Gen AI FilmmakerPipeline DeveloperCG Supervisor

John Huikku

I make generative AI films and build the pipeline tools that produce them. 25+ years supervising animated features and Oscar-winning VFX taught me what a film actually takes: every shot, every asset, tracked and approved.

Latest
FINAL CUT & HUMAN VERIFIED
Original AI music films
Built
Intellistory & film engine
Production tools for Gen AI
Background
Dune: Part Two, Oscar-winning VFX
CG Supervisor, DNEG

01 — Generative AI

Generative film, run like a CG pipeline

I make AI films, and I build the production tools that make them. Two original music films, directed with a crew of AI agents and the review process of a VFX supervisor.

Original music film · FLARE

FINAL CUT

A music video about making its own music video. FLARE stops waiting for permission and shoots through the night with a crew that never sleeps. The song, the images and a designed desktop interface tell three layers of the same story.

Original music film · FLARE

HUMAN VERIFIED

A verification system loses its certainty. Silver interiors open into coastal daylight while kinetic lyrics, diagnostic graphics and CAPTCHA grids make the system around FLARE visible, composited into a directed, shot-by-shot VFX workflow.

The idea

Gen AI production works like CG animation

After 25 years supervising CG animated features and VFX films, I recognize the shape of the problem: you make everything for every shot. Each shot needs its own assets, layout and motion, and depends on other shots and assets. All of it has to be tracked, versioned and approved.

Most AI video tools stop at the single clip, because they were built by people who haven't worked on a film. I build the other half: asset dependencies, tracking, review and approvals, the way an animated feature actually runs.

Every shot needs

  • Assets, and the dependencies between them
  • Layout, camera and motion
  • Character and environment references
  • Takes, versions and review notes
  • Approvals, with the full generation history

How the films get made

  1. 01

    Animatic first

    Stills are cut to the song with Remotion graphics on top, so pacing, shot order and kinetic lyrics get reviewed while pictures are still cheap to change.

  2. 02

    Stills become takes

    Video takes replace stills shot by shot inside the same edit. Character references keep FLARE recognizable across looks, rooms and cameras.

  3. 03

    Reviewed like a VFX show

    Agents build review playlists and open them in my browser. I give voice notes; approvals, rejections and retakes are recorded against the shot and version.

  4. 04

    Complete provenance

    Assets, prompts, references and settings are all recorded, so a shot or the whole film can be re-run when a better model arrives.

415voice review notes

98review playlists

892approvals, retakes & rejections logged

FINAL CUT production snapshot, October 6, 2026

Pipeline tools I've built

Tools that automate Gen AI video production

Tracking & review

Intellistory

The production tracker behind both films: assets, shots, takes, dependencies, versions, review and approvals, with the full generation history of every result.

Shot direction

IntelliBeat Studio

Where a shot is directed before it is generated: timed beats, camera and action direction, linked reference images and version history.

Edit & graphics

Film engine

Cuts the animatic and renders graphics and kinetic lyrics against the song's timeline, so a timing change re-runs across the full film and every shot review.

Agents & review

Voice review with AI agents

Agents assemble review playlists and open them in my browser. I give voice notes; approvals, rejections and retakes are recorded against the shot and version.

Open source · ComfyUI

comfyui-loop-mcp

A loop-aware MCP server for ComfyUI: agents build workflows, run them, critique the output and fix it.

Open source · Trackers

tracker-mcp-hub

MCP servers for ShotGrid, ftrack, Kitsu, AYON and NIM, plus a hub that gives agents one contract across all five production trackers.

Models & tools I direct

  • ComfyUI
  • Stable Diffusion
  • Midjourney
  • Kling
  • Minimax
  • Veo 2
  • Sora
  • Custom LoRA training
  • Remotion

Models change fast, so the pipeline treats them as swappable. Automated LoRA training and cross-model prompt optimization sit alongside the tracking.

02 — Film, VFX & Animation

25 years of credits

Feature films, series, game cinematics and ride films, from Weta Digital and Walt Disney Animation Studios to DNEG and Axis.

  • Addams Family 2 (case study, opens in new tab)CG SupervisorCinesite · Case study

Filmography

Films I've worked on

Decades of experience across compositing, matte painting, lighting, look development and CG supervision.

