Moonvalley has opened its AI video generation model Marey to the public, positioning itself as the first fully licensed AI video tool designed specifically for professional filmmakers. The Los Angeles startup promises legal safety through exclusively licensed training data, hybrid controls that go beyond simple text prompts, and direct collaboration with Hollywood professionals.

The company's approach directly addresses the mounting legal concerns plaguing the AI video space, where major studios like Disney and Universal have filed lawsuits against AI companies for unauthorized use of copyrighted content.

Co-founded by former DeepMind researchers, Moonvalley has taken a different path than most AI video companies. Instead of racing to market with scraped internet data, the team spent months working directly with filmmakers to understand their actual needs.

The company's ownership of Asteria Film Co., helmed by filmmaker Natasha Lyonne and producer Bryn Mooser, provided crucial industry insight during development. This partnership helped shape Marey's features around real production workflows rather than tech demos.

According to CEO Naeem Talukdar, the goal is "partnership with creators, not exploitation of their work" - a direct contrast to competitors facing copyright litigation.

Unlike standard text-to-video models that rely primarily on written prompts, Marey uses what Moonvalley calls a "hybrid" approach. Directors can manipulate specific parameters for style, camera movement, blocking, and other cinematic elements.

The model's 3D awareness allows for dynamic camera motion that filmmakers can control with their mouse. Users can shift camera trajectories, create pan and zoom effects, and achieve near-360-degree camera motion - all while maintaining spatial coherence.

Key technical capabilities include:

Moonvalley's pricing structure offers multiple entry points for different production scales:

Users can generate video clips up to five seconds long, consistent with current industry standards for publicly available AI video tools. The base model is also available through third-party platforms including Fal.AI and Adobe, indicating strategic integration with existing creative workflows.

For filmmaker Ángel Manuel Soto, who previously worked with Moonvalley's Asteria studio, the tool has cut production costs by 20% to 40%. "Back home, we needed to ask for permission to tell our stories," Soto explains. "AI gives you the ability to do it on your own terms without having to say no to your dreams because someone refused to finance it."

The timing of Marey's public release coincides with ongoing litigation against AI companies for unauthorized data usage. While competitors like Midjourney face major legal challenges from studios, Moonvalley's all-licensed approach aims to provide commercial safety for professional users.

The company describes Marey as the "first truly copyright-free AI video generator," trained entirely on openly licensed or explicitly cleared content. This approach directly addresses the primary concern preventing many studios and production companies from adopting AI video tools.

Moonvalley is also preparing beta access to Voyager, a proprietary platform that unlocks Marey's full capabilities for high-end studio workflows. This platform will offer advanced integrations with post-production pipelines and granular control for visual effects processes.

Moonvalley's approach represents a fundamental change in how AI video companies engage with the entertainment industry. By prioritizing legal safety, creative control, and direct filmmaker collaboration, the company is positioning itself as the bridge between traditional filmmaking values and AI capabilities.