AI is a tool for resource-strapped creatives: lessons from AI Film Award finalists
Two Filipino filmmakers behind Portrait No. 72 are proving a point many creatives feel but rarely say out loud: AI isn't here to replace you. It's here to help you ship work when time, budget, and access are tight.
Rodson Verr Suarez and Darryll Rapacon used generative AI to help produce a nine-minute short that landed in the top five of Google's international AI Film Award out of 3,500 entries. Co-presented with the 1 Billion Followers Summit, the top prize is $1M.
The film and the process
Portrait No. 72 is photorealistic and centers on a death photographer in Varanasi, India. The story draws from the creators' personal grief after losing loved ones in 2025-so the emotional core stays human, by design.
Production-wise, they generated over 1,500 video clips using the AI platforms prescribed by the awarding body, then kept the storytelling and post-processing fully human. Both filmmakers work full-time, and they saw AI as a workflow boost, not a shortcut.
As Suarez put it, AI makes storytelling more accessible-similar to how people once pushed back on Photoshop because it sped up the process. Rapacon added that films like this aren't "just one prompt," and AI isn't a "heartless video." The real problem isn't the tool-it's the belief that it can replace people. It can't.
They shared these insights at an intimate screening of Portrait No. 72 at Google Philippines in Taguig City on Jan. 23, fresh from being named top 5 finalists in Dubai, UAE.
What this means for working creatives
- Use AI for volume and iteration, not vision. Let it draft shots, styles, and textures. Keep the story, pacing, and edit under your control.
- Start with a human script and lived experience. Let AI help with look-dev and previs; keep meaning and message yours.
- Treat it like a time/budget multiplier. When resources are thin, prototype scenes and mood boards faster so you can focus effort where it counts.
- Be transparent about the workflow. Credit the human roles and the AI assistance so clients and collaborators know what they're seeing.
- Keep learning. New tools appear, old ones improve. Openness beats resistance-just like the shift that happened with photo-editing software.
Where to watch and learn more
You can watch Portrait No. 72 at the 1 Billion Followers Summit website.
If you're exploring AI-assisted filmmaking and creative workflows, check these resources: Generative Video, Design, and the AI Learning Path for UX/UI Designers.
The takeaway is simple: tools lower barriers; they don't define the art. Your taste, judgment, and lived experience do.
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