  • Poster for Dune: Part Two
    Dune: Part Two (2024), CG Supervisor
  • Poster for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
    The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), Texture Painter, Environment TD (uncredited), Weta Digital
  • Poster for Frozen
    Frozen (2013), Look Development Artist
  • Poster for Tangled
    Tangled (2010), Lighting Artist
  • Poster for Armageddon
    Armageddon (1998), Compositor, Dream Quest Images
  • Poster for Wreck-It Ralph
    Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Look Development Artist, Procedural Lead
  • Poster for Beauty and the Beast
    Beauty and the Beast (1991), Stereoscopic Artist, 3D edition
  • Poster for A Christmas Carol
    A Christmas Carol (2009), Lighting & Compositing Artist
  • Poster for Chicken Little
    Chicken Little (2005), Finaling Artist, Lighting & Compositing
  • Poster for Bolt
    Bolt (2008), Lighter
  • Poster for The Addams Family
    The Addams Family (2019), CG Supervisor, Cinesite
  • Poster for Flubber
    Flubber (1997), Digital Compositor, Dream Quest Images
  • Poster for George of the Jungle
    George of the Jungle (1997), Digital Compositor, Dream Quest Images
  • Poster for Meet the Robinsons
    Meet the Robinsons (2007), Lighting & Compositing
  • Poster for Space Jam: A New Legacy
    Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021), Visual Effects & Feature Animation, Cinesite
  • Poster for Inspector Gadget
    Inspector Gadget (1999), Compositor, Dream Quest Images
  • Poster for The Addams Family 2
    The Addams Family 2 (2021), Additional CG Supervisor
  • Poster for Snow Dogs
    Snow Dogs (2002), Compositor
  • Poster for The Kid
    The Kid (2000), Digital Compositor, The Secret Lab
  • Poster for Mission to Mars
    Mission to Mars (2000), Senior Compositor, Dream Quest Images
  • Poster for Bicentennial Man
    Bicentennial Man (1999), 3D Matte Painter, Dream Quest Images
  • Poster for Reign of Fire
    Reign of Fire (2002), Digital Compositor, Disney's The Secret Lab
  • Poster for Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
    Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004), 3D Matte Painter, Digital Compositor
  • Poster for Out of Time
    Out of Time (2003), Compositor, Boy Wonder
  • Poster for Bulletproof Monk
    Bulletproof Monk (2003), Digital Compositor, Boy Wonder
  • Poster for Instinct
    Instinct (1999), 3D Matte Painter, Dream Quest Images
  • Poster for Bubble Boy
    Bubble Boy (2001), Digital Compositor, The Secret Lab
  • Poster for Riverdance: The Animated Adventure
    Riverdance: The Animated Adventure (2021), CG Supervisor
  • Poster for Vampirina
    Vampirina (2017), TV series · 3D Supervisor
  • Poster for Imaginary Mary
    Imaginary Mary (2017), TV series · CG Supervisor
  • Poster for Henry Hugglemonster
    Henry Hugglemonster (2013), TV series · CG Supervisor, TD Supervisor
  • Poster for Doc McStuffins
    Doc McStuffins (2012), TV series · CG Supervisor
  • Poster for Project Viper
    Project Viper (2002), TV movie · Digital Compositor
  • Poster for Tangled Ever After
    Tangled Ever After (2012), Short · Look Development & Lighting Artist
  • Poster for Super Rhino
    Super Rhino (2009), Short · Lighting Artist
  • Poster for CinéMagique
    CinéMagique (2002), Short · Visual Effects Artist
  • Poster for Golden Dreams
    Golden Dreams (2001), Short · 3D Matte Painter, The Secret Lab
  • Poster for Mars Odyssey
    Mars Odyssey (1995), Short · Lead Texture Painter

03 — About

One pipeline, from first frame to final pixel

Portrait of John Huikku

I make generative AI films and build the tools that produce them, after 25+ years as a CG Supervisor and Art Director in animation, VFX, game cinematics and venue-based entertainment.

I specialize in CG supervision, look development, lighting, compositing, VFX supervision and pipeline development for major studios. Now I build that same discipline into software for generative AI production: shot management, asset tracking, versioning, approvals and a complete generation history.

Burlington, Vermont, USA — working remotely, available to travel globally.

Film & VFX

  • Maya
  • Arnold
  • Nuke
  • Houdini
  • RenderMan
  • Redshift
  • XGen
  • Mari
  • Adobe Creative Suite

Generative AI

  • ComfyUI
  • Stable Diffusion
  • Midjourney
  • Kling
  • Minimax
  • Veo 2
  • Sora

Generative AI pipelines

Full-stack tools that automate generative video production with VFX-level rigor: shot management, asset tracking, versioning, approvals and full generation history. Automated LoRA training and cross-model prompt optimization. Advisor to Artomatix on AI-driven texture synthesis.

CG supervision

CG Supervisor on Oscar-winning "Dune: Part 2" (2024 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects) and "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" at DNEG, overseeing every CG discipline from matchmove and layout to final lighting and rendering: arena fights, environments, digital doubles and creatures.

Look development & lighting

Procedural material systems for "Frozen" crowd characters, hero materials and grooming on "Tangled," and lighting for "Bolt," "Tangled" and "Wreck-It Ralph." Look development pipelines in Mari and Redshift for "Vampirina" and "Bob the Builder."

Pipeline & workflow innovation

New workflows for teams of hundreds of artists at Cinesite and Brown Bag Films, including a new XGen grooming and instancing pipeline. Early adopter of cloud rendering and remote collaboration tools, and GPU-accelerated lighting.

Remote & global leadership

Led distributed production teams across continents at DNEG, Axis Animation and Tau Films, managing artists in India, Mexico, Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand through rapid technological change.

