Let’s Talk about the AI Disruption
Using or even talking about AI freaks a lot of creatives out. It’s time to get real. The genie is out of the bottle. Things are not going back to Peak TV of 2017 or the movie theaters of 1993. Ever since 1904, when fiction films became popular with audiences, entertainment has been evolving with technology.
Movies did not kill live theater, and they survived the arrival of television. Movies made by and starring humans will not go away. But the business will change. There will be fewer traditional films made every year. Their releases will feel more like an event.
Yes, some jobs and even whole professions will disappear. This evolution has always happened in entertainment. I was working at Disney Feature Animation when the studio made the last hand-drawn feature film. Those artists and skill sets are gone. The same thing happened to special effects with the advent of CGI. The model artists that made the Death Star for Star Wars are extinct.
But with disruption comes opportunity. New jobs and new creative and production pipelines will emerge.
Even if you choose to be a traditional filmmaker, you need to know what the AI tools are and what they can do. They are going to continue to improve and become more ubiquitous.
As the creator profiled here, Jeff Rivera, says, “even the people that say they aren’t using AI are.”
The Good News
While things are changing at the speed of light, you, your creativity, and stories are valuable. The entertainment industry will always need creators and storytellers. What is coming is good news. The center of gravity is moving away from Hollywood. Just like what happened to publishing with the introduction of the Kindle in 2009. Suddenly authors could easily publish their books and get them to readers. The gatekeepers of the New York publishers became immaterial. Now indie publishing is flourishing while traditional publishers are struggling.
The same thing is going to happen to the entertainment industry. Without the roadblock of hundred-million-dollar production and marketing budgets, creators, directors, and writers will make their movie and television projects themselves. Both animation and photrealistic stories are possible. Now ideas that were too expensive are within reach. This seismic shift means more stories. More kinds of stories. And more fans. This is exciting news for storytellers and audiences.
Kevin Kelly’s 1000 True Fans Theory is still relevant. As a creator, the focus will be on nicheing down and finding your audience. Want to make your gay vampire TV show? There are people out there who will love it! You just have to find them.
That movie in your head that you’ve been waiting to sell to tell? Now you can make it! No more pounding the pavement. No more waiting for that elusive yes. No more development hell. You can make it all - your movie, pilot, proof of concept, or trailer!
Meet A Creator Who is Making His Feature Film
I interviewed Jeff Rivera, who is making an animated musical fantasy called Kingdoms of the Last Tribes (he describes it as “Disneyesque”). He is the writer, director, designer, and composer! Right now, a single creator can move from script to animated scenes without a full studio.
Jeff graciously shared his workflow and tools with me so I could share them with you. While he is making an animated feature, these steps also will work for creating photorealistic projects. Here is a trailer for one of his live action movies.
AI Habits to get the Best Results
How to Prompt
The key to using generative AI tools is knowing how to prompt. The output is only as good as the input. The more specific and creative you are, the better the result. I know one creator who uses complicated prompts, sometimes as long as 200 words.
While there is a learning curve to prompting, you can use the AI tools to help you. Very meta, right? ChatGPT or Gemini or Claude can help you write prompts. They are all great. Experiment to find your preference.
Example: Create a Midjourney prompt for a photorealistic blonde 1920s flapper age 23 dressed in an evening gown. Use the aspect ratio 16:9.
Hint: When creating images, be sure to include the aspect ratio. Otherwise, you will get a default square image. The movie aspect ratio (rectangle) is 16:9, TikTok and Instagram Reels are 9:16. If you are not sure what aspect ratio to use, ask your AI prompt partner.
Hint: Remember this is a conversation. Start by telling the AI about your story. Include the genre, style, premise, emotional journey, and background of your characters. What are their looks and personalities? Go back and forth, reiterating until you like the result.
Use Paid Versions
You get what you pay for. The paid versions of AI tools are light years better than the free ones. To save money, pay by the month and unsubscribe when you are not using them regularly.
You Are the Director
Start thinking like a director. When you watch movies and TV, notice how the director uses different shots in a scene to tell the story and elicit emotion.
Jeff’s 8-Step AI Filmmaking Workflow
Think of this workflow like a film set made of apps. Each one has a job. You’re the director, writer, and producer, running the whole circus.
Use This Work Flow
You don’t need to make a feature film tomorrow. Start with proof-of-concept steps that help sell your story:
- Make a 20–40 second scene teaser to pitch tone and genre.
- Create a musical number to showcase a song.
- Build an animated pitch-deck.
- Prototype hard-to-explain moments: creatures, worlds, or action.
For a cheat sheet of AI Filmmaking tools, go here.
Go Get ‘Em
If you’ve got a project that was labeled too big and expensive, this workflow will help you make it one shot at a time. I can’t wait to see what you create!
