What happened

• Andrea Scrosati, Group COO of Fremantle, believes AI tools “will permit a new generation of talent to emerge” by removing barriers to entry, while calling content protection “fundamental”.

• AI democratizes access for creators, but IP/rights safeguards remain essential.

• In April 2025, Fremantle launched Imaginae Studios, a label focused on AI driven production services and tooling for their creatives.

Why this matters (film & TV)

1) Talent pipeline and casting
Lower friction for pitching and testing ideas means more global voices can prototype pilots, teasers, and lookbooks. Expect open calls fueled by AI previz and voice/motion tools; you'll see strong reels from creators outside traditional hubs.

2) Development speed
Teams can turn around script-to-visuals faster (storyboards, animatics, temp VFX, AI Foley/music beds). That compresses the greenlight loop: more iterations before spend.

3) Cost profile
AI won’t erase budgets, but it shifts spend from brute-force labor to supervision and quality control. Producers should plan for human oversight and rights clearance rather than assuming pure automation.

4) Rights & safety rails
Scrosati’s “content protection is fundamental” translates to:

• verify training data sources and model licenses,
• secure likeness, voice, and music rights,
• lock usage boundaries (territory, MAU thresholds) when models have community licenses,
• audit outputs for copyright and brand safety.

5) Distribution & formats
Faster prototyping enables more format testing across regions. Expect localized pilots and trailers generated quickly, with human editors curating final cuts.

Practical takeaways for producers

• Standardize AI clearances: add a one page rider covering datasets, model licenses, likeness/voice consent, and reuse limits.
• Proof via artifacts: keep prompt seeds, model versions, and vendor logs for auditability.
• Pilot small: run AI assisted pilots with clear KPIs (screening scores, iteration time, cost per minute).
• Upskill the room: pair experienced showrunners with tool native assistants to accelerate look dev and editorial iterations.
• Don't skip QA: add a rights & safety checkpoint before marketing handoff.

Links

• Deadline (Sept 8, 2025): Fremantle boss says AI lowers barriers for global talent; content protection is fundamental.
  https://deadline.com/2025/09/fremantle-andrea-scrosati-ai-lowering-barriers-for-talent-1236512309/

• Yahoo Entertainment recap: “These tools will permit a new generation of talent to emerge…”
  https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/articles/fremantle-andrea-scrosati-says-ai-190732494.html

• Background Fremantle launches Imaginae Studios (AI-focused label), April 2025:
  https://deadline.com/2025/04/fremantle-launches-ai-label-imaginae-studios-1236364194/