Latest news with #NaeemTalukdar
Tom's Guide
09-07-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
The first truly copyright-free AI video generator has arrived — here's what we know
We've been hearing the same thing for months now that AI is coming for Hollywood. That is now a statement of fact as one company launches its first fully-licensed AI video model for professional production. Moonvalley, an AI video company, has announced the public release of its AI tool Marey. This was originally announced months ago, but is now available for filmmakers to try out. The company makes two big promises with this release. Firstly, it will produce professional-level video that can be heavily edited and controlled. And more importantly, it was entirely trained on explicitly licensed material, avoiding all of the copyright concerns of some of its competitors. This means that Moonvalley could be the first AI company to produce scenes for filmmakers, without the concerns of using other filmmakers' intellectual property in their own work. 'We built Marey because the industry told us existing AI video tools don't work for serious production,' Moonvalley CEO and co-founder Naeem Talukdar said, announcing the launch. 'Directors need precise control over every creative decision, plus legal confidence for commercial use. Today we're delivering both, and proving that the most powerful AI comes from partnership with creators, not exploitation of their work.' Moonvalley has been gunning for this position for a while, looking to stand out as the ethical alternative to AI video in the professional world. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. The AI video market is packed. Along with the big professional names like Gemini and ChatGPT's Sora, there are smaller competitors from Runway, Pika, Higgsfield, Kling and more. In other words, it isn't the only AI video generator out there. However, along with its take on copyright-free video, Moonvalley is aiming to make this new model better than its competitors. It was fully trained on native 1080p video and, by avoiding user-generated content in its training, can consistently produce higher quality footage. The company claims that Marey can produce sharper footage up to five seconds at 24 FPS with consistent quality throughout. Directors can control object movement and camera control, and can alter motion, camera styles, and make small changes throughout the footage. Users can try Marey on a monthly credits-based system. It's $14.99 for 100 credits, $34.99 for 250, and $149.99 for 1000. While Moonvalley is positioning itself as a tool for Hollywood, it is more likely to appeal to small-time filmmakers who have a story to tell but lack the budget to bring it to life. TechCrunch was shown the tool in action, detailing the level of control that users have over the film. Marey offers free camera motion, allowing you to adjust the camera trajectory with your mouse. Moonvalley plans to roll out more features over the next few months, including controls for lighting, trajectories, and character libraries. For now, this is in its early stages, but Moonvalley has clearly set its sights on beating the market when it comes to usable AI footage in film and TV.
Techday NZ
09-07-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Moonvalley launches first fully licensed AI model for filmmakers
The first fully licensed, commercially available AI model for the video production industry was released today by Toronto-based software company Moonvalley. Last November, the organisation announced USD $70 million to "develop the future of generative media." One of those developments, Marey, was released for general availability this morning. Marey is a learning model capable of precision controls, complex VFX sequences, and maintaining complete creative authority for filmmakers and studios. The model was trained on original 1080p content, capable of developing sharper videos up to five seconds in length at 24 frames per second. Feature highlights include : Camera control for creating a 3D atmosphere from a single image; Trajectory control for natural scene movement; Motion transfer for copying object movement from one animation to the next; Keyframing for generating smooth transitions between images; Referencing for integrating reference images into existing video; Pose control for more nuanced actor performances; Shot extension for extending an original video. Naeem Talukdar, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Moonvalley, said the creation of Marey was a direct response to industry feedback on existing offerings. "We built Marey because the industry told us existing AI video tools don't work for serious production." Talukdar added that the model provides users with creative control and legal peace of mind, as Marley partners with creators rather than exploiting copyrighted material. Notably, Disney and Universal sued AI image generator Midjourney last month, claiming the AI firm copied proprietary images while training its learning models. Moonvalley states that Marey's architecture was built using exclusively licensed, high-definition content, rather than scraped or user-generated material. This approach, the company says, aims to address copyright concerns while providing a tool suitable for commercial application. Today's