Zhan Petrov
Documentary filmmaker — story and craft
← All eventsWorkshop
AI Filmmaking Workshop
Storytelling meets generative AI. Make a finished film in two days.
- Date
- September 12–13, 2026
- Time
- 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM PT
- Location
- 1769 15th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
- Price
- $595.00–$1,295.00
About this event
<p>AI can generate infinite video. Most of it feels empty, because the scarce skill is not prompting — it is storytelling.</p><p>This workshop is built differently from a typical AI course. You do not start with software demos or generic prompts. You start with your own story, on camera, on day one — and the AI stack joins afterwards, as production crew rather than as the point.</p><p>Two days, in person in the Mission. You leave with a finished film, screened publicly on Sunday evening.</p>
Watch
Schedule
Saturday, September 12
- 11:00 AM
Story first — you are interviewed on camera
Before any tool comes out. The interview is the raw material for your film.
- 2:00 PM
Shot design and the documentary eye
- 4:00 PM
The AI production stack, vendor-agnostic
Generation, voice, and sound. Nothing you learn is locked to one product.
Sunday, September 13
- 11:00 AM
Assembly and edit
- 2:00 PM
Protected production sprint
Four uninterrupted hours to finish your film, with both instructors on the floor.
- 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Public screening of the finished filmsOpen to the public
Open to the public — bring friends. Every participant's film runs on the big screen.
Pricing
Early bird
$595.00
First 8 seats
Standard
$795.00
Director's Cut
$1,295.00
Adds two 1-on-1 sessions and a featured showcase slot. Max 4.
Your hosts
Questions
Do I need filmmaking experience?
No. You need a story you care about and a laptop.
Do I need to pay for the AI tools?
Free tiers cover the workshop. We stay vendor-agnostic, so nothing you learn is locked to one product.
Will I really finish a film?
Yes — that is the promise. Every participant's film screens publicly on Sunday at 5 PM.
Can I just come to the screening?
Yes. The Sunday 5 PM screening is open to the public and free to attend.