Filmmaker Josh Kerrigan has created a successful sci-fi web series called Neural Viz using a variety of generative artificial intelligence tools. Christopher Beam reports for Wired that the project is considered one of the first examples of high-quality AI filmmaking. The series stands out in a field often associated with low-effort content.
Kerrigan’s project, known as the Monoverse, is a cinematic universe centered on a future Earth inhabited by alien creatures called glurons. These aliens speculate about their human predecessors in various mockumentary-style shows. The series has gained a large following on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, with some videos reaching millions of views.
Kerrigan combines traditional filmmaking techniques with modern AI technology. He writes detailed scripts, creates storyboards, and performs all the characters himself. He uses tools like Midjourney to generate initial images, ElevenLabs to create voices, and Runway to animate scenes and capture his facial expressions for the alien characters. This motion capture process allows him to control the performances with a high degree of nuance.
According to the report, Kerrigan intentionally works with the limitations of the AI. He chose a talking-head format because early AI tools handled it well and used aliens to avoid the unsettling look of simulated humans. He even incorporates software glitches into the narrative. For instance, a character’s unusual speech pattern originated from a software error that Kerrigan decided to keep as a personality trait. This creative approach turns technological flaws into unique story elements.
Before starting Neural Viz in 2024, Kerrigan worked for over a decade in Hollywood but struggled to establish a career. He saw generative AI as a way to create and own his projects independently of the studio system. The success of his web series has attracted the attention of major Hollywood studios and has allowed him to quit his day job to focus on his creative work full-time.
Kerrigan’s work demonstrates how a skilled creator can use AI not just to generate images, but to execute a specific artistic vision. By applying his expertise in storytelling, cinematography, and acting, he produces original work that contrasts sharply with the flood of generic, automatically generated AI videos.
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