Jason Zada

Emmy award-winning director and founder of @secret__level. Director. AI. Video Games. Greatest hits: The Forest (feature), Take This Lollipop, Elf Yourself.

[Jason Zada @jasonzada]

Still catching my breath after an unforgettable week at TED 2025. I had the honor of giving a talk on storyworld building— highlighting how generative AI is unlocking new ways to create and the power of participation and interactivity within entertainment. I’ve spoken on many stages, but this one was truly something special. Thanks to @bilawalsidhu and Whitney Pennington Rodgers for making this a reality and to Chris Anderson and Helen Walters for their guidance.

[Jason Zada @jasonzada]

@dubcreationX Is it though? If an animated movie cost $100M, 10M isn’t a horrible budget (although difficult to pull off a triple A, theatrical release) But if we are talking sub million, it financially makes no sense and cant support high quality artists making a decent living.

[Jason Zada @jasonzada]

I hate to keep seeing headlines like this: "AI Cuts Animation Costs by 90% as Hollywood Braces for Mass Layoffs". When I constantly say that AI has a bad PR problem, this is it. #racetothebottom

[Jason Zada @jasonzada]

@AllenMedium This is very true.

[Jason Zada @jasonzada]

Seedance 2.5: Native 30-Second AI Video, 50 Multimodal References, and Native 4K. The game is changing again.

[Jason Zada @jasonzada]

Nanobanana was released on August 26, 2025. It's been less than a year since we've had consistency in AI.

[Jason Zada @jasonzada]

This is the raw, 15-second, oner that was not easy to get. Very meticulously prompted to make sure every beat held the tension I wanted for the end of 'Don't Let It In'

[Jason Zada @jasonzada]

@CreamOfSkeet Said your dad when you were born, bot.

[Jason Zada @jasonzada]

This is the raw, 15-second, oner that was not easy to get. Very meticulously prompted to make sure every beat held the tension I wanted for the end of 'Don't Let It In'

[Jason Zada @jasonzada]

@grffndvs

[Jason Zada @jasonzada]

Full film, even though I’ve ruined the ending.

[Jason Zada @jasonzada]

Don't Let It In. Watch it in the dark with some headphones. Enjoy some 1970s horror.

[Jason Zada @jasonzada]

@FrontierModal You can prompt better acting. Just takes time and work. Don’t let your characters say any dialog without over directing them.

[Jason Zada @jasonzada]

@Deep_Cut_Films What your mom said when you were born.

[Jason Zada @jasonzada]

@SamJWasserman Around 12. Trying to perfect the timing via tome stamps.

[Jason Zada @jasonzada]

Don't Let It In. Watch it in the dark with some headphones. Enjoy some 1970s horror.

[Jason Zada @jasonzada]

Wanna see something scary? I made a new short.

[Jason Zada @jasonzada]

Could we crowd-source buying Pizza Hut? My vision is to turn it back into a 1980s Pizza Hut with red plastic cups, a badass arcade in the back room, and cold pitchers of beer. No cell phones allowed.

[Jason Zada @jasonzada]

Awesome. NYCers aren’t going to go randomly beating and brutalizing Spurs fans tonight. 🙌🏼

[Jason Zada @jasonzada]

@PJaccetturo That would be fun! Hybrid TV series.

[Jason Zada @jasonzada]

Really loving The Burroughs on Netflix. Huge props to the Duffer Bros for going all in on 80s Spielberg. The music however, has elements of Back to the Future, The Goonies, E.T. - all basically the same musical structure minus a chord here or a note here. It’s makes you feel like your watching a Spielberg / John Williams film or the original Amazing Stories.