Cuebric is a comprehensive generative AI tool launched in January 2023 by AI production company Seyhan Lee. It is the first tool specifically designed to bring the power of AI image generation to the filmmaking workflow.

Cuebric allows filmmakers to quickly create photorealistic virtual environments, characters, props, and other assets to use throughout the production process. Its key capabilities are:

• Text-to-image generation: Generate environments, objects, etc. from text prompts using AI. Cuebric uses Stable Diffusion and has custom “cinematic” models.
  
  
• Segmentation: Automatically separate generated images into layers with depth and object information. This makes the images “2.5D” for use in virtual production.
  
  
• Inpainting: Automatically fill any gaps or holes in the segmented images.
  
  
• Image editing: Remove unwanted elements and make adjustments to layers.
  
  
• Upscaling: Increase resolution of images up to 16K.
  
  

How to Use Cuebric AI

Cuebric is currently in closed beta, but the general workflow is:

1. Enter a text prompt describing the desired scene or asset. Cuebric’s models create a photorealistic image.
   
   
2. Cuebric automatically segments the image into layers with depth and object data.
   
   
3. Any gaps are filled using AI inpainting.
   
   
4. Unwanted elements can be removed and edits made to individual layers.
   
   
5. Images are upscaled to final camera-ready resolution.
   
   
6. Assets are exported to game engines like Unreal for use in virtual production.
   
   

Pros and Cons

Pros of Cuebric AI

• Rapid iteration: Create iterations of environments, characters, etc. in minutes rather than weeks or months.
  
  
• Cost and time savings: Greatly reduces the manual work needed for concept art, previs, etc. Can potentially save millions in production costs.
  
  
• Enables new creative workflows: Allows fluid “concept to camera” workflows not possible before.
  
  
• High-quality results: Cuebric leverages state-of-the-art AI for photorealistic, cinematic results.
  
  
• Easy to use: Intuitive prompt-based interface requires no technical expertise to generate assets.
  
  
• Integrates with virtual production: Output is automatically compatible with game engines like Unreal.
  
  

Cons of Cuebric AI

• Currently in closed beta: Access is limited until public release.
  
  
• Requires high-end hardware: Needs powerful GPUs for fast generation and editing of high-res images.
  
  
• Prompt engineering expertise needed: Creating optimal prompts requires practice and cinematic knowledge.
  
  
• Not a complete replacement for CGI: Still needs to be combined with traditional CGI for full control and flexibility.
  
  
• Potential legal issues: Use of copyrighted training data could raise legal questions.
  
  

Cuebric User Reviews

Early reviews praise Cuebric’s ability to rapidly create photorealistic environments and iterate on creative concepts:

• “This is absolutely game changing for the studios. Imagine a director being able to change between environments, day or night, sunny or raining at the touch of an interface and see in real time what is working in camera.”
  
  
• “Cuebric is the first step into a truly real-time and AI driven on-set production solution. It combines the power of generating images with clever 2.5-D projections in real-time. I cannot wait to use it more.”
  
  
• “We are thrilled to be bringing Cuebric to the NAB Show, which is one of the most important events in the broadcasting industry. We believe that Cuebric has the potential to revolutionize how video content is produced, and we can’t wait to share it with the world.”
  
  

Cuebric Expert Reviews

Industry experts recognize Cuebric’s transformative potential but note it still has limitations:

• “This is very impressive. Can’t wait to give it a test drive.”
  
  
• “Excited to use this for VP. If I wanted to learn more about the kind of prompt engineering that works well with Cuebric, should I follow prompt tips from Stable Diffusion, Midjourney or does Cuebric largely use its own prompt techniques?”
  
  
• “Hello Jon Finger, I don’t want to sound rude but it is not impressive for today standards in ai generation and editing. It was not very impressive even 6 months ago, already. There are lots of artifacts and incoherences…”
  
  

Effectiveness of Cuebric AI

Early testing shows Cuebric can effectively create photorealistic environments and assets orders of magnitude faster than traditional workflows. However, it still has limitations in terms of full control and flexibility compared to CGI. It excels at rapidly iterating on creative concepts and creating background environments.

Value of Cuebric AI

Cuebric provides the most value during pre-production by accelerating workflows for concept art, previs, location scouting, etc. It can greatly reduce the manual workload required for these tasks. During production, it enables workflows like real-time environment changes that were not possible before.

However, Cuebric is not a wholesale replacement for traditional CGI and VFX. It is most effective when combined with these techniques.

Comparison to Other AI Tools

Cuebric is the first comprehensive AI tool tailored specifically for filmmaking and virtual production. Other tools like DALL-E 2 and Midjourney allow image generation but lack Cuebric’s focus on cinematic quality, segmentation, inpainting, and integration with game engines.

However, Cuebric will face increasing competition as other AI tools add features for virtual production and CGI workflows. Meta’s Make-A-Scene tool has similar capabilities for environment generation.

Future Prospects for Cuebric

If Cuebric can deliver on its promise to significantly accelerate pre-production and enable new real-time production workflows, it has the potential to become a standard tool in the industry.

As the technology improves, Cuebric could expand to take on more complex CGI tasks like generating 3D assets, animations, etc. It will need to prove it can integrate effectively into collaborative studio pipelines while maintaining creative control.

Adoption will depend on overcoming limitations, managing legal risks, and setting appropriate expectations about Cuebric’s capabilities. But if successful, it could profoundly impact filmmaking and expand the creative possibilities of virtual production.