Why the Greatest Filmmakers Have Always Been Technologists

Throughout the history of cinema, some of the greatest filmmakers have always been more than just storytellers. They’ve been innovators, technologists, and pioneers—people who redefined what was possible in film by embracing and pushing the boundaries of emerging technologies. From Ridley Scott’s iconic worlds to George Lucas’s groundbreaking visual effects, James Cameron’s relentless pursuit of cinematic immersion, and John Lasseter’s revolutionary animation at Pixar, these visionaries didn’t just use the tools available—they invented new ones.

As I stand at the intersection of art and technology, I can’t help but see a direct connection between their groundbreaking contributions and the opportunities we have today with generative AI. We’re on the cusp of a filmmaking revolution, and just as those pioneers led the way, the next generation of filmmakers will be hybrid creators—part artist, part technologist—who harness the power of AI to tell stories in ways we’ve never imagined.

A Legacy of Technological Brilliance

Think about George Lucas for a moment. When he couldn’t find the technology to create the visual effects he envisioned for Star Wars, he didn’t settle. He built Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), a company that would go on to revolutionize special effects and redefine blockbuster cinema. James Cameron did the same with The Abyss and Avatar, pushing CGI and 3D technology years ahead of its time. Ridley Scott gave us Blade Runner, a masterclass in visual storytelling that combined practical effects with nascent digital techniques, creating a futuristic world that still feels unmatched today. At 87, Ridley Scott released his latest epic, Gladiator II, which he shot in just 51 days! The film features cutting-edge visual effects but also was filmed with orchestrated multiple cameras, which allowed him to move and create freely.

These filmmakers weren’t just artists but architects of the tools and systems that allowed their art to reach new heights. They saw technology not as a threat but as a way to unlock deeper creativity, richer storytelling, and immersive worlds.

Generative AI: The New Frontier

Today, generative AI is our Industrial Light & Magic. It’s our CGI, our motion capture, our digital animation studio. For filmmakers, it’s not about replacing creativity—it’s about enhancing it. Generative AI allows us to visualize entire worlds before a camera rolls, to iterate on character designs with infinite variations, and to bring ideas to life with a speed and scope that would have been unthinkable even five years ago.

This isn’t just a technical upgrade; it’s a creative one. Imagine a screenwriter using AI to generate vivid concept art that helps studios see their vision. Picture a director pre-visualizing an entire sequence with AI-generated storyboards that evolve in real time. Envision animators who collaborate with AI to refine movement and emotion in characters, blending human intuition with machine precision.

The filmmakers who embrace this technology today—who see it as a collaborator rather than a competitor—will join the Ridley Scotts, George Lucases, and James Camerons in the evolution of cinema. They’ll be the ones creating films that define this era, pushing the boundaries of what we thought possible.

Experimenting with Generative AI: "Another" and "Battalion"

As a filmmaker, I’ve always believed in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. That drive led me to explore the uncharted territory of integrating generative AI with live-action filmmaking—an experiment that began with my genre short film, "Another."

"Another" was a bold step into this new frontier. The film combined AI tools with traditional live-action techniques to create an eerie and emotionally charged story about identity and reality. Using generative AI, we crafted complex visual effects and atmospheric enhancements that would have been cost-prohibitive or logistically impossible using conventional methods. It was a proof of concept, a way to explore how AI could amplify the storytelling process rather than overshadow it. The result was a genre-bending short that not only resonated with audiences but also proved that AI could bring an entirely new layer of creativity to live-action filmmaking.

Building on that foundation, I recently completed my most ambitious project yet: "Battalion." This groundbreaking film took the hybrid AI approach to a whole new level. Combining AI-generated pre-visualizations, real-time VFX, motion capture, and dynamic world-building, Battalion is a testament to how generative AI can expand the creative possibilities of independent filmmaking. I could construct intricate battle sequences and detailed environments using Gen AI, which allowed me to focus on crafting a powerful, human-driven narrative.

Both Another and Battalion are personal milestones that highlight my commitment to exploring what AI can do when paired with great storytelling. They also reflect where I see the future of filmmaking heading—a hybrid process where technology enhances, rather than replaces, human creativity. These projects laid the groundwork for what we’re building at Promise, showcasing how AI can empower filmmakers to dream bigger, create faster at high quality, and tell more compelling stories.

Why We Created Promise

This is the vision behind Promise, the AI-driven film and TV studio I co-founded with industry pioneers George Strompolos and Jamie Byrne. We created Promise because we believe in the transformative power of generative AI—not as a replacement for creativity, but as a tool to amplify it.

At Promise, we’re building a slate of films and series that combine the best of human imagination and AI technology. We’re equipping artists and filmmakers with tools that allow them to dream bigger, create faster, and tell more ambitious stories. And we’re doing it in a way that honors the spirit of the pioneers who came before us.

Promise isn’t just a studio—it’s a movement. A commitment to the next generation of storytellers who will be both artists and technologists, crafting films that blend the magic of cinema with the power of innovation.

The Future is Hybrid

The history of filmmaking has always been about adaptation and evolution. Those who thrived were the ones who embraced change and used it to their advantage. Today, generative AI is that change. It’s the tool that will lead to the pioneers of the future.

As we step into this new era, let’s remember that creativity and technology aren’t opposing forces—they’re partners. And just as the great filmmakers who blazed the path and changed cinema forever, the hybrid creators of today will redefine what storytelling can be.

This is the promise of the future. This is Promise.