₹116 Crore Investment in VFX
Zee Entertainment Enterprises announced a ₹116 crore investment into PhantomFX to expand VFX, animation, and AI-driven content production. The move focuses on building original IP, scaling studio capacity, and integrating advanced pipelines for OTT and global content delivery.
This isn’t just funding, it’s a power shift. Indian studios are moving from service vendors to content owners. If this trend continues, the real money will be in IP and pipelines, not shot work. Artists who stay stuck in execution roles are going to feel this change first.
After Effects 26.2
Adobe After Effects 26.2 introduces an AI-powered Object Matte tool that automatically isolates subjects and tracks them across frames. The update focuses on speeding up roto and masking tasks with minimal manual input.
Adobe finally caught up, but it’s not leading. This removes boring work, not complex compositing. Good for speed, but it doesn’t replace real comp skills. If anything, it raises expectations because now clients assume everything is “one click.”
Corridor Key Hype
Corridor Crew sparked massive discussion with their “new keying approach,” showcasing cleaner extractions and simplified workflows. The video went viral and triggered debates across the VFX community.
This is more hype than breakthrough. It exposed how little people understand about real keying. Good comps are not about one trick, they’re about edge cases, lighting, and integration. Viral demos ignore production reality.
Autodesk MCP Documentation
Autodesk released new documentation around MCP-style workflows, focusing on pipeline standardization, automation, and better interoperability across tools like Maya and USD-based systems.
This is the real industry shift nobody clicks on. Pipelines are becoming more important than tools. Artists who ignore pipeline thinking will get left behind by people who understand how systems connect.
LumiVid AI Model (EXR Workflow)
LumiVid introduced an AI model claiming support for EXR-based workflows, aiming to generate or process outputs compatible with linear VFX pipelines rather than compressed formats.
If this actually works, it’s a big deal. Most AI breaks the pipeline because it’s not linear or consistent. The moment AI fits into EXR workflows properly, it stops being a toy and starts becoming a real production tool.
DaVinci Resolve 21
DaVinci Resolve 21 continues expanding AI masking, performance, and deeper integration between editing, color, and Fusion. The tool is positioning itself as an all-in-one post-production platform.
Resolve is slowly eating everyone’s lunch. It’s not the best at everything, but it’s good enough at everything in one place. That convenience is dangerous for traditional pipelines.
Neat Video 6.1.2 for Nuke 17
Neat Video 6.1.2 adds support for Foundry Nuke 17 and newer hardware, ensuring continued compatibility for denoising workflows in production.
This is boring news that actually matters. If plugins don’t update, pipelines break. Stability beats features every single time in real production environments.
‘Dune’, ‘Stranger Things’ VFX Firm in India
Rodeo FX, known for work on Dune and Stranger Things, has expanded operations into India, strengthening its global production network.
This confirms what’s already happening: India is not backup anymore. It’s becoming core production infrastructure. More jobs, but also more competition and tighter expectations.
Chaos Launches Free V-Ray
Chaos has launched a free version of V-Ray, lowering the entry barrier for artists and aiming to expand its user base across different platforms.
This is a classic ecosystem play. Get artists hooked early, then monetize later. Unreal did it, now Chaos is doing it. The battle is no longer about features, it’s about user capture.
After Effects Alternatives: Cavalry, Autograph
Tools like Cavalry and Autograph are gaining traction as alternatives to After Effects, offering faster performance and more procedural or node-based workflows.
AE isn’t dying, but it’s getting challenged in its weak areas. Faster, more modern tools are exposing how outdated some workflows are. Artists who explore alternatives will have an edge.
