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I Toured the Set of an AI-Hybrid Film. There Are Actors — But No Set (EXCLUSIVE)
“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.
In short
- “Terrarium” uses AI to create its settings and props around live actors.
- Its makers say the approach could deliver a big-budget look on a microbudget.
- The film was nearing completion and still seeking a distributor.
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The case for
Proponents of this approach argue it represents necessary technological evolution that democratises filmmaking. Lower production costs enable more diverse stories that major studios might otherwise reject, whilst crew roles will evolve rather than disappear—filmmakers gain artistic freedom to focus on story and performance when liberated from set construction budgets. They contend that digital tools have transformed cinema before without destroying it, and that this expands rather than replaces human creativity.
The case against
Critics highlight the real human cost: set designers, builders, and props artisans face genuine employment loss in an already precarious industry. They argue for irreplaceable value in the collaborative artistry of physical sets and warn that AI risks producing aesthetically homogenous films based on training data patterns. The democratisation claim rings hollow when only those with access to expensive platforms benefit, and such change concentrates creative control with tech companies whilst workers cannot simply retrain into directing or acting roles.
Explained simply
"Terrarium" is a found-footage film about four teenagers surviving underground after some kind of catastrophic event. Rather than building traditional film sets and props, the filmmakers are shooting actors on an empty soundstage and using artificial intelligence to create the locations, objects and backgrounds in post-production.
Director Jason Zada's production company Secret Label is collaborating with AI platform Artlist, which is financing the project. Horror producer Steven Schneider is executive producing, and the cast includes actor Jake Busey. The filmmakers describe it as a microbudget production designed to look like a film with a much larger budget.
The project serves as a test case for how AI might reshape film production in Hollywood. If successful, it could lower costs by eliminating the need for physical sets and many crew members. However, the approach has raised concerns among industry workers about the future impact on jobs in production design, construction and related areas.
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