Five filmmakers experimented with AI tooks to take part in a series of short films commissioned by Adobe to show off the capabilities of its Firefly AI platform.
The shorts screened on Oct. 28 at the three-day Adobe Max user convention held at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
The tools enabled by Firefly helped streamline productions that would have otherwise taken months down to weeks or days. But other aspects of the creative process were no different than any film project. It all starts with a strong script, although the mind-blowing material that can be crafted from a range of AI models (even non-Adobe services) can certainly influence the storytelling, the filmmakers said during a panel conversation that followed the screening of six shorts commissioned by Adobe.
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The session, titled “Showtime! Generative A.I. Shorts Screening & Filmmaker Discussion,” moderated by Variety‘s Cynthia Littleton in partnership with Adobe.
The creatives present on stage were Grail director Ryan Patterson, Native Foreign chief creative officer Nik Kleverov, Promise Studios co-founder and chief creative officer Dave Clark, Promise Studios director and head of genre MetaPuppet and A.I. filmmaker and comedian King Willonius. Respectively, their films were titled “Dreamer,” “Beta Earth,” “My Friend Zeph,” “Kyra” and “Into the BBL Drizzyverse.” Each was commissioned by Adobe to showcase Adobe Firefly‘s latest A.I. capabilities.
In sum, the filmmakers agreed that they had fun using the tools on a tight deadline to produce 2-5 minute stories and that there is great potential for innovation in content creation with AI. But the human touch of steering the vision and maintaining quality control is paramount for the quality of the final product.
All of the filmmakers expressed positive experiences working with Firefly to bring their visions to life. “We used Adobe Firefly for the imagery,” said Clark, “We were taking AI generated imagery and compositing that with live action on a blue screen and it just really allowed us to iterate. Shoutout to Firefly Boards because if you’re going to use visual effects and compositing, you really have to map out and plan out your shots and make sure they’re in sequential order or else the whole show could fall apart.”
Many of the creatives shared Clark’s enthusiasm for the Firefly Boards feature, where images can be uploaded, edited, or generated with AI to help create shots and storyboards. “The boards that we use made it very enjoyable to work with my editor,” reflected Willonius, “I like creative challenges, so anytime I do a project, I want to try to push myself. I felt, this whole experience, I did that and we were able to make something super dope.”
The core value of Boards is its variety, as it provides filmmakers an extensive pallet of tools to pick from and play with. “A lot of people ask what is the best tool for AI filmmaking,” said Patterson, “What’s great about Firefly Boards is having options. There’s no answer to that question because every tool has its superpower.”
Kleverov credited Firefly, but was quick to also applaud writer Ryan Walls, a “Modern Family” alum who came up with the story that they were able to generate using the tools. “It wouldn’t have been possible to do for a small studio like ours before AI and before using Firefly,” he admitted, “Brand storytelling is great and I love my brand partnerships, but I want to tell more original stories.”
The panel concurred with Kleverov’s persistent appreciation for his story’s human origins, but also his acknowledgment that AI made bringing that story to life achievable. Many talked about the tools as means for greater efficiency and collaboration, but they also stressed the beauty of discovery. “Even after you storyboard, it can sometimes generate something that you can’t unsee and it can take you in a completely different direction,” said MetaPuppet, “And I think you have to be open to shifting. Storyboards can change, and that happens on every short film that I make with AI.”
The process has led to a fusion between pre-production, production and post-production, what MetaPuppet calls “one big loop. Right at the beginning of the project, you’re already in post, and then towards the end of the project, you’re back in pre.” While this may disrupt conventional workflows, it also allows for a more equitable participation in the different phases of a project.
Finally, panelists concluded by talking about the importance of guardrails that protect creators and their intellectual property. Kleverov used Native Foreign’s AI short film “Critters” as an example, which is now being adapted into a feature. He said, “We were keeping track of the human authorship that went into it at every stage, the hundreds of decisions that were made, and that is what helped us actually get copyright on that AI native IP”
Clark concurred, “When you’re starting to think about distributing your films and creating IP, or if you’re partnering with studios and you’re partnering on IP, all that stuff needs to be heavily guarded. It’s very important to do that.”