AI filmmaking is a gimmick if you don’t know the rules of cinema

AI is shaking up creative industries, from Nvidia's DLSS 5 for photoreal gaming to its uses in animation, and filmmaking is no exception. News coverage of AI's uses often frames it as either a threat to jobs (which it is) or a shortcut to flashy visuals (also true). But filmmaker Kavan Cardoza, also known as 'Kavan the Kid', has a different take: AI isn’t a magic bullet; it’s a tool, and its effectiveness depends entirely on the filmmaker using it.

Cardoza runs Phantom X, an AI-native studio producing The Chronicles of Bone, a serialised dark fantasy that reimagines public-domain characters, such as Robin Hood, King Arthur, and Peter Pan, in a post-collapse world dominated by a vampiric empire. The series is developed in collaboration with Freepik, whose tools help Phantom X scale world-building and visual development without dictating story or authorship.

“AI doesn’t replace filmmaking,” Cardoza tells me. “It replaces the physical shoot. Everything else – writing, editing, story, performance – that’s still human-led.”

From scrappy indie to AI pioneer

Cardoza’s path to AI filmmaking started in the traditional trenches. After film school in Florida, he moved to Los Angeles, where he directed music videos for indie and hip-hop artists. Two breakout videos led to record deals and gave him a reputation for doing a lot with very little. “I became known as the guy who could take a $20,000 or $30,000 budget and make it look three or four times bigger,” he says.

Budget constraints forced him to master every part of production. He directed, lit, shot, edited, and even built physical sets and costumes. “I had a house in South Central where I’d literally build set pieces from scratch,” he says. “Those early years taught me lighting, camera placement, production design, and editing from the ground up.”

Those fundamentals now underpin his AI workflow. Cardoza knows exactly how to describe lighting, framing, and movement to generative tools so they produce cinematic results rather than just flashy images. “If you don’t understand the basics, AI visuals look like student films,” he says.

Seeing AI’s potential early

Cardoza first explored AI with early versions of Midjourney, generating rough images that barely resembled their subjects. “I remember generating Deadpool and thinking, ‘I can kind of see Deadpool in this blob,’” he says.

As AI models matured, he started using them for visual development: mood boards, concept art, and eventually experimental short films. Rather than using original stories, he experimented with familiar IPs like Power Rangers and Dragon Ball Z, testing the tools' limits without risking new content.

His viral breakthrough came in 2024 with a 10-minute AI-generated fan film in the universe of The Batman. At a time when most AI video projects were under a minute, Cardoza tested whether longer narrative storytelling could work. Millions watched before the video was taken down due to copyright issues, but the attention opened doors with Netflix, Hulu, and other studios, which were curious about AI filmmaking’s potential.

By early 2025, Cardoza had launched Phantom X full-time and released Echo Hunter, the first AI-assisted film approved by SAG-AFTRA. Actors’ likenesses were digitally replicated with consent, establishing a framework for professional AI-driven production.

Making The Chronicles of Bone

The Chronicles of Bone builds on that foundation. The series imagines legendary characters navigating a world where vampiric rulers can instantly convert humans into loyal followers. Cardoza’s goal isn’t to generate content for the sake of technology; it’s to explore story at scale with a small team.

“Freepik helps us move fast, iterate, and experiment,” he says. “It’s a creative toolkit, not a writer or director. The story, the shots, the emotional beats, that’s all us.”

The prologue season is currently on YouTube, with new episodes premiering on the first Tuesday of each month. Episodes run 10–15 minutes, long enough to explore narrative and characters, short enough for online audiences.

Despite heavy use of generative tools, Cardoza’s workflow is grounded in traditional filmmaking. Scripts come first; AI comes after. He even makes his own physical references, such as the masks characters wear in the films; these are real (he pulls one from a box and shows me), photographed, and reworked using AI. Characters and environments are designed with AI, with visual reference sheets ensuring consistency. Locations are generated to allow virtual camera movement.

Once assets are ready, Cardoza edits in Adobe Premiere Pro, color-grades in DaVinci Resolve, and polishes effects in After Effects and Blender. “AI is basically the set,” he explains. “The pre- and post-production still follow the same rules. You still need storyboards, blocking, continuity, editing rhythm.”

This is where filmmaking knowledge matters most. Without it, AI-generated visuals are impressive but hollow. With it, even a small team can create sequences that feel cinematic and intentional. “AI can generate shots,” Cardoza says. “But it doesn’t understand story, pacing, or emotion. That still comes from human filmmakers.”

Why this matters for creators

For Cardoza AI’s real impact is less about replacing jobs and more about amplifying what creators can do. Small teams can now produce cinematic worlds once reserved for major studios. Writers with scripts stuck on shelves can realise them without massive budgets by generating trailers and proof-of-concept videos for pitches. Actors can license digital versions of themselves for new opportunities.

At the same time, Cardoza is candid about the industry shift. Some traditional roles – set design, wardrobe, VFX – will feel pressure as AI reduces physical production costs. But the creative skill required to craft a compelling story remains irreplaceable. “Anyone can generate visuals,” he says. “Knowing how to turn them into a movie, that’s still the hard part.”

Cardoza sees AI filmmaking following a familiar pattern: initially treated as a novelty or gimmick, it will eventually become part of the standard toolkit. The label 'AI filmmaking' will fade, replaced by the recognition that generative tools are just another way to execute creative vision.

Smaller, agile teams could produce feature-level work. Generative tools and platforms like Freepik will serve as infrastructure, enabling scope, speed, and iteration. But human authorship – writing, directing, editing – remains the differentiator.

For Cardoza, the ultimate test is emotional engagement. If audiences cry over AI-generated characters or connect with a story born from these tools, the debate about whether AI belongs in filmmaking becomes irrelevant. “Once people are invested in the story,” he says, “they stop thinking about how it was made.”

Watch the prologue season of The Chronicles of Bone on YouTube now. Visit Freepik to see how you can use AI like Kling, Magnific, Veo 3.