His own fans' reaction: "we just wanted district 10."
Neill Blomkamp (the director behind District 9, Elysium, Chappie) just released a 13-minute short made entirely with AI. No cameras, no traditional crew for the shots themselves. Here's what he actually said,
"I Want To Tackle A Full Feature In This Format"
He founded Barley Studios, his new AI production company, positioned as the successor to Oats Studios, his old VFX studio. But here's the part that matters more than the tech:
He Didn't Skip Real People Entirely
He licensed the faces and voices of 32 real performers, and credits real concept artists. The honest version of this shift: far fewer people, doing narrower jobs, than five years ago.
bro we just wanted district 10 (@spacekitt.n)
The Errors Weren't Subtle
Viewers pointed out cars driving on the wrong side of the road in the opening London shot, disjointed camera movement, uncanny dialogue. Here's why that reaction matters more than it looks:
My Honest Take
I've been setting up shots by myself lately that I'd have had a full crew for five years ago. Blomkamp's choosing this, he's got the financing. Most of us don't get a choice; it's already happening to our jobs.
A Warning Shot For Production?
A director with real financing and every reason to make this land still couldn't earn his own audience's trust.