launch follows six months of partnerships with Moonvalley's studio, Asteria, and three months of testing with external partners. Moonvalley said that "through this process, teams refined unprecedented control over objects, characters, motion, and scene composition to deliver the accuracy, precision, and directorial control that filmmakers need to enable groundbreaking creative work." Moonvalley stated that these functionalities enable not only enhanced VFX capabilities for studios and brands but also allow independent filmmakers access to visuals that typically require larger budgets. "Marey isn't just another model—it's a creative unlock," said Hussein Dembel Sow, a Senegalese independent filmmaker and screenwriter. "It gives filmmakers like me the freedom to experiment and innovate without the financial burden or scarcity of production opportunities. Dembel Sow said this new venture creates a hybrid type of cinema. Calling it: "something deeply local yet globally legible." Follow us on: Share on:
Forbes
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Asteria And Moonvalley Release Marey, A Clean, Production-Grade AI Video Model
Moonvalley founders (L to R) Mikolaj Binkowski, Bryn Mooser, Mateusz Malinowski, John Thomas, Naeem ... More Talukdar In a landmark collaboration for the generative media industry, Asteria and Moonvalley have officially launched Marey, a foundational AI video model purpose-built for professional film and television production. The tool is designed to give filmmakers unprecedented creative control while avoiding the legal and ethical pitfalls that have plagued many AI systems trained on scraped, unlicensed content. 'We built Marey because the industry told us existing AI video tools don't work for serious production,' said Naeem Talukdar, co-founder and CEO of Moonvalley. 'Directors need precise control over every creative decision, plus legal confidence for commercial use. Today we're delivering both, and proving that the most powerful AI comes from partnership with creators, not exploitation of their work'. Developed over a year-long partnership between Moonvalley's technical team and Asteria's filmmakers, Marey was trained entirely on licensed high-definition footage sourced by XTR, Asteria's documentary studio. This approach, the companies say, not only mitigates legal risk but establishes a higher standard for the ethical use of AI in media. 'AI is a powerful tool for the future of Hollywood, but it's not usable until a clean model is built that's not trained on other people's stolen data,' said Bryn Mooser, co-founder and CEO of Asteria. The model was designed with professional filmmakers in mind. Marey includes production-grade features such as Motion Direction, Pose Control, Motion Transfer, Camera Control, and Inpainting—tools that allow users to edit specific parts of a frame without regenerating the entire video. The system outputs native 1080p video at 24 frames per second for clips up to 10 seconds long and supports aspect ratios from vertical to widescreen. Example of Marey-generated animated AI image. 'Traditional AI video often reduces filmmakers to consumers typing prompts into black box systems with little creative control over generations,' said Mateusz Malinowski, Moonvalley's Chief Scientific Officer and former DeepMind researcher. 'With Marey we aim to give directors the same level of control they expect on set'. Marey represents the first production-grade AI model built to meet the standards of world-class cinematography. Trained entirely on native 1080p video and never on user-generated content, Marey delivers sharper footage up to 10 seconds at 24 FPS with consistent quality throughout, supporting aspect ratios from widescreen to vertical. Directors gain unprecedented control through features including Motion Direction for precise object movement, Camera Control for cinematic storytelling, Motion Transfer to adapt performance across scenes, Pose Control for nuanced performances, and Inpainting to modify specific elements without regenerating. For studios and brands, Marey enables faster iteration on complex sequences while maintaining complete creative authority. For independent filmmakers, it means Hollywood-quality visuals previously reserved for massive budgets. 'Marey isn't just another model—it's a creative unlock,' said Hussein Dembel Sow, an independent filmmaker and screenwriter from Senegal. 'It gives filmmakers like me the freedom to experiment and innovate without the financial burden or scarcity of production opportunities. What excites me most is not just the technical leap this model represents, but the cultural one. It opens a door to a new kind of cinema—something hybrid, something deeply local yet globally legible.' Asteria, which also operates the streaming platform DOCUMENTARY+, has positioned itself as a filmmaker-led studio navigating the frontier of generative production. 'Together, we are building an AI company that Hollywood can trust,' said Talukdar. 'Marey will not only be the best video model, but it will be the only one that can be used inside Hollywood'. With deep ties to both technical research and Hollywood production, the Asteria–Moonvalley partnership may serve as a blueprint for how generative tools can be ethically and effectively deployed across the entertainment industry.
