In this episode of Technically Creative, Orlando sits down with filmmaker and technologist Tom Paton, founder of AImation, to explore how AI is already disrupting the entertainment industry, and why the next generation of filmmakers won’t need studios, crews, or even cameras.
From releasing the first feature-length AI film Where the Robots Grow to building a closed-beta streaming platform for gamified video-on-demand (GVOD), Tom lays out a radically efficient future for storytelling. A future where two people can make a full film in six weeks, powered by generative tools and creative instinct.
He also explains why legacy Hollywood is so unprepared for what’s coming: decentralized creators, genre-bending formats, and a new pipeline where production starts after post. The old model? It’s not just outdated, it’s already being replaced.
Watch the conversation
Orlando and Tom explore
- Why AI filmmaking is like Sundance in the Handycam era
- How Where the Robots Grow was built by 9 people in under 90 days
- The new economics of post-first production and studio-less pipelines
- What GVOD means for content distribution after the death of subscription models
- How AImation is positioning as the “AMC Theatres of AI”
- Why the industry’s obsession with “tools” misses the point ofagentic collaboration
Chapter markers
- [00:00] From VFX artist to AI filmmaker: Tom’s creative evolution
- [05:12] 9 people, 90 days, 1 viral feature: the Robots origin story
- [10:24] Building AImation: infrastructure for decentralized cinema
- [14:55] Post-first production: flipping the pipeline
- [18:03] GVOD explained: gamified, swipe-based streaming
- [23:40] “Where the audience is the market”: beyond niche
- [28:10] AI isn’t a tool, it’s an agent
- [33:45] Tom’s take on where legacy studios are getting it wrong
- [37:52] Advice for creatives ready to jump in: “Just stop asking permission”
- [41:00] Next up for AImation: animated series, AI reality TV, and micro-budget verticals
