Where the Robots Grow: The First AI Feature Built Without a Studio
Description
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 It’s not just outdated — it’s already being replaced.
Orlando and Tom uncover:
- 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 of agentic collaboration
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