If you’ve never commissioned an AI film before, the process is more familiar than it sounds, closer to briefing a traditional production company than to using a generation tool yourself. Here’s how it actually goes, step by step.
Step 1: Define the story and purpose
Start with what the film needs to do, tell an artist’s story, launch a brand campaign, document an event, and the core narrative or message. This is the same starting point as any commissioned film.
Step 2: Gather references
Bring whatever visual references already exist: brand guidelines, mood boards, prior work you liked, reference photography. The more concrete the references, the faster a studio can lock a consistent visual style.
Step 3: Scope and timeline
A studio should be able to give you a realistic timeline and cost range once it understands scope, length, number of scenes, complexity of characters and environments. See how long AI film production actually takes for realistic ranges.
Step 4: Review cycles
Expect structured review rounds at key milestones, visual development, early shots, rough cut, rather than waiting for a single final delivery. This is where creative direction actually happens on your side.
Step 5: Delivery and formats
Final delivery should include whatever cuts and formats you need, full film, trailer, social cuts, specified up front so they’re part of the original scope rather than an add-on request afterward.
Our Zarafel project followed exactly this process from a blank page to a finished short film. See our AI film production service to start a project.
Related guides
This work at Leopati
Service: AI Film Production
