AI film school trains next generation of Hollywood moviemakers
AI film school trains next generation of Hollywood moviemakers
Publish Date: 2026-02-17 16:39:00
Source Domain: www.aol.com
By Dawn Chmielewski
LOS ANGELES, Feb 14 (Reuters) – Laid-off and sidelined by last year’s production slowdown, Hollywood visual‑effects veteran Michael Eng discovered a gap in his resume while perusing job listings in Los Angeles — experience in machine learning.
Eng turned to Curious Refuge, an online school teaching filmmaking powered by artificial intelligence, in a bid to reinvent his career amid the industry’s rapid technological shift.
Launched in May 2023, Curious Refuge’s well-regarded AI film academy has become a training ground for Hollywood workers racing to adapt as generative technology reshapes production, fueling new career paths even at a time when some in the industry fear losing their jobs to AI.
“I kind of just embraced it,” Eng said of diving into AI tools after he was sidelined. “I jumped in.”
Many in Hollywood remain wary of artificial intelligence, with critics pointing to last year’s debut of the AI‑generated actress Tilly Norwood — condemned by the SAG‑AFTRA actors union as replacing human performers with “synthetics” — as a prime example of the industry’s unease.
AI SKILLS SCHOOL DRAWS 10,000 STUDENTS
Eng is one of 10,000 students who have attended Curious Refuge’s courses or workshops, looking to update their skills, the school says. Co-founders Caleb and Shelby Ward say 95% of the current students are entertainment or advertising industry professionals looking for new skills as artificial intelligence gains a foothold in Hollywood.
Others, like Petra Molnar, are hobbyists who have been able to harness AI to find new careers.
Molnar said she saw herself as a creative person but was unable to gain entry into art school in her native Budapest. She was working as a dental hygienist in London when the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered her dental office. She used the time to explore her creative side, enrolling in classes — initially studying digital product design and building her own dental app.
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