Adobe launches collaborative AI film project to empower creators

Adobe has announced The Unfinished Creator Film, a collaborative project encouraging creators from around the world to contribute to a single, evolving short film using generative artificial intelligence tools via the Adobe Firefly platform.

The Unfinished Creator Film provides filmmakers, designers and storytellers access to Firefly's AI capabilities, enabling them to work together iteratively and express their unique artistic visions. Adobe collaborated on this initiative with multiple creatives, including AI artist and director Sam Finn, to explore possibilities for community-driven storytelling in a digital landscape.

Collaboration at its core

The project is described as "a remixable film started by one and completed by many", highlighting its open, collaborative model. Adobe highlights Firefly's role in supporting creative freedom, positioning it as an environment where participants across disciplines - including animators, sound designers and those new to filmmaking - can contribute their own interpretations to an unfinished film sequence.

"It used to take years of learning - and a lot of money - to make a film. Now anyone with a vision can start. I'm excited to see what creators from non-traditional backgrounds will make when those barriers fall away. That's what The Unfinished Film is about: opening the door for new voices and unexpected perspectives." -Sam Finn, director of The Unfinished Film project

The ethos of the initiative is to "turn unfinished into unforgettable" by allowing each participant to remix or reshape the original film using a set of digital tools. The process leverages Firefly's image and video generation technology, familiar to experienced users of Adobe products such as Photoshop, Premiere and Lightroom, while extending its use to a broader creative community.

AI as collaborator, not creator

Adobe's message underlines the use of AI as a tool to enhance - not replace - human creativity. Participants can use Firefly for ideation, mood boarding, as well as for producing final audio, video, or effects, with each AI-generated asset carrying direct attribution via Content Credentials, supporting transparency and control for the original creators.

Sam Finn describes the transformation AI has brought to the creative process:

"Before AI, creativity felt like a tradeoff - your imagination was shaped by time, tools, and complexity. With Firefly and generative tools, I can now create exactly what I envision, almost as quickly as I think it. For the first time, filmmaking feels like a stream-of-consciousness art form" -Sam Finn, director of The Unfinished Film project

Adobe's campaign invites participants to download the starter sequence created by Finn and to apply Firefly's suite of features to put their own mark on the story, remixing and sharing their versions within the larger creative community. Contributions are then highlighted alongside tips and behind-the-scenes content from the original artists on Adobe's digital channels.

Contributors' perspectives

To demonstrate the range of outcomes achievable with this approach, Adobe has partnered with four creators: VFX artist Phil Cohen, creative director Noémie Pino, cinematographer Keenan Lam, and designer Jad Kassis. Each used Firefly to tailor Finn's original sequence to their own aesthetic and storytelling preferences.

Noémie Pino combined claymation techniques with digital compositing using Firefly, Photoshop and After Effects.

"I've always loved the tangible feel of clay, but the process is incredibly time-consuming - I never imagined I'd be able to bring it to life like this. With Firefly, Photoshop and After Effects I could blend the handcrafted with the digital and turn seconds of motion into something that feels real and emotionally textured." - Noémie Pino

Phil Cohen, a creative director known for integrating fashion and visual effects, commented on the accessibility offered by AI tools:

"We're entering a new era where imagination doesn't have to wait on budget or big teams. With tools like Firefly, designers can direct, photographers can animate - creativity becomes immediate and accessible. This project is a glimpse of what's next." -Phil Cohen

Jad Kassis focused on how AI-driven workflows accelerated the pace of idea execution:

"Firefly changed how I use time. What once took days now takes minutes - so I can chase ideas while they're still alive, still emotional. I'm not just designing frames; I'm directing fleeting moments before they disappear." -Jad Kassis

Keenan Lam, both a creator and resource developer for digital tools, explored Firefly from the perspective of a cinematographer:

"As someone who's spent years behind the camera, I've always been a perfectionist - so the idea of giving up control to AI was intimidating at first. But this project challenged me in the best way. I realised generative tools like Firefly can extend my creativity, not replace it. They unlock shots and transitions I couldn't easily achieve on my own." -Keenan Lam

The Unfinished Creator Film is positioned as an ongoing, collaborative project designed to showcase and test the boundaries of creative engagement between human creators and AI technology within a globally accessible digital framework.