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AI film school prepares Hollywood professionals for tech-driven future
AI film academy has quickly become a hub for Hollywood workers
Amid Hollywood’s rapid technological shift, many industry professionals are turning to artificial intelligence to reinvent their careers.
Laid-off and sidelined during last year’s production slowdown, visual-effects veteran Michael Eng discovered a gap in his résumé while browsing job listings in Los Angeles: experience in machine learning.
To fill that gap, Eng enrolled at Curious Refuge, an online school teaching filmmaking powered by AI.
Launched in May 2023, the AI film academy has quickly become a hub for Hollywood workers seeking to adapt as generative technology reshapes production.
“I kind of just embraced it,” Eng said. “I jumped in.”
Curious Refuge has trained over 10,000 students through courses and workshops. Co-founders Caleb and Shelby Ward noted that 95% of students are entertainment or advertising professionals seeking to update their skills in response to AI’s growing influence in Hollywood.
However, not all students are industry veterans. Petra Molnar, a former dental hygienist from London, used the pandemic as an opportunity to explore her creative side.
Initially studying digital product design, she discovered AI tools like ChatGPT and MidJourney, which led her to Curious Refuge.
Through the program, Molnar transitioned into a new career in advertising, creating AI-driven promotional videos.
One of her campaigns for AI infrastructure company WhiteFiber was featured on Nasdaq’s seven-story-tall LED video screen in Times Square when the company went public in September.
While AI remains a controversial topic in Hollywood — notably with the AI-generated actress Tilly Norwood, criticised by the SAG-AFTRA actors union as replacing human performers with “synthetics” — schools like Curious Refuge illustrate how AI can also serve as a bridge to new opportunities for creative professionals.