DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2017.v05i12.031

Pages: 1968-1973

This study examines how artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted compositing tools have influenced creative decision-making in episodic visual-effects (VFX) production between 2000 and 2016. Through a systematic literature review and mixed-methods analysis of academic, industry, and software-release documents, the research identifies and categorizes AI-enabled compositing techniques, evaluates their effects on shot composition, colour grading, layering and workflow efficiency, and assesses the perceptions of VFX artists and directors regarding creative autonomy and adoption. Results indicate that early AI-assisted compositing provided measurable efficiency gains in tasks such as rotoscoping and masking, while introducing tensions between automation and artistic control (Liapis & Yannakakis, 2016). The study reveals a shift in creative decision-making workflows: compositors increasingly engage in oversight and refinement of algorithmic outputs rather than fully manual node-building. Artist and director attitudes vary widely: many embrace time savings and consistency, while others articulate concerns about reduced ability to intervene in aesthetic layering or colour decisions. The implications for the episodic VFX industry include design considerations for human-centred AI tools, pipeline optimisation strategies under time constraints, and the need for training regimes to support hybrid human-AI workflows. By situating the findings historically and conceptually, the paper contributes a framework for understanding human-AI collaboration in creative VFX production and offers several practice-oriented recommendations for tool developers and episodic production teams.