Story remains the enduring moat

A Note from James:

Tye Sheridan is one of my favorite actors. You might know him as Cyclops in the X-Men movies (Apocalypse, etc.) or as the lead in Ready Player One—which is not only a great movie but also one of my favorite sci-fi books. One of his first films was Mud with Matthew McConaughey.

What I didn’t realize: since 2016, while still acting, Tye has also been a serious AI entrepreneur. He and Nikola Todorovic co-founded AI-powered VFX/CGI company, Wonder Dynamics, now an Autodesk company, that built AI tools to make visual effects more accessible.

I wanted them both on to talk about how AI will change filmmaking—potentially letting someone like me make a movie that would normally cost hundreds of millions because of VFX—and, just as important, how Tye balanced being a movie star and an entrepreneur at the same time. I also wanted Nikola’s take on where AI is going and whether it will take jobs. Fascinating conversation ahead—here are Tye Sheridan and Nikola Todorovic.

Episode Description:

James sits down with actor–founder Tye Sheridan and VFX director Nikola Todorovic to unpack how their company’s AI tools (now part of Autodesk) are changing what small teams can pull off—and what that means for studios, budgets, and actual stories. They trace the path from stitching 360° GoPro rigs and a VR proof-of-concept… to a first demo for Steven Spielberg… to a platform that lets indies do big-look work without big-studio burn. You’ll hear clear, non-hyped answers on where text-to-video fits, why they focus on editable 3D over black-box 2D, and a candid take on the only moat that still matters: writing something people care about.

What You’ll Learn:

• A workable cost model for VFX-heavy projects: where 10× savings can come from—and where they can’t.
• How to run “lean” on real productions: recruiting cross-disciplinary talent and sequencing funding without chasing hype cycles.
• 3D pipelines vs. text-to-video: why pros need full control of lighting, camera, and performance—and how Sora-style tools can still complement the workflow.
• Story first, always: the audience forgives limited budgets—not lazy scripts.
• A pragmatic future for studios and indies: expanding voices without erasing human actors or craft.

Timestamped Chapters:

• [00:02:00] “Hollywood is nervous”: James frames the AI anxiety he’s hearing in studio rooms.
• [00:03:01] A note from James: why Tye’s career (from Mud to Ready Player One) made him the right guest—plus Nikola’s VFX roots.
• [00:06:03] Tree of Life to tech startup: meeting on set, Chivo’s influence, and early curiosity about tools.
• [00:13:46] DIY 360° & the Spielberg audition: the VR demo, a $10k experiment, and a first product pitch to Steven.
• [00:20:12] The question everyone asks: will AI erase studio jobs—or expand what smaller teams can make?
• [00:24:00] Distribution changed—financing didn’t: presales, streaming, strikes, and why a bigger shift is still coming.
• [00:27:12] Reality check on budgets: VFX vs. SFX, and how a $100M effects bill could land near $10M.
• [00:36:02] Running lean + real backers: Founders Fund, MaC VC, Horizons; hiring for overlap (CV/ML/VFX/eng).
• [00:37:44] From waitlist to workflows: who used the platform first, and a TV case where weeks became days.
• [00:42:12] Sora vs. 3D pipelines: where text-to-video fits—and why pros avoid black-box 2D for final shots.
• [01:00:45] “A decade of procrastination”: the founders joke about building a company to avoid writing their own film—then set sights on making it.

Additional Resources:

• Tye Sheridan — filmography and roles (Ready Player One, X-Men). Wikipedia
• Nikola Todorovic — Co-founder, Wonder Dynamics (Autodesk company). linkedin.com
• Autodesk acquires Wonder Dynamics — press release (May 21, 2024). Autodesk News
• Autodesk Flow Studio (formerly Wonder Studio) — product page & docs. Autodesk
• Ready Player One (2018). Wikipedia
• The Card Counter (2021). Wikipedia
• The Tree of Life (2011) & Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki. IMDb

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