Traditional cinema is facing a major upheaval as the short film “Huo Qubing,” created entirely with AI technology, has just reached 500 million views. Remarkably, the cost to produce this hyper-realistic masterpiece, detailed down to every pore, was only 3,000 yuan (about 10 million VND).
The 23-minute film tells the story of a famous general who fought against the Xiongnu during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. From grand scenes of thousands of marching soldiers to subtle facial expressions and lighting effects on the characters, the film showcases an impressive level of craftsmanship.
Cinematic quality powered by artificial intelligence
According to China Times, this 23-minute action piece is astonishing audiences. Gone are the days of distorted AI frames or stiff movements. “Huo Qubing” presents a breathtaking battlefield with thousands of troops in full force.
From vivid facial expressions to complex cinematic techniques like staging, lighting, and camera movement, everything reaches the level of a genuine theatrical release. This realism blurs the line between real actors and AI-generated characters.
“Nano production line”: A game changer for filmmaking
Behind this success is the “nano animation production line” launched by 360 Group in early 2026. This integrated system smartly breaks down scripts and scenes, completely overcoming the inconsistent quality issues of previous AI technologies.
The following statistics are a nightmare for traditional studios:
– Visual effects costs dropped from 3,000 yuan per second to just 3 yuan per second, a 1,000-fold reduction.
– Productivity is staggering: a team of only three people can complete up to 80 episodes in just five days.
What’s next for traditional filmmaking?
The “Huo Qubing” craze not only amazes but also raises serious concerns. With costs thousands of times cheaper while maintaining realism, AI technology directly threatens the jobs of millions in the film industry. Will the expensive, years-long traditional filmmaking process soon be fully replaced by automated machines?