Make a real film in 2 days. Story first, AI as your crew.
A weekend with documentary director Zhan Petrov. You're interviewed on camera Day 1, AI generates the shots you couldn't afford to shoot, and your finished 2–4 minute film plays on the big screen Sunday evening. No film background, no code, no subscriptions.
Everyone can generate video now. Almost nobody can make a film.
Viewers say they can spot AI-generated video, and when they do it lowers their trust in the brand behind it. YouTube's 2026 rules demonetize mass-produced AI content. The fix isn't better prompts. It's the thing a documentary director does before touching a camera: find the real story.
You're the source material
Zhan interviews you on camera. That footage anchors the film, so it can't look like slop.
Generate what you couldn't shoot
Google Flow / Veo for visuals, ElevenLabs for voice and sound. Vendor-agnostic, so the pipeline outlives the tools.
A finished film, in front of people
Every film plays on the big screen Sunday at 5 PM. Audience invited. That deadline is the point.
Two days, one film
Both days run 11 AM to 6 PM at the AISA space in the Mission.
Day 1 — The Story
- Welcome and the anti-slop method
- Documentary intake: your on-camera interview
- AI analysis of the interview into your Filmmaker DNA Report
- Story development: character, logline, synopsis, 12-shot plan
- Production pipeline I: first AI shots generated before you leave
Day 2 — The Film
- Production pipeline II: consistency, hybrid real + AI footage, sound, music
- Production sprint: 4 protected hours with 1-on-1 guidance
- Marketing package: poster, trailer, thumbnail, credits
- 5 PM public screening: every film on the big screen, audience invited
Real assets, not notes
A finished 2–4 minute film
Screened publicly on Day 2, with an optional YouTube showcase credit.
Poster, trailer, logline, synopsis
A 30-second trailer and the marketing package to launch it.
Filmmaker DNA Report
An AI-built creative profile from your own interview.
A repeatable production pipeline
Vendor-agnostic by design, so you can run it again next week.
Hybrid production technique
Real footage plus AI-generated shots, cut together so it holds.
Platform compliance literacy
What YouTube's 2026 AI-content rules actually require.
Pricing frameworks
From published AI-video agency rate cards, if you want to sell this.
Certificate + 30 days support
Async help after the weekend, plus community access.
You own the film
Use it in your work. Paid-tier tool accounts carry commercial rights.
People who need video and are done paying for it
Come if you are
- A marketer or founder who needs video every week and is done paying $5K+ per produced minute
- A freelancer or agency builder adding AI video as a service
- A creative professional or career-changer adding the capability job listings now name outright
- A creator who wants a film that stands out and stays on the right side of monetization rules
Not for
- Passive-income seekers
- AI-theory tourists
- Anyone who wants to watch instead of make
- Remote attendance. You'll be on camera, in the room. You'll ship a film.
What you'll use
Access to the AI tools is included for the workshop. Bring a laptop (16 GB RAM recommended, 8 GB minimum, 30 GB free), headphones and chargers.
A documentarian and a builder
Zhan Petrov
Documentary filmmaker and director of The Way Things Seem to Be. Zhan runs the on-camera interviews and the story work: character, logline, the 12-shot plan. The human half of the film is his.
Lex Mustafin
Founder of AI START academy, serial entrepreneur, mentor at 500 Global and Draper University. Lex runs the production pipeline: generation, consistency, sound, and the marketing package.
One standing price, all-in
Tool access, both days, the screening, 30 days of async support. Two full scholarships per cohort: email hello@aistartacademy.com.
Everything above. Register on Luma.
- Both days, in person
- AI tool access included
- Public screening + optional YouTube showcase
- Certificate, 30 days support, community
For people shipping this as a service or a serious project.
- Everything in the workshop seat
- Two one-on-one sessions
- Featured showcase slot
Common questions
Do I need film or editing experience?
No. You get templates and one-on-one help in DaVinci Resolve, which is free. No film background, no code, no subscriptions required.
Will my film look like "AI slop"?
Your real interview footage anchors the film. AI generates what you couldn't afford to shoot. That hybrid is the whole method, and it's why the workshop starts with a documentary interview rather than a prompt.
Do I need software subscriptions?
No. All AI tool access is included during the workshop.
Will I really finish in 2 days?
Yes. Scope is governed on purpose: 2–4 minutes, 12 shots maximum, 4 protected production hours with 1-on-1 help. Attend both days, complete the pre-work, and if your film is still unfinished you get a full refund.
Can I attend on Zoom?
No. The on-camera documentary interview is the film's source material. This is the one AISA program that can't be remote.
Who owns my film?
You do. You can use it in your work; the paid-tier AI tool accounts used in the workshop carry commercial-use rights.
What's the pre-work?
About 45 minutes: a story worksheet, a free software install, and your release form.
What should I bring?
A laptop with 16 GB RAM recommended (8 GB minimum) and 30 GB free disk, headphones, and chargers.
Are there scholarships?
Two full scholarships per cohort. Email hello@aistartacademy.com with a few lines about what you'd make.
Your film screens Sunday at 5 PM
Seats are limited by the room and by the 1-on-1 production time. Reserve on Luma, do the 45-minute pre-work, show up Saturday.