Are robots really coming to replace camera operators?

WPP's tests with a Boston Dynamics humanoid robot working as a camera operator on a LED volume using a Canon Cinema Camera with a DJI Ronin gimbal have lit up discussion about the place of such tech in the industry.

Last week during GTC 2025 the global advertising giant, WPP released a video showing a project in partnership with Boston Dynamics where its humanoid robot, Atlas, appeared to be working as a camera operator on an LED volume filming test commercials for automotive and food and beverage brands, using a Canon Cinema Camera with a DJI Ronin gimbal.

The video has been trending on Threads and discussed on Reddit, and I imagine it is also all over Twitter/ X as well and probably dominating discussion on many, many Facebook groups as I type this, and I must say the feedback is fascinating and many of the responses lean to two main extremes, “the robots are coming!” and/ or “it’s not really filming, this will never happen”.

We happen to believe that the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

On creative shoulders

Here at RedShark we *love* technology (and not just cameras tech) and we also try to steer away from needless controversy and kneejerk reaction. When we see innovative technology we are more likely to say “That’s cool”, make a note of it and take another bite of our sandwich than smash the nearest alarm and go running out of the building screaming that we are all doomed. Our industry innovates, it always has done. It has to, and - like it or not - engineers and accountants will always think they can find a way to recreate creativity through machines. Our point of view is that creatives need to direct and operate even the newest and most innovative tools. And this shoot would have been full of creatives.

We actually know a few members of the team behind this production. The Director, Brett Danton was interviewed by our team for our new podcast (link here, it’s a great listen actually) just 2 weeks ago! There will have been a crew of 25+ on a shoot of this size between pre production, on set and post. The studio they filmed this project in is based in New England and has an incredible tech stack that will include their LED wall, in camera VFX and robot arm already. All things that have replaced “traditional” elements in film production in recent and not so recent years. I don’t know this for certain but I think it’s a fair educated guess to say that the Atlas robot here would have had to come with (at least 1) an operator to configure, control and potentially hold a  thumb/ finger over a giant red button “kill switch” in case “it” decided to go rogue!

A limited Atlas

So, let’s take a breather and look at what is actually said by the production team in the video. Perry Nightingale, SVP Creative AI at WPP, made the point that he sees Atlas as being a tool that can “go into places and environments and film where we have not been able to film before” (danger zones essentially). Director Brett Danton added “Atlas can fill a gap of repeatable shots, and long repeatable shots with full VFX tracking”, essentially what a robot arm can do, but in a form factor that can take it to more locations due to the reduced weight and not having to work on tracks/ connected to power etc which were additional interesting comments that Brett made. The Atlas team also suggested to the crew that they are confident that the gimbal actually wasn’t required and Atlas’ own built in stabilising technology could match that of a professional gimbal.

Are robots going to replace camera operators? Obviously not. This is next generation technology and the shoot was a proof of concept which should interest you, make you too say "That's cool” and then go back to eating your sandwich without panicking just yet. Commercial production companies like WPP generate thousands of hours of video content every month, they are looking for ways to push the envelope and harness tools like Nvidia Cosmos and connected robotics to create better content for their clients. When you watch the video in its entirety you see the real exciting innovations come from AI (and WPP’s investment in AI/ Nvidia) being able to program and provide the training data for the Robot.  But they still will need a crew to plan, manage, execute and produce this content for a long time to come yet.

tl;dr

• WPP collaborated with Boston Dynamics to utilize the humanoid robot Atlas as a camera operator, demonstrating its capabilities in filming on an LED volume with advanced equipment like a Canon Cinema Camera and DJI Ronin gimbal.
• The project has generated diverse reactions online, ranging from enthusiasm about robotic innovation to skepticism about the feasibility of robots taking over creative roles in filmmaking.
• Despite the advanced technology, the production still relied on a large crew, indicating that creativity and human direction remain essential in the filmmaking process, even with the introduction of automation.
• The use of Atlas is seen as a tool for capturing unique shots in challenging environments rather than a replacement for human camera operators, highlighting the ongoing evolution of technology in commercial production.