AI and VFX studio The Next Valley launches with veteran leadership
nmatic.ai and Alibi Studios have launched The Next Valley, a studio combining AI tools with traditional VFX production for film, advertising, and broadcast work. The partnership aims to reduce production time and costs while maintaining visual quality for brands and studios adopting AI-assisted workflows.
Mark Benson, former CEO of MPC and President of The Mill, chairs Alibi Studios and anchors the partnership. Nick Price leads nmatic.ai as CEO, while Nicolas Cotta heads Alibi Studios.
What each studio brings
nmatic.ai has produced over 250,000 AI-powered images and videos for clients including Dyson, Warner Brothers, Unilever, and Merck & Co. The studio merges generative AI with traditional craft in its production pipeline.
Alibi Studios operates as a global creative collective focused on high-end VFX and immersive media. The studio will continue traditional VFX work while dedicating a team to The Next Valley for developing new workflows using AI, Unreal Engine, and other platforms.
The business case
Price said hybrid AI integrated with VFX represents "one of the largest shifts in content production in a generation." Building AI into workflows from the start allows studios to deliver work faster and more cost-effectively as budgets tighten.
Cotta added that the partnership will use AI tools alongside emerging technology platforms to develop new approaches for clients and partners.
The move follows similar launches in the space. Luma, an AI video generation startup, and Wonder Project, a US production outfit, recently formed a production services company backed by Amazon Web Services that combines generative AI with traditional filmmaking.
Creative teams working with generative video and AI design tools can expect to see more studios adopting hybrid approaches as the technology matures.
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