Hardware & product

Partner at Alpine InfoGrafik, designing and manufacturing IoT ski lift status displays with Arduino, CNC routing and 3D printing, plus an AI-driven design system that generates on-brand variations for different ski resorts.

04 — Experience

Where I've worked

  1. 2024 – Present

    Solo Developer

    Alienrobot LLC · Burlington, Vermont

    • Building enterprise-grade generative AI pipelines with VFX-level production rigor: shot management, asset tracking, versioning, approvals and full generation history
    • Developed full-stack SaaS tools using React/Tailwind, Supabase/Postgres and Spark Cloud Studio
    • Created automated LoRA training systems and cross-model prompt optimization for major GenAI platforms
    • Integrated metadata-rich tracking of reference images, prompts, versions and outputs per shot/asset
  2. 2024 – Present

    Partner & Creative Director

    Alpine InfoGrafik · Burlington, Vermont

    • Leading product innovation, design strategy and go-to-market execution for smart home devices in the winter sports industry
    • Directing end-to-end product development integrating IoT technology with traditional woodworking
    • Managing manufacturing workflows using CNC machining and 3D printing techniques
  3. 2024

    AI Art Director

    TCL Research America

    • Directed creative development and visual direction for AI-generated video projects
    • Led R&D team exploring artificial intelligence tools for animation
    • Supervised implementation and testing of AI models for animation production
    3 more
    • Developed comprehensive pipeline strategy for generative AI studio implementation
    • Created production workflows and best practices for AI-assisted animation
    • Managed interdisciplinary collaboration between artistic and technical teams
  4. 2023 – 2024

    CG Supervisor

    Axis Animation · Glasgow / Remote

    • Led teams for "Destiny 2" and "Clash of Clans" cinematics
  5. 2021 – 2023

    CG Supervisor

    DNEG · Mumbai / Remote

    • CG Supervisor on Oscar-winning "Dune: Part 2" (2024 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects)
    • Supervised complex sequences for "Shazam! Fury of the Gods"
    • Oversaw teams within DNEG's India studio, the largest VFX operation in the world
  6. 2018 – 2021

    CG Supervisor

    Cinesite Studios · Montreal

    • Supervised CG animated feature films including The Addams Family, The Addams Family 2, Riverdance and an animated sequence for Space Jam 2
    • Initiated new XGen workflow for grooming and instancing, including pipeline testing, department training and animated instance workflow for foliage
    • Led workflow/pipeline optimization affecting hundreds of artists
    6 more
    • Served as software development product owner for various pipeline tools
    • Created extensive documentation of workflows and tools
    • Performed sequence breakdowns and asset supervision
    • Supervised large teams across layout, assets, FX, CFX, lighting and compositing
    • Render farm forecasts and resolved asset issues causing long render times
    • Creative approvals for assets and lighting, including pre-light QC approvals
  7. 2016 – 2017

    CG Supervisor & VFX Art Director

    Tau Films · LA / Remote

    • CG Supervisor and VFX Art Director on Ferrari Racing Legends ride film for PortAventura in Spain
  8. 2016

    CG Supervisor

    Egg Post · Dublin

    • Led creative and technical supervision for Imaginary Mary TV pilot
  9. 2013 – 2016

    CG Supervisor

    Brown Bag Films · Dublin

    • Supervised Henry Hugglemonster, Doc McStuffins, Bob the Builder, Vampirina
    • Delivered over 600 minutes of animation on tight budgets and schedules
  10. 2004 – 2013

    Look Development & Lighting Artist, Procedural Lead

    Walt Disney Animation Studios · Burbank

    • Worked on Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph, Tangled, Bolt, Meet the Robinsons, Chicken Little
  11. 2003

    Environment TD

    Weta Digital · Wellington

    • Led environment work for Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Black Gates destruction sequence
  12. 2003 – 2004

    Matte Painting & 3D Environment Artist

    World of Tomorrow · Van Nuys

    • Matte painting and compositing artist

05 — Consulting

Strategic consulting & advisory

Specialized consulting at the intersection of creative technology, production workflows and emerging tools, balancing creative vision, technical feasibility and business objectives.

AI implementation for creative pipelines

Recently advised TCL Research America on developing AI production pipelines for animation, guiding teams through the integration of generative AI tools while maintaining creative control and production quality.

Production workflow optimization

Analyzing and redesigning production pipelines to increase efficiency, reduce bottlenecks and improve creative outcomes, with a specialty in distributed teams and cross-discipline collaboration.

Hardware / software prototyping

Proof-of-concept solutions that bridge physical and digital, from IoT devices to interactive displays, testing technical feasibility with a focus on the end-user experience.

Technical education & team development

Customized training for teams adopting new technologies or workflows, including courses on CG lighting, look development and XGen workflows at Animation Skillnet.

Digital asset creation & management

Efficient approaches to developing, organizing and maintaining complex digital assets across multiple platforms and production environments.

Have a project in mind?

Tell me what you're building and where it's stuck.

Get in touch

06 — Contact

Let's talk

For supervision, AI production, pipeline or consulting work.