iQIYI Opens China's First AI Film Studio in Shanghai, Starts Work on "Cop in Trouble"
iQIYI has opened an AI Film Studio at its Creative Center Shanghai and started filming its first project there, the internet feature film "Cop in Trouble". According to the company, the studio combines live-action filming with AI post-production.
- iQIYI opened an AI Film Studio at its Creative Center Shanghai, which it calls China's first.
- Filming of the internet feature film "Cop in Trouble" began on October 28 as the studio's inaugural project.
- On-set footage syncs to NadouPro, giving access to nearly 30 AI models including Seedance 2.5 and Kling 4.0.
- The studio is approximately 110 square meters with multi-camera, synchronized audio and video recording.
- iQIYI says its earlier Hengdian virtual studio delivered production efficiency gains of over 30%.
A studio built around live action and AI post-production
iQIYI, which describes itself as China's leading online entertainment platform, said filming of "Cop in Trouble" began on October 28. The film is the inaugural project of the new AI Film Studio, located at the iQIYI Creative Center Shanghai. The company calls it China's first AI film studio.
According to iQIYI, the facility extends its AI ecosystem by pairing in-studio live-action shooting with AI post-production. The company says this lowers production timeline constraints and raises efficiency. One example it gives is that filmmakers can develop and refine visual environments after filming while the actors' original performances are preserved.
Equipment and the NadouPro platform
The studio covers approximately 110 square meters. iQIYI lists multi-camera shooting, synchronized high-resolution video and audio recording, digital continuity logging and real-time footage review among its features.
Footage from the set syncs automatically to NadouPro, iQIYI's AI-powered film and TV production platform. Through it, filmmakers get immediate access to nearly 30 AI models, including Seedance 2.5 and Kling 4.0, as well as hundreds of production-focused AI agents and skills. These are used to transform live-action footage by generating new visual elements.
Liang ZHU, iQIYI Vice President and Head of Intelligent Production, said: "An actor's performance is the core of any film or series." He added that the AI studio lets directors preserve that performance while adjusting sets, lighting and costumes, makeup, and props more flexibly.
"Cop in Trouble" as the first test
The film follows Jian ZHANG, a low-ranking constable whose fame, riches and admiration begin to crack as his web of lies to take down a notorious outlaw begins to unravel.
iQIYI says the production shows how the studio blends live performances with AI-generated environments and visual details. On set, filmmakers record interactions between actors, from intimate conversations to action sequences that need precise coordination between performers and camera movement. These recordings serve as input and key references for AI generation through NadouPro, particularly for character appearance, performance, composition, lighting and spatial relationships.
What it means for iQIYI and filmmakers
iQIYI presents the studio as another step in expanding its production capabilities, from traditional on-location and green-screen work to virtual production and AI-integrated filmmaking. It says the facility continues the success of its Hengdian virtual studio, which delivered production efficiency gains of over 30%.
The company also says the new studio opens up possibilities for emerging directors and resource-constrained teams, particularly for bringing imaginative worlds to life across all genres. The efficiency and creative claims come from iQIYI itself, and the source gives no results yet for the AI studio's own output.
