From Cloud to Set: The Future of Adaptive and AI-Native Production

A SIGGRAPH Session for the New Era of Filmmaking

In today’s world, productions span continents, AI transforms every creative department, and virtual sets evolve in real time. The very definition of filmmaking is being rewritten.

Our Proposed From Cloud to Set Panel brings together three of the industry’s most visionary minds—filmmakers, technologists, and VFX innovators—to explore how adaptive workflows, AI-native tools, and cloud-powered realtime pipelines are converging into a seamless, globally connected creative ecosystem.

This conversation pulls back the curtain on technologies redefining what’s possible: AI-assisted cinematography, cloud-native collaboration, real-time virtual production, digital humans, and next-generation VFX and animation pipelines.

• • Erik Weaver (USC ETC) shares insights from his decade-long exploration of cloud-native and AI-accelerated filmmaking, including award-winning experimental films and fully generative visual pipelines that bridge VFX, real-time ICVFX, and AI-driven production.

• • Erick Geisler (Global Objects, G2 Immersive) brings his Emmy-winning expertise in architecting cloud-enabled post-production pipelines, scalable VFX, and real-time rendering solutions for globally distributed teams.

• • Christopher Nichols (Chaos Innovation Lab, Monstrous Moonshine) demonstrates how real-time ray tracing, virtual production, and cloud-integrated asset pipelines are expanding the possibilities of storytelling and production efficiency.

Join this panel to discover how intelligent, cloud-connected systems are liberating creativity from the constraints of location, hardware, and traditional production timelines. If you want to see what the next decade of filmmaking looks like, this is the room.