Future creators immerse themselves in the world of creation with AI 2025-11-05

Smilegate Future Lab held the AI-based youth creative workshop “Prompt to Film” (hereinafter “the workshop”) from January to April for teenagers aspiring to become video creators. The workshop was conducted to explore the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) as a creative partner for humans.

Students participating in the workshop used AI to create various videos that incorporated their own perspectives into original stories. In July, their works were screened at a special exhibition of the Busan International Kids and Youth Film Festival (hereinafter “BIKY”).

Smilegate Newsroom spoke with students Kwon Tae-hoon and Kim Na-young, who directed films screened at the BIKY special exhibition, to discuss their creative experiences with AI and the new possibilities they discovered in the process.

A detox for creative activity, awakening dormant imagination

“This is a completely new workshop for a completely new future!” said director and artist Nam Ki-ryung (Professor at the Korea National University of Arts’ School of Film) about the workshop. As Nam described, the workshop supported students in immersing themselves in creative activities in a “new” way. For example, they used generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Midjourney to pose their own questions for creation, develop stories, and awaken their creativity. Nam Ki-ryung described this process as a “detox process for creative activity.” In other words, it allowed students to break away from conventional methods and immerse themselves in new creative work by utilizing AI as a tool.

What did students Kwon Tae-hoon and Kim Na-young expect when joining the workshop? Both said they participated with the expectation that AI could be a tool to expand human creativity.

“I think AI is an excellent collaborative partner for creation. I believe it can be a helper that allows creators to imagine more richly.” _Student Kim Na-young

“I think AI is like a paintbrush used by an artist. AI needs human ideas in order to create something. Just as a painter can complete a painting because they have a brush, I believe humans and AI need each other.” _Student Kwon Tae-hoon

Interpreting the familiar subject of “villains” in an original way

What kinds of stories were told through these videos created in a “new” way using AI as a tool?

Kwon Tae-hoon’s film When Darkness Creeps In was inspired by the movie Joker and conveys the message that a villain is not born evil but shaped by their environment. Kim Na-young’s Society of Masks depicts the duality of human behavior observed in everyday school life and poses questions about what it means to live authentically. Both works are notable for presenting unique interpretations of the “villain” theme.

Both students received help from ChatGPT from the scenario development stage. Kwon Tae-hoon refined the characters and story together with ChatGPT based on his initial scenario draft, while Kim Na-young used ideas from daily life as story material and developed her script using ChatGPT. Both students said that the more they conversed with ChatGPT, the more detailed feedback they were able to receive.

They actively used generative AI throughout the video production process. They generated desired images using the generative AI Midjourney, combined the produced images using the tool “Kling AI” to create videos, and completed the final versions using the AI-based editing tool “VEED.IO.”

Through their collaboration with generative AI in the creative process, both students confirmed the potential for AI—which is already widely used in everyday life and work—to be actively utilized in creative activities as well.

Their first time on an international film festival stage, a deeply moving moment

Smilegate Future Lab and BIKY signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) last May to advance cultural and artistic development and expand creative education models for future generations, exploring ways to help children and teenagers experience various creative activities that integrate technology and art.

As part of this initiative, a total of seven videos—including works by the two students—were screened at the “Future Lab Youth AI Cinema Special Exhibition” during the 20th BIKY in July.

What did the two students feel as they showcased their work for the first time at a renowned international film festival?

Kwon Tae-hoon said, “My first screening in a large theater was overwhelmingly emotional. Since I invested a lot of time into making the film, I felt proud, and I was happy that the audience reacted positively.”

Kim Na-young said, “I was very nervous because it was my first time screening my work on such a big stage, but I was honored to have this opportunity,” and added, “After the film ended, there were various questions and opinions about AI, and it became a chance for me to think more deeply about AI as well.”

We wondered what paths the two students wished to pursue after participating in the AI-based creative workshop and presenting their works at the film festival, and what efforts they hoped to make toward those paths.

“I have become more interested in the field of AI rather than video creation. AI technology is advancing rapidly, and I want to contribute to that progress. I want to focus on the field of AI programming in the future.” _Student Kwon Tae-hoon

“I want to try various creative activities using AI technology. I originally liked art, and I now want to create a new dimension of artwork that connects reality and the virtual world by combining AI technology.” _Student Kim Na-young

Smilegate is creating a better world for future generations through a virtuous cycle of “Creativity → Creation → Entrepreneurship.” It is expanding the foundation and building an environment where children and teenagers can express their own creativity, grow happily, and continue the creative activities they wish to pursue.

This workshop went beyond the boundaries of simple technical education. By creating an environment in which AI could be used as a creative partner based on one’s “own perspective and standards,” it instilled in teenagers the DNA to utilize technology proactively without fear. Believing in the power of creativity, Smilegate Future Lab will continue to expand the stage where teenagers’ “unique perspectives” can enrich the world.