National Post
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- National Post
Moonvalley Releases First Fully-Licensed AI Video Model for Professional Production
Article content Sorry, your browser doesn't support embedded videos. Article content Marey enables filmmakers and studios to harness commercially safe AI video with unprecedented creative control and directorial precision Article content Article content Company brings together top scientific AI researchers from DeepMind, Meta and more with Oscar-nominated filmmakers and Hollywood studio veterans Article content TORONTO & LOS ANGELES & LONDON — Today, leading AI research company Moonvalley announced general availability of Marey, its foundational AI video model that provides filmmakers, studios, and brands with the first fully licensed AI for professional production. Marey's unprecedented precision controls enable directors to realize expansive visions, execute complex VFX sequences, and maintain complete creative authority throughout their projects. Moonvalley also announced beta access to Voyager, its proprietary platform that unlocks Marey's full capabilities for high-end workflows. Article content 'We built Marey because the industry told us existing AI video tools don't work for serious production,' said Naeem Talukdar, Moonvalley CEO and co-founder. 'Directors need precise control over every creative decision, plus legal confidence for commercial use. Today we're delivering both, and proving that the most powerful AI comes from partnership with creators, not exploitation of their work.' Article content In an industry grappling with AI's legal implications following recent high-profile lawsuits against AI companies for unauthorized use of copyrighted materials, Moonvalley leveraged breakthrough AI architecture to infuse Marey with a deep understanding of intuitive physics and human emotion using exclusively licensed, high-definition content. Today's launch culminates six months of foundational AI research, including intensive collaboration with filmmakers at Moonvalley's studio Asteria who helped unlock the model's emergent capabilities, alongside three months of alpha testing with external partners. Through this process, teams refined unprecedented control over objects, characters, motion, and scene composition to deliver the accuracy, precision, and directorial control that filmmakers need to enable groundbreaking creative work. Article content 'Traditional AI video often reduces filmmakers to consumers typing prompts into black box systems with little creative control over generations,' said Mateusz Malinowski, Moonvalley Chief Scientific Officer and former DeepMind researcher. 'With Marey we aim to give directors the same level of control they expect on set. By working directly with filmmakers, we built technology that amplifies and empowers their creative vision rather than replacing it.' Article content Transforming Creative Workflows Article content Marey represents the first production-grade AI model built to meet the standards of world-class cinematography. Trained entirely on native 1080p video and never on user-generated content, Marey delivers sharper footage up to five seconds at 24 FPS with consistent quality throughout, supporting aspect ratios from widescreen to vertical. Directors gain unprecedented control through features including Trajectory Control for precise object movement, Camera Control for cinematic storytelling, Motion Transfer to adapt performance across scenes, Pose Transfer for nuanced performances, and Inpainting to modify specific elements without regenerating. This transforms AI from a novelty into a professional production tool. Article content For studios and brands, Marey enables faster iteration on complex sequences while maintaining complete creative authority. For independent filmmakers, it means Hollywood-quality visuals previously reserved for massive budgets. Article content 'Marey isn't just another model—it's a creative unlock,' said Hussein Dembel Sow, an independent filmmaker and screenwriter from Senegal. 'It gives filmmakers like me the freedom to experiment and innovate without the financial burden or scarcity of production opportunities. What excites me most is not just the technical leap this model represents, but the cultural one. It opens a door to a new kind of cinema—something hybrid, something deeply local yet globally legible.' Article content While Marey transforms filmmaking today, it represents just the beginning of Moonvalley's broader mission: building visual intelligence that understands how the world moves, interacts, and tells stories. Article content Pricing and Availability Article content Marey is available through multiple channels: Article content Voyager is currently in limited beta at with access by invitation and waitlist, and broader availability planned for later this summer. Article content Join leading studios and filmmakers already discovering how licensed AI can enhance their creative workflows at About Moonvalley Moonvalley is an AI research company building next-generation models and tools for creative professionals. A member of the Creative Rights in AI Coalition, the company brings together talent from DeepMind, Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok, Disney, DreamWorks and other leading entertainment companies, unified around advancing visual intelligence. Through partnerships with film studios, production companies, and brands, Moonvalley is proving that powerful generative AI can be built while respecting artists' and creators' rights. 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Fast Company
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fast Company
Moonvalley releases its ‘power tool' for AI filmmaking
On Tuesday, AI lab Moonvalley announced the public release of Marey, a video model designed as a production-grade tool for professional filmmakers. Marey—pronounced 'Mary' and named after early film pioneer Étienne-Jules Marey —was trained exclusively on explicitly licensed material. Cofounder and CEO Naeem Talukdar says this approach helps avoid the copyright risks associated with video generation tools trained on unauthorized footage. 'Marey has no idea what Star Wars is,' he says. 'It has no idea what Toy Story is.' Just as importantly, Marey offers a level of control uncommon in most video generation tools, which typically produce clips based solely on text prompts. 'Our thesis is that these models aren't really set up for real, professional-grade creators,' Talukdar says. 'It's very difficult for serious filmmakers to create things with that.' While users can begin with a prompt, they can also upload scenes shot with real actors and ask Marey to generate similar footage—with altered objects, backgrounds, or costumes. The AI preserves actor movements, including mouth motion, allowing speech to be seamlessly dubbed or interpreted more loosely.
