iQIYI releases China's first licensed AI-generated online film
Chinese streaming platform iQIYI has launched "Qitan: Paper Blade Across the Wasteland," described as China's first licensed AIGC online story film. The over-60-minute film utilized AI across its creative and production process, co-produced with DaMeng Innovation.
Chinese streaming platform iQIYI has released "Qitan: Paper Blade Across the Wasteland," marking what it calls the first AI-generated (AIGC) online story film in China to receive a distribution license and go live. The film, running over 60 minutes, was co-produced by iQIYI and DaMeng Innovation.
The production incorporated AI throughout the creative and production pipeline. This included AI's role in concept development, prompt workflows, visual asset generation, AI-assisted image transfer, 4K output, and postproduction. A team of over 20 individuals developed more than 200 characters and other visual elements for the film.
"Qitan: Paper Blade Across the Wasteland" is the initial installment of iQIYI's planned Qitan trilogy, which draws inspiration from Chinese supernatural folklore. The project serves as a significant test for iQIYI, evaluating the capability of AIGC to support production workflows beyond short-form video and promotional content.