--- title: "Media & entertainment in 2026: predictions from Chaos CTO Vladimir ‘Vlado’ Koylazov" description: Where is the media and entertainment industry heading in 2026? Vladimir ‘Vlado’ Koylazov shares his predictions. image: https://blog.chaos.com/hubfs/Virtual%20production%20scene%20and%20shoot%20in%20progress%20using%20Chaos%20Arena.jpg --- [Chaos Logo](https://blog.chaos.com/) - Products - [Enscape](https://www.chaos.com/enscape) - [V-Ray](https://www.chaos.com/vray) - [Corona](https://www.chaos.com/corona) - [Veras](https://chaos.com/veras) - [Cloud](https://chaos.com/credits) - [V-Ray Blender](https://www.chaos.com/vray/blender) - [Arena](https://www.chaos.com/arena) - Industry solutions - [Education](https://www.chaos.com/education/educational-hub) - [Student](https://www.chaos.com/students) - [Educator](https://www.chaos.com/educators) - [Institutions](https://www.chaos.com/educational-institutions) - [Architectural design](https://www.chaos.com/architecture) - [Architectural visualization](https://www.chaos.com/architectural-visualization) - [Interior design](https://www.chaos.com/interior-design) - [Landscape rendering](https://www.chaos.com/landscape-architecture) - [Urban planning](https://www.chaos.com/urban-planning) - [Film and television VFX](https://www.chaos.com/film-vfx) - [Virtual production](https://www.chaos.com/virtual-production) - [Advertising](https://www.chaos.com/advertising) - [Automotive](https://www.chaos.com/automotive) - [Games](https://www.chaos.com/games) - [Product design](https://www.chaos.com/product-design) - [Software development](https://www.chaos.com/developers) - Learning & Community - [Learning](https://chaos.com/learning) - [Chaos Academy](https://academy.chaos.com/) - [Blog](https://blog.chaos.com/) - [Case studies](https://blog.chaos.com/tag/case-studies) - [CGconnect](https://chaos.com/cgconnect) - [Gallery](https://chaos.com/gallery) - [Forum](https://forums.chaos.com/) - Support - [Contact Support](https://chaos.com/contact-us) - [Help Center](https://support.chaos.com/hc/en-us) - [FAQ](https://support.chaos.com/hc/en-us/categories/360003671518-FAQ) - [Documentation](https://documentation.chaos.com/) - [Pricing](https://www.chaos.com/pricing) [Try](https://www.chaos.com/free-trial) [Buy](https://www.chaos.com/pricing) - Products - [Enscape](https://www.chaos.com/enscape) - [V-Ray](https://www.chaos.com/vray) - [Corona](https://www.chaos.com/corona) - [Veras](https://chaos.com/veras) - [Cloud](https://chaos.com/credits) - [V-Ray Blender](https://www.chaos.com/vray/blender) - [Arena](https://www.chaos.com/arena) - Industry solutions - [Education](https://www.chaos.com/education/educational-hub) - [Student](https://www.chaos.com/students) - [Educator](https://www.chaos.com/educators) - [Institutions](https://www.chaos.com/educational-institutions) - [Architectural design](https://www.chaos.com/architecture) - [Architectural visualization](https://www.chaos.com/architectural-visualization) - [Interior design](https://www.chaos.com/interior-design) - [Landscape rendering](https://www.chaos.com/landscape-architecture) - [Urban planning](https://www.chaos.com/urban-planning) - [Film and television VFX](https://www.chaos.com/film-vfx) - [Virtual production](https://www.chaos.com/virtual-production) - [Advertising](https://www.chaos.com/advertising) - [Automotive](https://www.chaos.com/automotive) - [Games](https://www.chaos.com/games) - [Product design](https://www.chaos.com/product-design) - [Software development](https://www.chaos.com/developers) - Learning & Community - [Learning](https://chaos.com/learning) - [Chaos Academy](https://academy.chaos.com/) - [Blog](https://blog.chaos.com/) - [Case studies](https://blog.chaos.com/tag/case-studies) - [CGconnect](https://chaos.com/cgconnect) - [Gallery](https://chaos.com/gallery) - [Forum](https://forums.chaos.com/) - Support - [Contact Support](https://chaos.com/contact-us) - [Help Center](https://support.chaos.com/hc/en-us) - [FAQ](https://support.chaos.com/hc/en-us/categories/360003671518-FAQ) - [Documentation](https://documentation.chaos.com/) - [Pricing](https://www.chaos.com/pricing) [Try](https://www.chaos.com/free-trial) [Buy](https://www.chaos.com/pricing) [\< All Blog Posts](https://blog.chaos.com) Gemma Da Silva Published: January 27, 2026  •  2 min read # Media & entertainment in 2026: predictions from Chaos CTO Vladimir ‘Vlado’ Koylazov From where productions are happening to how ideas move from concept to screen, the media and entertainment (M&E) world is shaping up for yet another year of excitement and change. In a recent interview with [TVBEurope](https://www.tvbeurope.com/audio/the-year-ahead-a-look-at-audio-and-virtual-production-in-2026), the creator of [V-Ray](https://chaos.com/vray) and Chaos CTO, Vladimir Koylazov, shared his thoughts on where the M&E industry is heading in 2026.   