“Terrarium”, a found-footage film about four teenagers sheltering underground after a catastrophe, is being made on a soundstage with actors but no physical sets or props. Director Jason Zada’s team plans to use AI to create nearly all the locations and objects, and to composite separately filmed actors into group scenes. The project is a test of whether AI can lower production costs while retaining a conventional film-making process, amid concerns about its effect on jobs in Hollywood.

The film is a collaboration between Zada’s Secret Label and AI platform Artlist, which is financing it; it is executive produced by horror producer Steven Schneider and has a cast including Jake Busey and Ace Greene. Zada describes it as a microbudget production intended to look like a much more expensive film, though its budget has not been disclosed. Production was nearing completion at the time of the visit, and the film had not yet secured a distributor.