iQIYI, the Chinese online video platform, has opened an AI Film Studio at its Creative Center Shanghai and started shooting its first production there, the internet feature film "Cop in Trouble," on October 28. The roughly 110-square-meter space is built to pair live-action filming with AI post-production, iQIYI said in a release dated November 2 from Beijing.
The studio's setup covers multi-camera recording, synchronized high-resolution video and audio capture, digital continuity logging, and real-time review of footage. Everything shot on set syncs automatically to NadouPro, iQIYI's AI platform for film and television production.
Through NadouPro, filmmakers get access to nearly 30 AI models, including Seedance 2.5 and Kling 4.0, along with hundreds of AI agents and skills built for production work. iQIYI says the pipeline lets teams change environments after filming while keeping the actors' original performances, which shortens production timelines.
Key facts
- 01iQIYI opened an AI Film Studio at its Creative Center Shanghai; shooting on its first film, Cop in Trouble, began October 28.
- 02The studio covers about 110 square meters and syncs on-set footage automatically to iQIYI's NadouPro platform.
- 03NadouPro offers nearly 30 AI models, including Seedance 2.5 and Kling 4.0, plus hundreds of production AI agents and skills.
- 04iQIYI says its earlier Hengdian virtual studio raised production efficiency by more than 30%.
"Cop in Trouble" follows Jian Zhang, a low-ranking constable whose lies to bring down a notorious outlaw begin to come apart. On this production, the live-action performances serve as the reference for AI generation, covering character appearance, performance, composition, lighting and spatial relationships.
Liang Zhu, iQIYI's vice president and head of intelligent production, framed the studio around the actor rather than the model. "An actor's performance is the core of any film or series," he said, adding that the approach opens "greater creative space for filmmakers and creative professionals alike."
“The AI studio lets directors preserve that performance while adjusting sets, lighting and costumes”— Liang Zhu, iQIYI Vice President and Head of Intelligent Production
The Shanghai studio builds on iQIYI's virtual studio in Hengdian, which the company says delivered production efficiency gains of more than 30%. iQIYI is pitching the new facility at emerging directors and resource-limited teams working in any genre.
The launch extends an AI strategy iQIYI laid out in April, when it said it would reorient its platform around AI-generated and creator-driven content. Under that plan, creators of AI-originated work receive an extra 20% share of ad and membership revenue, and professionally produced shows shrink as a share of total hours.
At the time, NadouPro was described as a generative production tool spanning scriptwriting, storyboarding and final video delivery. The November release does not give a premiere date for "Cop in Trouble" or say how much of the finished film will be AI-generated.
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