Vladimir Koylazov (Vlado), CTO, Chaos ## AI will continue to reshape previs & production expectations Artificial intelligence is starting to change how teams approach the earliest stages of visual storytelling. “One thing that we noticed in 2025 was AI-generated concepts creeping into the planning phase. This shakes up the previs stage of productions, moving teams away from working to figure out what something could look like and shifting the conversation to how we get to the desired visual, “ stated Vlado. At the same time, the ready availability of instant imagery has created new expectations around production speed and effort. “When someone is able to generate a compelling image in minutes, they start to think that production can happen that quickly as well,” he says. “Managing these expectations has been an ongoing conversation.” ## Built-in intelligence woven into virtual production tools & rendering engines In 2026, you can expect more intelligence to be built directly into the tools that artists and crews use every day. “We’ll start to see more intelligence embedded directly into virtual production tools and rendering engines, not as separate apps, but woven in,” Vlado predicts. “For [virtual production](https://chaos.com/virtual-production), you’ll probably see a continuation of the optimization of ICVFX workflows in real-time, like what we’ve seen in the introduction of products like [Chaos Arena](https://www.chaos.com/arena). The European facilities investing in this infrastructure now, both physical stages and the data side, will be setting themselves up for success in 2026.” That could mean smoother real-time workflows, tighter integration across stages, and fewer interruptions between creative intent and execution. Test shoot using virtual production technology, Chaos Arena ## Studios will prioritize local infrastructure With cloud costs becoming more transparent and with data sovereignty concerns (especially in Europe with GDPR), local infrastructure is becoming more important. “Studios want models running on their own infrastructure,” Vlado notes. “It’s about IP protection, but also latency for real-time decisions on virtual production stages.” ## Production pipelines may become shorter as stages are eliminated Another thing that Vlado anticipates for 2026 is “step deletion”.  “Instead of asking “how fast can we render this?” the conversation is shifting to “how many pipeline stages can we eliminate?” The ability to go straight from concept to production-ready environments, cutting out the translation layers, is where we’ll see the real differentiation.“ ## Europe will continue to gain momentum in film & TV production Lastly, Vlado highlights a shift in where production momentum is growing. “Something that’s been fascinating for us, especially as an organization headquartered in Europe, is watching productions move back to the UK and Europe,” he says. “There’s world-class talent here, the infrastructure is maturing fast, and the costs make sense.” While the UK has long been a production hub, growth in Central and Eastern Europe is gaining steam, with facilities and investment following creative demand.   Read the full interview on [TVBEurope](https://www.tvbeurope.com/audio/the-year-ahead-a-look-at-audio-and-virtual-production-in-2026). ### Ready to try Chaos products? 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If you have something you'd like to share with the wider Chaos community, email blog-editor@chaos.com. ## Related Articles ### [October 20, 2026 How BINYAN Studios used Chaos Arena to bring Faena Residences Miami to life before it was built Dinnie Muslihat  •  4 min read Read more](https://blog.chaos.com/binyan-studios?hsLang=en) ### [July 22, 2026 The 2026 V-Ray VFX & Animation Showreel is here Yoana Stoeva  •  2 min read Read more](https://blog.chaos.com/v-ray-vfx-animation-showreel-2026?hsLang=en) ### [June 15, 2026 V-Ray for Blender, update 3: Full OS parity, AMD GPUs & smarter workflows Dijana Boshkova  •  3 min read Read more](https://blog.chaos.com/vray-for-blender-update-3?hsLang=en) [Visit the blog for more articles](https://blog.chaos.com) ## Subscribe to Our Blog Get the best tips and articles delivered straight to your inbox! Subscribe to our newsletter. Learn all about the latest news, company updates and recommended content, cherry-picked for you. 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