheGrill business conference, writer/director Eliza McNitt and fellow AI filmmakers made the case that humans must remain central to productions even as AI tools reshape pre- and post-production workflows. McNitt, Jason Zada of Secret Level, and Ori Winokur of Artlist each stressed that a director's vision and human artistry are irreplaceable — with McNitt explicitly calling for fewer fully AI-generated on-screen performers. "We should unplug Tilly Norwood," she said, referring to a known AI-generated actress.

McNitt illustrated AI's practical utility by describing how she worked with Google to create a digital infant for her short film "Ancestra," feeding her own baby photos into an AI system to generate a photorealistic newborn that resembled her. She framed AI as a powerful pre-production planning and communication tool, noting it allowed her to build proof-of-concept visuals and rough edits before shooting — while still collaborating with human storyboard artists on set. Zada similarly described his upcoming hybrid film "Terrarium," which pairs SAG actors with AI-generated environments, while Winokur emphasized that the human director remains the essential creative authority in any AI-assisted pipeline.