AI's Impact on the Entertainment Industry – A Conversation with Seth Hallen, President of HPA

AI is rapidly transforming filmmaking, from streamlining workflows to unlocking new creative possibilities—making it one of the most exciting developments in the industry today. Sohonet's CEO, Chuck Parker, recently sat down with Seth Hallen, a visionary leader with over 25 years of experience in media and entertainment technology and President of the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA)—to gain his insights on how AI is reshaping jobs, enhancing creativity, and shaping the future of the industry.

Chuck Parker (CP): In 2004, you were working with new technologies in production. Did you ever foresee that we’d be talking about AI taking jobs in the industry 20 years later?

Seth Hallen (SH): No, I didn’t expect it back then, but my experience in that era laid the foundation for how I view technology today. Back in 2004, I experimented with a tapeless workflow, and that was a game-changer in our production process. The editor, who was already talented, was held back by the tech available at the time. Once we figured out how to use technology effectively, it unleashed his true creative capabilities. The same thing is happening with AI today—it’s not about replacing jobs, but about enabling creative professionals to focus on what they do best. AI, like past technologies, can unlock human potential in new and meaningful ways.

CP: You mentioned that AI could automate some tasks for assistant editors. What kinds of new tasks do you think will emerge in the production industry?

SH: It’s hard to predict exactly, but if history is any guide, AI will enable new roles just like past technological shifts. When film editors moved from cutting physical film to working digitally, it didn’t eliminate their roles—it changed their tasks. Similarly, AI will introduce new jobs, such as prompt engineers or AI researchers, while helping current professionals automate the more repetitive aspects of their work. The human element in the production and post production process will always be essential, but the tasks will evolve.

CP: How do you see AI benefiting creative professionals? Will it lead to faster or higher-quality work?

SH: AI will free up more time for artists to focus on the creative aspects of their work. For example, an editor might use AI to handle repetitive tasks like cutting certain scenes or organizing footage, allowing them to spend more time on the emotional and narrative elements of a project. The AI doesn’t replace the creative process—it empowers  it by handling the non-creative, repetitive  tasks. This will lead to faster workflows, yes, but also better quality as creatives can focus more on the art of storytelling rather than many of the mundane tasks that most of them don’t like doing in the first place.

CP: Besides creative workflows, where do you see AI making the biggest impact in our industry?

SH: AI has the potential to transform non-creative and “back-office” areas of the industry, such as finance, data management, and security. Many production and post production companies focus on the creative potential of AI, but they often overlook how it can improve business operations. By automating tasks like HR, legal, and sales analysis, AI can bring more efficiency to these areas, allowing companies to run smoother and focus more on the creative work.

‍

CP: AI is often seen as democratizing storytelling. How do you think it will unlock new opportunities for aspiring storytellers?

SH: AI will lower the barriers to entry for people who may not have access to expensive tools or training. In the past, creating high-quality content required either years of learning or a large budget to hire skilled people. AI tools are changing that by making it easier for someone with an amazing visual story in their head to bring it to life on the screen so that it can be shared. These tools empower creators, eventually allowing them to achieve professional results without needing extensive resources.

CP: Some fear that AI will replace jobs in the entertainment industry. How do you think this will actually play out?

SH: I understand the fear, but I don’t think it’s justified in most cases. If we look back, similar concerns arose when digital editing replaced physical film cutting, yet the industry didn’t shrink—if anything, it grew. AI will likely follow the same trajectory. The roles might change, and new skill sets will be required, but AI won’t diminish the need for talented people. The human tasks will evolve, but the need for human creativity will remain essential.

CP: You’ve mentioned concerns about copyright and AI. How do you see the industry addressing these issues?

SH: There are already emerging solutions. For instance, Calliope is a young startup company founded by a former studio executive who is brokering deals between content owners and AI companies to license libraries for training models. This ensures that IP is used fairly and legally. While it’s still an evolving space, there are efforts underway to make sure that copyright concerns are addressed appropriately. It’s reminiscent of earlier concerns in the industry, such as the introduction of Photoshop and the rights around manipulated images—these things take time to settle, but they do eventually work out.

CP: Big tech companies like Apple and Amazon are already creating content. How do you think their involvement will affect traditional studios?

SH: Big tech’s involvement has already fundamentally shifted the industry. Companies like Apple and Amazon create content with different business models than traditional studios, focusing on subscriber growth rather than ROI per production. This has disrupted the way traditional studios measure success, and it’s created new economic models. Additionally, platforms like YouTube, which captures about 25% of all streaming time in the US, show how free content is impacting traditional studio revenues. The studios are well aware of all this and are certainly executing plans to evolve accordingly. It will just take some time.

CP: Any closing thoughts on AI and the future of storytelling?

SH: I believe storytelling is a core part of the human experience, and AI won’t change that. Long-form, scripted content will always have a place in our culture, even as attention shifts to shorter, digital formats like TikTok. While the economics and tools may change, the need for compelling stories will remain, as well as a sustainable supply chain. “As long as humans are around, storytelling will be part of who we are.”

Check out some of Sohonet’s recent articles on AI and other interviews with Seth. Stay tuned for more stories where we talk to leading experts about the latest trends and ideas shaping the industry.

• AI: A Call to Arms to Elevate Ourselves
• How Generative AI is Revolutionizing Media Production
• AI in Film Production: Light Iron’s Seth Hallen on Hollywood’s Tech Revolution