Jedi master of visual effects Rob Bredow, known for his work at Industrial Light & Magic and Lucasfilm, takes us on a cinematic journey through the evolution of visual effects, with behind-the-scenes stories from the making of fan favorites like “Jurassic Park,” “Star Wars,” “Indiana Jones” and more. He shares how artist-driven innovation continues to blend old and new technology, offering hope that AI won’t replace creatives but instead will empower artists to create new, mind-blowing wonders for the big screen.For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyouTEDSports: ted.com/sportsTEDAI Vienna: ted.com/ai-viennaTEDAI San Francisco: ted.com/ai-sf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas and conversations to spark your curiosity every day. I'm your host, Elise Hu. A not-so-long time ago, in a galaxy not that far, far away, it is a period of great change. Moving images made by computers striking from the deep are winning major victories.
During this monumental transition, one master of visual effects stood tall on a giant red dot to share the tale of this great collision between art and technology, humans and AI. Pursued by a love of exploration, he reminds us that it is the blending of the old with the new that has always driven innovation, bringing artistic freedom to the galaxy.
Okay, is it obvious we're excited about Star Wars Day tomorrow, May the 4th? Today's speaker has actually worked his visual magic on Star Wars films.
At TED 2025, visual effects trailblazer Rob Bredow gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the history of technology in the special effects industry and why he's hopeful that AI won't replace creatives, but instead empower artists to create new, mind-blowing wonders on the big screen. May the force be with you.
The opening shot of Star Wars, episode four, the original one, it broke all new grounds and really redefined that era of filmmaking. Plus, it's just like perfectly designed. Now, behind the scenes, you may or may not know the camera rig. This is the Dijkstra Flex. It's a computerized motion-control camera rig. It was innovative. It could be moved from stage to stage.
It enabled these new dynamic camera moves on models, on miniatures, for the very first time. Again, redefining that era of filmmaking. Today, we're entering a new era of technology. But instead of being introduced to it with a spectacular opening shot of a movie, we're reading about it in the press.
And as someone who's been a visual effects artist for over 35 years, some of these headlines are pretty disappointing. They seem to say, AI is coming, and it's coming for our jobs. And the tools, they're getting pretty good, too. You know, I work on movies, I should be safe for a little while, right?
It's going to take them, well, you know where this is going, Google, Meta, OpenAI, all showing sophisticated video generation systems. These appear to be doing some of the same things we are doing right now, frame by frame, with multiple artists often working weeks at a time to make a single three- to five-second shot in movies you love. It's going to be pretty intimidating.
And we're not the only ones who are a little concerned about the future of AI. OK, we've been here before. And I believe this is an interesting collision, right, of tech and art. And I believe what George Lucas created in Industrial Light & Magic, his visual effects company, ILM, he founded this 50 years ago to solve the visual storytelling challenges in his films.
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