Joaquín Cuenca Abela: AI is revolutionizing Hollywood filmmaking, reducing production costs significantly, and enhancing the demand for skilled storytellers | TWIST

AI's transformative role in filmmaking is reducing costs and enhancing creative efficiency across the industry.

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Add us on Google by Editorial Team Apr. 30, 2026

Key Takeaways

• AI is revolutionizing creative workflows by connecting various elements seamlessly.
• Hollywood studios are increasingly adopting advanced creative tools, indicating a major industry shift.
• AI tools are significantly reducing film production costs, allowing for more content creation.
• The role of AI in filmmaking allows creators to focus more on performance.
• AI will match some human creativity but cannot replicate human individuality.
• AI can generate ideas but lacks the depth of human creativity.
• The demand for skilled storytellers will increase as AI tools advance.
• AI enables the creation of multiple localized content versions, enhancing engagement.
• Future advertising will involve highly personalized, dynamically served content.
• Human creativity remains crucial in media production despite AI advancements.
• AI’s role in storytelling is transforming content distribution and personalization.
• Filmmakers can now produce content more efficiently with AI, leading to diverse audience engagement.
• Advanced AI tools are driving exponential growth in creative industries.
• AI’s ability to automate production aspects enhances overall efficiency.
• The future of media will see a blend of AI capabilities and human creative input.

Guest intro

Joaquín Cuenca Abela is co-founder and CEO of Magnific (formerly Freepik). He previously founded Panoramio, the first Spanish company acquired by Google, where he served as Tech Lead for three years. Under his leadership, Freepik grew into a leading provider of graphic resources before its majority acquisition by EQT in 2020.

How AI is transforming creative workflows

• AI assists in connecting creative elements during storytelling processes.

• As soon as you are typing the prompt it can suggest oh do you want to connect it with this one

  — Joaquín Cuenca Abela

• Understanding AI’s role in enhancing creative workflows is crucial for modern storytelling.
• AI tools facilitate connections between different creative elements.

• You can put it all together super easily

  — Joaquín Cuenca Abela

• The integration of AI in creative processes highlights its functionality in storytelling.
• AI’s ability to connect elements is transforming traditional creative workflows.
• The ease of using AI tools is revolutionizing how stories are crafted.

The rise of advanced tools in Hollywood

• Hollywood studios are adopting advanced creative tools for production.

• It’s used by all the biggest studios in Hollywood nowadays

  — Joaquín Cuenca Abela

• The growth of technology in Hollywood is exponential, creating numerous users.
• Advanced tools are raising the floor and ceiling for creative processes.

• The great thing about this is that it is releasing the ceiling and it’s also raising the floor

  — Joaquín Cuenca Abela

• The integration of advanced tools signifies a major industry shift.
• Hollywood’s adoption of technology is transforming traditional creative environments.
• The trend towards advanced tools is indicative of a broader industry evolution.

AI’s impact on film production

• AI tools enable filmmakers to produce content at a fraction of the cost.

• We are now able to make films for one third the price

  — Joaquín Cuenca Abela

• The cost reduction allows for increased creativity and content production.
• AI’s role in film production is leading to diverse audience engagement.

• We’ll be able to make two three four five times as much content

  — Joaquín Cuenca Abela

• The efficiency of AI tools is transforming traditional filmmaking processes.
• AI allows filmmakers to focus on performance while automating other aspects.

• Let everybody else do the rest of the work

  — Joaquín Cuenca Abela

The limitations of AI in creativity

• AI will match some human creativity but not replicate individuality.
• “It’s our individuality” that remains unique – Joaquín Cuenca Abela
• AI can generate ideas but lacks the depth of human creativity.

• It’s not fully creative

  — Joaquín Cuenca Abela

• Understanding AI’s current limitations is crucial for creative fields.
• Human individuality remains a key component of creativity.
• AI functions like an intern or researcher, providing ideas but not vision.
• The distinction between idea generation and true creativity is vital.

The future demand for storytellers

• AI advancements will increase demand for storytellers with meaningful narratives.

• Those tools they are gonna drive more opportunities for people that are good at telling stories

  — Joaquín Cuenca Abela

• Storytelling remains a unique human skill in the face of AI advancements.
• The role of storytelling in creative industries is becoming more critical.
• AI tools enhance the ability to create engaging narratives.
• Human history and personal experiences add value to storytelling.
• The future of creative professions will emphasize storytelling skills.
• AI’s role in content creation highlights the importance of human narratives.

Personalization in content creation

• AI can create multiple localized content versions, enhancing engagement.

• Making a 100 versions of the film you just made in some dynamic way

  — Joaquín Cuenca Abela

• Personalized storytelling is becoming a key strategy in content distribution.
• AI’s ability to target specific audiences is transforming marketing trends.
• The advancement of AI tools is driving personalized content strategies.
• Audience engagement is enhanced through targeted storytelling.
• AI’s role in content creation is crucial for future marketing strategies.
• The personalization of content is a significant trend in creative industries.

The evolution of advertising with AI

• The future of advertising will involve highly personalized, dynamically served content.

• Each ad will mention you by name

  — Joaquín Cuenca Abela

• AI advancements are transforming advertising technology.
• Personalization is becoming a central focus in advertising strategies.
• The evolution of advertising highlights the potential of AI in personalization.
• AI’s role in advertising is leading to innovative content delivery methods.
• The future of advertising will see a blend of AI capabilities and creative input.
• Understanding AI’s impact on advertising is crucial for industry professionals.

The balance between AI and human creativity

• Creative input is essential in media production, even with advanced AI tools.
• “The opinion of the creative to drive the narrative” is critical – Joaquín Cuenca Abela
• Human creativity remains a vital component in an automated landscape.
• The integration of AI in media production requires a balance with human input.
• AI tools enhance efficiency but cannot replace human creativity.
• The role of creative professionals is evolving with AI advancements.
• Understanding the balance between AI and human creativity is crucial for media production.
• The future of media will see a collaborative approach between AI and humans.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.