#75 How AI Is Transforming Filmmaking & VFX with Nikola Todorovic

Nikola Todorovic is the Co-Founder of Wonder Dynamics, an Autodesk company, which is one of the most groundbreaking AI companies transforming the future of filmmaking.

In this episode, Nikola opens up about building an AI startup from scratch, surviving the early chaos of generative AI, and why he believes the future belongs to creators. We go deep on AI, tech, creativity, entrepreneurship, mental resilience, and the future of storytelling; including how Nikola and Tye Sheridan built a product people thought was “impossible,” what really happened behind the scenes of their viral launch, and why democratizing filmmaking matters more today than ever.

If you're a filmmaker, 3D artist, startup founder, or AI-curious entrepreneur, this is one of the most important conversations of 2025.

Episode 75 Chapter:

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:03:50 – Early days of Wonder Dynamics & scaling challenges

00:05:45 – The power of “Permissionless Storytelling”

00:07:10 – Nikola’s childhood, war, and escaping through film

00:11:45 – The origins of Wonder Studio

00:13:25 – Pivoting from VR to AI filmmaking

00:15:10 – Funding, team size & early startup struggles

00:20:20 – The emotional rollercoaster of building something new

00:22:40 – Why creators forget their darkest moments

00:24:45 – Fear, discomfort & pushing through self-doubt

00:28:10 – Perspective: comparing yourself to your past, not others

00:30:10 – What truly brings happiness (scarcity & meaning)

00:32:30 – Why hiring curious people beats hiring experts

00:35:15 – The “say yes and figure it out” philosophy

00:37:00 – How uncertainty becomes a competitive advantage

00:38:45 – Nature vs nurture

00:41:20 – What top creatives really struggle with

00:49:35 – The problem with modern AI launches

00:51:10 – Generative AI editability

00:53:00 – Multimodal future of filmmaking

00:56:20 – AI’s irony: the first jobs it replaced were creative

00:58:00 – Why AI won’t kill filmmaking

01:02:40 – Democratization of filmmaking in 2025

01:05:50 – Why now is the best time ever to be a creator

01:07:10 – Final thoughts on storytelling, creativity & the future

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