Filmustage: Pre-production AI Tool Used in Netflix’s “Gentlemen”

Filmustage, an AI-powered platform aiming to streamline pre-production, is used by Hollywood filmmakers in high-profile projects. 

Award-winning director of photography Callan Green shared his experience using the AI-based platform, Filmustage, for his projects including Netflix’s recent hit, “Gentlemen.” Co-founded by Belarussians Egor Dubrovsky, Ruslan Khamidullin, and Andrei Karalkou in 2020, Filmustage is a U.S.-based startup that uses artificial intelligence for various aspects of film production to streamline the pre-production process, such as script breakdowns and scheduling, synopsis crafting, and budget management. 

Boasting over 9,500 registrations from large studios to independent filmmakers and almost 15,000 projects created as of October 2023, the AI-powered tool can perform a script breakdown of 100 scenes in just 1 minute, highlighting casts, extras, props, special effects, sets, and locations, significantly reducing the time spent on pre-production. 

Discussing his experience with Filmustage, Green says, “Filmustage allows me to quickly look at scripts and make notes, which is crucial as I have limited time due to personal commitments. The time saved using Filmustage translates into more efficient project management and less stress, as I can quickly access and process information without the need for time-consuming manual updates. The time savings are significant, and as they say, time is money."

Apart from “Gentlemen” (episodes 5-8), Green has collaborated with Filmustage on several other high-profile projects, like “The Enforcer” with Antonio Banderas, “Masters of the Air,” the TV series “Guilt,” and the “Gangs of London” series. "Each of these projects presented unique challenges, and Filmustage helped me navigate them effectively," says Green. "On 'Masters of the Air', the frequent script updates were easily managed, and for 'Gangs of London,' the detailed breakdowns were crucial in planning complex scenes."

Besides automatic script breakdown and summary, Filmustage's artificial intelligence detects legal and safety risks for each scene, manages the production environment, such as COVID-19 restrictions or stunt performances, and enhances the schedule with dialogue screen time. A semi-automated shooting schedule tool allows users to assign shooting locations, specify shooting days, and estimate scene durations, further optimizing the planning process.

Other prominent users of Filmustage are director and Oscar-winning set decorator Roger Christian on the remastering of “Black Angel” due in 2024; visual effects pioneer Mark Kolpack; and Zebra Production Kenya on the TV series “Salem.”

According to Egor Dubrovsky, Filmustage co-founder, now the team is working on advanced budgeting tools, comprehensive production calendars, enhanced call sheets and shot lists/storyboards, and a multilanguage model to connect with filmmakers worldwide. These innovations aim to set new industry standards and further empower filmmakers globally.