Why AI means anyone can be a filmmaker not just Hollywood insiders

The film industry is no stranger to transformation. From practical effects to digital wizardry, every generation of filmmakers has had their revolution. But according to director and creative technologist Jason Zada, we’re not just witnessing an evolution, we’re standing on the cusp of an AI-powered content renaissance.

Jason isn't new to filmmaking – he directed the 2016 film The Forest starring Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer – but it's with his viral marketing and music videos, such as the Elf Yourself campaign and the interactive horror Take This Lollipop where he found his voice.

Now as founder of Secret Level, the next-generation entertainment was responsible for Coca Cola's AI Christmas commercial, Jason is obsessed with the potential of generative AI for world building and telling new kinds of stories. It's a similar message I heard from Freepik's CEO Joaquin Cuenca, who argues AI still needs an artist's eye to have impact.

Speaking with the creative director at Upscale Conf by Freepik, who just revealed Wu-Tang Clan's new AI-made music video, the theme of our conversation is clear: AI is not replacing creativity; it's redefining the way we wield it.

AI can visualise the final frame

“For us, pre-production is the new post-production,” Jason says, describing how AI tools now enable creators to visualise finished scenes with stunning fidelity before a single frame is shot.

“You can really see how it looks down to the pixel… Having worked traditionally, you never really get to see what it looks like until you're on set, and even then, it’s post where it all comes together.”

In the past, storyboarding, scouting, and previs work were long, laborious processes. But Jason's studio is now leveraging gen AI art models, Google's video AI Veo 3 (Veo 2 was used for current projects), and GPT-based assistants to create high-resolution animatics that allow for real-time iteration.

“There's a fluidity that happens in AI production. It's like, 'yeah, I don't like this shot anymore, let's find a different shot,'” he explains. “Historically, that would mean reshoots, and be very expensive, if not impossible.”

Jason's insights cut through the noise in a debate often fuelled by anxiety over copyright theft and job security. AI won’t make creative professionals obsolete argues Jason, but it will shift the dynamics.

“We employ about eight to 20 artists per project. Compare that to a traditional 150-person crew. And yet, the scale and fidelity of what we’re producing is on par with much bigger productions,” he says.

The comparison to the model-making days of early visual effects is apt: “Back in the day there were people that made and painted models. Then it went to computers, yes, it replaced some jobs, but it also created the modern VFX industry. I think we're going to see the same thing with AI.”

Speed and agility is AI's gift for filmmakers

AI’s greatest gift to filmmakers, Jason believes, is speed. “We’re working on an animated feature film that traditionally would take three years. We could do it in nine months to a year.”

For Jason, this isn't about slashing budgets or cutting corners, it’s about creative freedom. “[Despite what you're led to believe] AI is not free, it’s not cheap, but it is more efficient,” he says. “With that efficiency comes a revolution in content creation. We’re going to see more people making more content because the price barriers are lower.”

The result? A storytelling boom. “We consume entire seasons in two days. Streamers need more content. And this technology means we’ll never run out.”

Jason's vision extends far beyond the frame. He talks about “story worlds” rather than films – cross-platform ecosystems where music, toys, podcasts, and episodic content coexist.

“I published an album on Saturday. It was on Spotify by Monday. That’s insane. And now, that world can feed into a film, into an animated series, into anything,” he says. “The lines are blurred. We’re not media-specific anymore.”

At the core of this new tech is prompting. Jason treats it like directing. “When I'm on set, I’m prompting my crew. I want it moody. I want it to look like this or that. With AI, it’s the same – it’s just words now. The more you can get what's in your brain out, the better.”

His team uses GPT to brainstorm character names, generate plot outlines, or even sketch early treatments. “It never writes the final script,” he clarifies, “but it gets you thinking fast.”

On the visual side, they’ve trained models on specific artist's work, with permission, he stresses, to retain originality (he hires digital artists to work on projects alongside AI). “That way we get original art,” he says. “We’re using AI ethically, with artist input, to create something entirely new.”

One common critique of AI is that it just remixes old and existing images, styles and ideas. Jason doesn’t disagree, but he challenges the idea that remixing is inherently bad.

“We’ve been copying each other since the dawn of time,” he says. “Tarantino is a remix artist. Artists steal from artists. Your brain is a computer full of things you’ve seen. AI’s the same – it’s just faster.”

Still, he bristles at lazy prompting. “If you prompt ‘Star Wars’ and put it out, you’ve basically ripped off decades of IP. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”

Instead, he calls for creative prompting. “When Midjourney first came out, you could type in ‘shrimp tree’ and get something you’ve never seen before. That’s what I want to see more of.”

Will the next Spielberg come from AI?

Could the next Spielberg emerge from this world of pixels and prompts? Jason isn’t sure, but he’s hopeful. “People used to ask that when digital video came along. We all have 4K cameras in our pockets now. But AI might be different.”

What’s clear is that the next wave of auteurs may not come from film school, they might come from anywhere. “I always ask people what they did before. ‘Oh, I was a stockbroker.’ ‘I was in finance.’ Now they’re making incredible stuff. That’s kind of amazing.”

Jason is the first to admit we’re in uncharted territory. “We’re still experimenting. Last year was our first full year in AI production, and by December, it felt like we’d gone from one solar system to another.”

What’s next? “I think we’ll hit a people problem,” he says. “There’s just not enough talent trained in this yet. It’s like ILM at the beginning. Over time, more shops popped up, more people trained. But right now, there’s a shortage of top-tier AI creators.”

Until then, he’ll keep exploring. “I've always run toward new technology,” Jason says with a grin. “We’re just going to keep integrating, figuring it out, and experimenting, because it’s not about replacing creativity, it’s about expanding what’s possible.”

Visit the Secret Level website for more info. Read our Freepik AI image and video generator review for the latest tools.