Hello there, and welcome to the Common Thread Newsletter by FBRC.AI.

This newsletter will keep you updated on the latest advances in AI-driven creativity. We are a team of industry veterans, entrepreneurs, creatives, and technologists building Hollywood X!

Table of Contents

• Get Involved!

  • AI Creator Report

  • Startup Showcase at AI on the Lot on May 28th

  • ETC R&D Project

• Looking Back

  • NAB PromptBattle @ BattleBots®

• Looking Forward

  • AI on the Lot 2025

Get Involved!

AI Creator Report

We’re producing a quarterly report that highlights how AI is reshaping media and entertainment. By sharing your process, you’ll have the chance to showcase your work to a global audience of industry leaders, decision-makers, and creative innovators. (Our last report was covered by Indiewire, Forbes, and Deadline!)

While our first report focused on AI Studios, FBRC.ai is working on our second report, centered around the ways that the role of AI creators is evolving. We're inviting you to share where you're positioned within the AI space to benchmark the evolving talent needs in the space.

Spend just a few minutes on our survey, and we’ll put your work front and center—getting it in front of the major studios and agencies that are redefining media and entertainment. Ready to get discovered—or just show off your epic contributions to this content revolution? We’ll also share your work on RealCreative.ai.

Two randomly selected artists will receive a complimentary VIP ticket to AI on the Lot.

Startup Showcase at AI on the Lot on May 28th

We are hosting a Startup Showcase during AI on the Lot at the Culver Theater on Wednesday, May 28th 5-8pm.

We are looking for emerging technology companies solving problems in the media and entertainment industry.

If you are interested in giving a 3-minute pitch/presentation to a crowd of potential clients, partners, investors, and collaborators, please fill out this form! We will contact you if it's a good fit.

ETC R&D Project

FBRC.ai has partnered with ETC (the Entertainment Technology Center) at USC to work on two projects:

Project 8 - Pathways - A Hybrid AI Adventure - "After the death of his grandfather, a young boy embarks on a time-bending adventure through Columbian history, meeting his ancestors and developing a connection with his heritage."

Project 9 - The Bends- An Artist-Driven, Hybrid AI Fable. "A humble yet determined deep-sea fish embarks on a treacherous journey to the surface, seeking beauty in the world, even if it means being forever altered by it."

Are you a ComfyUI or Nuke wizard? ETC wants you to join our volunteer R&D squad to pioneer cutting‑edge generative media workflows! Dive into hands‑on research, collaborate with industry innovators, and help define the best practices that will shape the future of content creation.

Looking Back

This year at NAB was jam‑packed with lively discussions, startup showcases, and an epic PromptBattle and AI Filmmaking Party at the BattleBots® arena.

For the first time, NAB Show’s PropelME introduced a dedicated startup stage, and FBRC.ai guided attendees through emerging production trends with a series of deep‑dive sessions. We kicked things off with a fireside chat featuring the 2025 PILOT Innovation Challenge winners, then explored the evolving on‑set landscape in our Hybrid Production with AI track—covering in‑camera VFX, AI‑driven workflows, real‑time data capture, and even a hands‑on generative AI workshop. Finally, we looked at how AI is reshaping post‑production in our panel on AI‑enhanced editing, where automated metadata tools and cloud collaboration platforms are redefining creative control.

On the Evolving Consumer Experiences side, we delved into data‑driven storytelling and personalized production, examined new interactive worldbuilding formats, and tackled how AI is transforming content delivery, streaming models, and audience engagement. Our fast‑paced Startup Showcase then mapped the future of content creation, spotlighting PropelME companies as they presented solutions spanning hybrid production to distribution.

To close out the stage, a second fireside chat gave founders time to share the real‑world challenges and breakthroughs behind their innovations—and their vision for what comes next in the production pipeline.

NAB PromptBattle @ BattleBots®

This year, we produced the second annual NAB AI Filmmaking Party with Curious Refuge with the support of OpenArt and Lambda Labs. We had over 150 people attend and 8 teams compete! Each team had ~2hrs to create a less than one-minute animated tv show trailer for BattleBots®.

The First Place winning trailer from Team P-Ai-N blew us away. Built entirely with OpenArt in under 2 hours, THE ADVENTURES OF KRAKEN! tells the story of an ordinary toaster… zapped by a radioactive microwave… who becomes a legendary hero in the battle of the ages. Team P-Ai-N took home not just the Judge's Pick, but also the Audience Award!

Huge congrats to Suzanne Kirkland, Lucas McGraw, and Jacob Draper.

Second Place: “If You Can Only Imagine,” kicks off with a line that stuck with us:
“They say you die twice. Once when you stop breathing, and a second time when everybody forgets your name.”

What follows is an epic AI-generated story of legacy and ambition, where a lone robot rises through the chaos to earn a place among legends. Built entirely with OpenArt in under 2 hours, this one hit hard.

Congrats to Jake Russo, Brogan Wassell, Matty Shimura and Willonius Hatcher.

Looking Forward

AI on the Lot 2025

AI on the Lot, the largest dedicated gathering of professionals in the AI film space, is back for its third season May 27-30th in Culver City!

Join over 1,000 artists, startup founders, media execs, developers, and film industry professionals to connect and learn about the AI video space.

Get insights about the latest tools & workflows, meet future business partners, and connect with the people most interested in how generative AI will empower the filmmaking and entertainment industry.

Here are just a few of our featured speakers:

Get early bird pricing now for the first 50 people who use this coupon code at checkout: FBRC

AI Industry Report: Studio Edition

In case you missed it, we launched our first Industry Report in March and received some press from Indiewire, Deadline, and Forbes.

This first edition of the Industry Report series explores the rise of AI Studios—a new wave of companies rethinking production pipelines, creative workflows, and the roles of artists and engineers in AI-driven storytelling. This report includes:

• Insights from 98 self-identified AI studios, compiled from a public call for participation on LinkedIn

• Exclusive interviews with 9 pioneering studios and tools shaping studio infrastructure, including Promise, Asteria, Secret Level, shy kids, and more.

• Analysis of evolving infrastructure, emerging job markets, and shifting industry dynamics

This first-of-its-kind report provides a snapshot of the AI studio landscape as of early 2025.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE!