Redefining the Reel: AI Empowers Nextgen Filmmakers

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas— In spring 2025, TAMU-CC became the first university in Texas to teach an AI Filmmaking course, and one of only three institutions nationwide to do so. Since its launch, John Darbonne, Associate Professor of Digital Media, and his students have been working to redefine the future of the film industry through artificial intelligence.

Recently, Texas enacted Senate Bill 22, which created a $1.5 billion Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive program that will run through 2035. The initiative is expected to bring 50 to 100 additional productions annually to the state through grants for the filmmakers. As the largest investment in film in the state's history, the bill positions Texas as a top-tier production destination, rivaling Georgia and Louisiana.

With this momentum, the Island University has a once-in-a-generation jump on an opportunity to become a coastal hub for innovation in films. The university is currently exploring a grant-funded proposal to transform the Black Box Theatre, located in the Center for the Arts, into an AI-powered virtual production studio, mirroring the LED-screen technology used to film “The Mandalorian,” the first live-action series in the Star Wars franchise. The space would serve as an anchor for creative and technical collaboration, bringing together film, robotics, computer engineering, and the arts to transform how stories are made.

“Our goal is to make environments adapt as an actor performs,” Darbonne said. “We take a real person from existing footage, remove the original background, and create a new AI-generated setting that matches the camera’s movement. Then we place the actor back in and relight the scene, so it looks like they were filmed there all along.”

While the curriculum evolves in real time due to AI’s rapid advancements, students are immersed in cutting-edge techniques, including character design with tools like Midjourney and Magnific Mystic. They create 3D models, animate characters, and integrate AI-generated assets into film projects. Beyond storytelling, AI has revolutionized post-production. Audio editing, color grading, and visual effects that used to take months to create now only take weeks.

 “AI has increased workflow efficiency by 300-500%,” Darbonne said. “This allows students to focus more on storytelling rather than getting bogged down by technical barriers.”

Amanda Sullivan ’26, a media production major from Corpus Christi, has been harnessing AI since first learning about it from Darbonne. Now, she has brought her original episodic series, “Devil in the Details,” to life using this emerging technology.

“Mr. Darbonne introduced our class to the emerging AI tool called Adobe Firefly,” Sullivan said. “He encouraged us to learn it, knowing it was already changing how professionals approached commercial and film production.”

Through the university’s S-RISE program, which supports students in research and creative activities, Sullivan was able to turn her creative interests into a research project. Over the summer, she participated in the competitive program, attending weekly sessions that included lectures on leadership, presentation skills, and research development. Darbonne acted as her mentor.

“It was definitely a challenge because I came in with a creative script and had to rework it into something that fit within a research framework,” Sullivan said.

The project became both a creative experiment and a study of AI’s interpretive range. The team, including fellow media production major Quentin Labrador ’26, produced a series of short scenes that explored how AI could render a fantasy world featuring complex visual elements, including a character made entirely  of smoke.

“We both ended up with about three minutes of footage, and it was fascinating to see how differently the same guidelines translated on screen,” Sullivan said. “It really showed how human direction and AI tools can work together to create something unique.”

When Sullivan presented her research to university leadership at the S-RISE showcase, it marked a turning point in her confidence as both a storyteller and a scholar.

“AI is not a replacement for creativity; it’s a new lens through which imagination can thrive,” Sullivan said. “Even if you’re a student without a big budget or animation skills, AI gives you tools to create and tell stories you never thought you could.”

As Texas positions itself as a national film production powerhouse, the Island University’s early investment in AI filmmaking ensures Islanders will be at the forefront of this new cinematic frontier.

“The goal is to equip students with the tools they need to thrive in an AI-driven industry,” Darbonne said. “I want our Islanders to be competitive candidates when they graduate — not just following trends, but setting them.”