TCL unveiled five content creators who will participate in its Film Machine AI TV/Film accelerator program.
The short films they will create using artificial intelligence will premiere at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles and can then be viewed on the TCLtv Plus streaming service.
The winning filmmakers will work with TCL Studio to complete their projects and hone their skills.
“The Film Machine program was designed to build new pathways for creatives to find success in the industry and help shape the future of storytelling. We want to showcase AI as a catalyst for innovation and creative collaboration and we can’t wait to get started developing projects with this extraordinary group of creatives,” said Haohong Wang, general manager of TCL Research America.
The five finalists are George Huang (writer/director), Paul Johansson (actor/writer/director), Kellita Smith (actress/model/comedian), Chen Tang (actor), and Kurt Yaeger (actor/writer/producer).
“This is a pivotal moment of realignment in the industry and TCL is leading the way of demystifying the use of AI tools through our production initiatives,“ TCL North America chief content officer Chris Regina said. “We are honored to welcome each of these talented and intrepid visionaries to our Film Machine program and the TCL Studios. This imaginative group of creatives represents the very best of the entertainment industry and their experience and expertise will further strengthen our mission to enhance and advance content creation.”
TCL is using AI to develop original content designed to differentiate it from other streamers and TV set makers. TCLtv Plus has launched several AI titles including a sci-fi film short, Message in a Bot, which debuted on the platform in July, with several other AI projects in the development pipeline.
Prior announcements in AI include the love story Next Stop Paris, which will debut later this year.
In addition to being available on TCL sets, TCLtv Plus is distributed through Roku, Amazon and Google TV.
