‘House of David’ Creator Explains Using AI to Create the Goliath Origin Sequence (EXCLUSIVE)

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Episode 6 of Amazon’s “House of David” starts off by presenting a captivating, fantastical backstory for the character Goliath. This origin tale was imaginatively crafted using advanced AI technology during the filmmaking process.

In an interview with EbMaster, Jon Erwin, series creator and co-showrunner, explained that the entire scene is fueled by AI tools, acting as the engine. He mentioned that these tools function effectively when combined with conventional ones. Initially, the 90-second sequence was intended to be less expansive, but as the filmmakers started to envision grander visuals and integrate AI technology, it grew in scope.”

“They had received approval to use the technology, assembled a team focused on it, and decided to push the boundaries of its capabilities.

In total, Season 1 of the show features 72 shots that utilize AI technology, and this was a valuable learning experience for the filmmakers. As Erwin explains, while it’s possible to create interesting visuals with these tools as consumers, truly harnessing their professional potential lies in understanding how to effectively combine different tools. For “House of David,” the team at Wonder Project employed several AI tools such as Midjourney for image enhancement, Magnific and Topaz for upscaling and detail addition, Runway and Kling for video creation, all while utilizing traditional tools like Unreal Engine, Nuke, Adobe Photoshop, and After Effects.

Erwin points out that each AI tool possesses distinct advantages, using Runway’s image-to-video application as an illustration. He explains that instead of creating visuals from the ground up, he prefers to enhance assets from his show which he has previously developed. This allows him to kickstart projects with images from his show or items they own.

Regarding the backstory of “House of David”, he mentioned that using advanced AI tools enabled us to generate lifelike visuals and narrate the tale in a way that was financially and time-wise feasible for our production. He chose not to disclose the budget, but emphasized that without AI, this sequence would have required shooting in a desert or heavy VFX work, which “would have greatly exceeded the financial limitations of our series.

The pace of the sequence was also an important factor. He explains that by working simultaneously and brainstorming ideas instantly, they could handle the content more swiftly. As a result, they managed to complete this scene within just a few weeks, which would likely have taken “four or five months” in a conventional workflow.

The creation process for the backstory was a challenging yet adventurous endeavor, offering ample room for experimentation. As Erwin points out, the scene in episode 6 presents a fusion of the toughest VFX elements, including photoreal digital characters, simulations like rain, smoke, and wind. He highlights the angel wings, which feature intricate feathers, stating that just building the asset would have been time-consuming. He further notes that this scene is filled with complexities. The challenge lay in maintaining character and environmental consistency throughout the sequence. The difficulty in this particular sequence was figuring out how to make each shot harmonize and feel natural, giving the sequence a human touch and organic flow.

I was astonished to find out that many of these AI tools can perform complex physics simulations, such as water, rain, atmospheric effects, smoke, wind, and more. These simulations surpass anything I’ve ever experienced using other VFX tools. Therefore, I was equally amazed by what we were able to accomplish.

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2025-03-21 01:46