The TCL FILM MACHINE program was developed by Haohong Wang, General Manager of TCL Research America, Chris Regina, Chief Content Officer, TCL North America, and Daniel Smith, TCL Chief Creative Officer. In making the initial announcement, Wang said, "The 'Film Machine' program was designed to build new pathways for creatives to find success in the industry and help shape the future of storytelling." He added, "We wanted to showcase AI as a catalyst for innovation and creative collaboration, and we are astonished at the creative heights achieved by these filmmakers."
The TCL FILM MACHINE program is a key pillar of TCLArt, an important brand initiative of TCL to make art more accessible and inspiring worldwide. Standing for "The Creative Life", the brand of TCL fosters creativity across its wide-ranging product portfolio, from TVs and smartphones to smart home devices. TCLArt serves as a platform to fulfill this commitment. By blending AI film technology via TCL product offerings, TCLArt aims further to inspire the artists of tomorrow in the film sector.
The five film shorts were helmed by industry creatives selected by TCL for the inaugural program. The five finalists, George Huang (Writer/Director), Paul Johansson (Actor/Writer/Director), Kellita Smith (Actress/Model/Comedian), Chen Tang (Actor), and Kurt Yaeger (Actor/Writer) were chosen based on their passion for learning, desire to implement AI into future Hollywood projects, their unique and creative perspectives, and their professional background. The TCL Studios teams supported each filmmaker using the most advanced AI tools and technology for storyboarding, animating, scoring, and editing. The pipeline program provided customized development, financial and production support to each creative, resulting in a truly unique bespoke slate of films.
The TCL leadership team executive produced each of the films and was supported by award filmmaker Dave Clark, an early pioneer in the use of AI in TV and Film. Clark was an invaluable asset to the TCL teams for his unique perspective and problem-solving skills. Clark will Keynote the TCL screening event.
Film Machine Film development slate:
FILM MACHINE PROJECT: THE AUDITION
Writer/Director George Huang leaned into comedy for his Film Machine film short. THE AUDITION features an actor performing the impossible to fit the director's illogical vision for the role.
Credits:
Writer, Director, EP: George Huang
Cast: Roger Fan, Alexandra Barreto, Garrett Boudreaux
FILM MACHINE PROJECT: THE SLUG
Actor Chen Tang leaned into the Horror genre for his film Machine film short. THE SLUG explores the life of a woman suffering from debilitating disease who goes through a dynamic transformation as result of her home confinement.
Credits:
Writer, EP, Director: Chen Tang
Writer, EP: Rachel Greenhoe
FILM MACHINE PROJECT: PROJECT NEXUS
Actress/Model/Comedian Kellita Smith leaned into Sci-Fi for her animated film short. She drew from experiences in her community to offer the story of four misfit teens - each with a troubled past - discover they've unknowingly been part of an accident in prison that gave them superhuman gifts. Gifts that could ignite a revolution and change things…if they manage to escape with their own lives.
Credits:
Writer, EP, Director: Kellita Smith
Writer: Tony Bracy, Carlos Dixon, Eric Smith, Kellita Smith
Cast: Arianna Smith "CAPRI"; Carlos Dixon "CRUSH"; Christian Barron "TANG";
Matthew Cecil "Sunny "D"; Eric Smith "JUDGE"; Tony Bracy "Officer"; Walter Franks "MENTOR".
Narrator - Walter Franks
FILM MACHINE PROJECT: SUN DAY
Actor/Writer/Director Paul Johansson leaned into Sci-Fi for his film short. The story opens as a young girl wins a lottery that grants her the exclusive access to a rooftop view of the sun atop a giant building thousands of stories high. The event only happens once every 7 years on her planet, and she is locked in a room on the day of the event. Using the knowledge shared by her father, a maintenance worker, she must navigate the inner workings of the building to escape the room and race against the clock to the rooftop to see the sun.
Credits:
Writer, Director, EP: Paul Johansson
Cast: Rockie Frigerio, Paul Johansson
FILM MACHINE PROJECT: THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE (WT)
Producer/Writer/Actor Kurt Yaeger crafted a docufiction mountaineering story that delves into a tragic, harrowing event—one that many would assume marks the end of a life, yet often proves to be a profound and uplifting beginning instead.
Credits:
Writer, Director, EP: Kurt Yaeger
Cast: Neil Hoover
Chris Regina added, "The TCL Film Machine program exemplifies TCLArt's vision of blending cutting-edge technology with artistic expression to foster creativity on a global scale. This is a pivotal moment of realignment in the industry, and TCL is leading the way in demystifying the use of AI tools through our production initiatives. We were honored to welcome all the talented and intrepid visionaries to our TCL Studios. This group of creatives represents the very best of the entertainment industry and their experience and expertise will further strengthen our mission to enhance and advance content creation. We can't wait for you to see this extraordinary slate of films."
Daniel Smith said, "These last few months have seen an explosion of profound creativity with many challenges and obstacles, but imagination and determination helped drive us forward. We are so excited to show off these brilliant projects in this celebrated venue."
Film Machine Bios:
About George Huang
George Huang began his Hollywood career working as an assistant for Paramount Pictures, Universal, Warner Brothers, Disney, and Columbia. He turned a decade of experience fetching coffee into his writing/directing debut, SWIMMING WITH SHARKS starring Kevin Spacey, Frank Whaley, Michelle Forbes, and Benicio del Toro. The 1995 low-budget independent film garnered awards from the Deauville Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, Independent Spirit Awards, and the New York Film Critics Circle. His next film is WEEKEND IN TAIPEI starring Luke Evans , Gwei Lun Mei and Sung Kang for EuropaCorp Pictures coming out November 8 , 2024. George directed it and co-wrote it with Luc Besson . George is a professor at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. George has worked on dozens of films and tv projects that include S.W.A.T., SPYKIDS, MACHETE, and LAW & ORDER: SVU. His wide range of experiences include Rock the Vote ads, Elijah Wood's audition reel for LORD OF THE RINGS, and a Nike short film starring Kobe Bryant . He's worked with acclaimed directors Robert Rodriguez , Luc Besson , and John Woo , as well as many first-time filmmakers and students.
