Former YouTube content executive Jamie Byrne is teaming up with independent filmmaker Dave Clark and Fullscreen CEO George Strompolos to launch Promise, a new studio that will allow artists to produce original series and films and explore other formats using generative AI.
“We are investing in a new class of Gen AI talent who blend traditional filmmaking chops with cutting-edge technical expertise, setting a new standard for high-quality storytelling enabled by AI,” Strompolos, who serves as Promise’s CEO, said in a statement. “We believe this is a transformational moment in entertainment and a studio must be built from the ground up — around the artists, the tech, and a new workflow — in order to unlock its full potential.”
Promise, which is backed by investments from Andreesen Horowtiz and Peter Chernin’s The North Road Company, is developing a first-of-its-kind production workflow with a software product known as MUSE, which will integrate the latest advancements in generative AI technology to the creative process in a streamlined, collaborative and secure production environment.
“Gen AI filmmaking is a creative process that combines the expertise of skilled artists, hybrid workflows, and a collaborative production environment,” Clark, who serves as chief creative officer, said. “Our goal is to cultivate a space where storytellers from all backgrounds can explore bold ideas, take risks, and push the boundaries of storytelling.”
The company is also “actively engaging” with leading generative AI artists, Hollywood talent and rights holders to develop a multi-year lineup of films and series.
“We’re championing Gen AI artists and forming partnerships with a broad range of rights-holders to bring their stories to life,” Byrne, who serves as president and COO, added. “Our productions will also see us working with members of the creative community—from writers and directors, to actors, visual effects artists, and more—tailored to each project’s unique vision.”
Strompolos is an an entrepreneur and angel investor whose known for co-creating the YouTube Partner Program in 2007, which enables millions of creators on the platform to monetize their work.
He founded Fullscreen in 2011, a media and technology company focused on helping creators build audiences on social media which was acquired by AT&T/WarnerMedia in 2018 for $845 million.
His portfolio as an investor and startup advisor includes Flexport, Liquid Death, Mr. Beast’s Feastables, Moonpay, Oxide Computer, Giggster, RedCircle, CreatorNow, CashDrop, and Angel City FC.
Byrne, who was one of YouTube’s earliest executives, served at the company for over 15 years in roles including ad strategy director, original programming head, content commercialization director and senior director of creator partnerships, laying the groundwork for the platform’s monetization programs and introducing the first creator revenue sharing program.
In addition to YouTube, Byrne serves as an advisor to Offline Ventures’ venture studio arm Alpha Studio and is the co-founder and CEO of web3 creator platform wovn. Before YouTube, he served as a director at DoubleClick and in client solutions at Yahoo.
Clark has amassed millions of views for his AI directing work, including a short film “Battalion,” which focused on the only Black unit to arrive on Omaha Beach in Normandy during World War 2, and the world’s first hybrid narrative genre short, “Another,” a horror film which combines live-action and Gen AI and was screen during Cannes Next earlier this year. He’s also worked on films, immersive engagemens and brand spots for companies like Snapchat, Coca-Cola, Hewlett Packard, Warner Bros., and Intel.
The North Road Company is a producer of scripted, documentary and non-scripted film and TV content across the U.S. and international markets with over 8o active productions.
Its businesses include Chernin Entertainment, Kinectic Content, Left/Right, 44 Blue Productions, Words + Pictures, Questlove and Black Thought’s Two One Five Entertainment, Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, Turkish content producer Karga Seven and North Road Television.
Chernin is reuniting with Strompolos after previously investing at Fullscreen.
“There is something undeniably exciting about Generative AI, and we are bullish on George and Promise’s ability to empower storytellers,” he said. “This team understands that prioritizing artists and creatives is the only approach as we begin to apply Generative AI into the creative process, and Promise has the most inventive and user-friendly model we have seen.”
Meanwhile, Andreesen Horowitz invests in seed to venture to growth-stage technology companies across sectors including AI, bio + healthcare, consumer, crypto, enterprise, fintech, games, infrastructure, and more. a16z has $44 billion in committed capital across multiple funds.
“Generative AI is transforming creativity and Promise is at the forefront of enabling the next generation of creators and storytellers,” a16z partner Andrew added. “Our investment reflects our confidence in their approach to integrating technology with the craft of storytelling.”
Financial terms of the funding round was not disclosed.
