We screened three AI-generated short films and a spec ad for a broad set of viewers across the media and entertainment ecosystem.
These audiences included people who understand the many layers that make media work: production, performance, writing, distribution, talent, audience response and the cultural implications of new creative tools. We wanted to understand whether the films worked as films, not only as demonstrations of model capability.
Across these dimensions, the response was strong: 93% of viewers said the short films worked.
That result matters because it points to a change in how people are experiencing AI-generated media. The viewers were not only asking how the films were made. They were responding to what the films were doing.
They were following the stories. They were reacting to the characters. They were evaluating pacing, emotion, tone and payoff. In other words, they were watching the films as media.