Artlist made a five-episode sci-fi series with AI tools for $38,000

For each episode of 'The Arc', director Darin Stewart and his team began with a ten-minute verbal outlining session. Stewart directed the five-episode science-fiction miniseries, while Simone Ferretti served as executive producer and is identified as an AI content creator.

Those outlines were processed through Anthropic's Claude to create structured scripts. Seedance and Kling then generated the finished video sequences, with Veo and other models used to create assets.

The workflow had its limits. Veo has a prompt response limit of eight seconds, while Seedance has a 30-second limit. The team first generated images at lower resolutions to make more careful use of credits, then upscaled selected takes for the final version. It took an average of 8 to 10 generations per shot to get the results they wanted.

Three and a half weeks after receiving approval for the series, the filmmakers had completed the first episode's final cut. Artlist produced 'The Arc' using generative AI tools including Veo, Seedance and Kling.

The series cost $38,000 in AI credits and runs for approximately 83 minutes. Its average cost per episode was roughly $7,600. That figure covers AI credits used during production, rather than labour, planning or editing.

The crew worked at standard day rates, following traditional studio compensation structures even as the production itself relied on generative tools. The filmmakers said the technology freed them from the budget constraints they would usually face in traditional production.

There were no human actors, physical sets or on-location shoots. The AI-generated settings included 1600s Japan and 1870s Montana.

All five episodes premiered in London last August, followed by screenings in Los Angeles. The series is now available on Artlist TV, the company's YouTube channel.

Artlist began as a music and sound-effects library before moving into AI products. It has also launched a modest streaming platform, using projects such as 'The Arc' to demonstrate what can be made through its access to video-generation models.