When OpenAI first launched its Sora video model in early 2024, then-UTA agent Dante DeSario was desperate to get his hands on the tool. But when the AI startup denied his initial request, DeSario did what any eager agent would do: he lied.
DeSario knew that OpenAI was giving seven filmmakers early access to Sora, so he called around pretending to be from the company to get their information. The ploy worked, and those early relationships set up the foundation that would become Collage, a management firm for burgeoning AI studios that he launched this week alongside veteran media investor Michael Lambert.
“My hope is to be truly the bridge between Hollywood legacy media as it exists and these new types of artists and companies,” DeSario told TheWrap.
Collage emerges at a pivotal time in Hollywood, with studios more publicly embracing the use of AI even as a large contingent of the creative community stands opposed to the technology. But there’s little question generative AI workflows are quickly invading the big studios, and there have been a wellspring of startup AI-native studios looking to capitalize.
Clients include Asteria, the AI studio run by Bryn Mooser, DEFECT, a real-time 3D animatino studio, Matriarch, a AI-native and hybrid production company, Secret Level, an AI-native studio behind those infamous Coca-Cola ads, among others.
But what does a management firm for AI studios actually do? With its vetted roster of clients, Collage aims to be a resource for traditional studios who need a quick way to connect with trusted AI players that know their stuff. The firm can also break down scripts to decide what technologies should be used scene by scene, whether it’s generative AI, a hybrid approach or more traditional means.
The company, which just closed its seed funding round, also aims to be more of a platform than just offering management services and connecting clients with studios, DeSario said. That includes providing help through technical partnerships and with business development tools, back office infrastructure and access to investors.
DeSario said he planned to use the large portfolio to negotiate for better terms for business resources, whether its office space or computing power.
“We want to continue to have these artists focus on what they do best, while letting Collage help alleviate the non-creative burden of running and growing a business,” he said.
Collage also plans to selectively invest in the companies in its network.
A bridge to Hollywood
A lot of DeSario’s work is also on educating prospective partners for his clients. He’s spent the last two and a half years talking to traditional Hollywood players, dispelling a lot of the fear and uncertainty of the technology.
He noted that many in Hollywood are much savvier about AI than they let on, with some filmmakers publishing bashing the technology while quietly embracing it in their work.
Unlike others concerned about AI’s impact on jobs, he believes the technology is “the savior of our business.”
“Fundamentally, it’s a creative amplifier,” he said. “It helps us get back to the Barry Diller model of singles and doubles.”
There are lots of filmmakers who don’t get that first, or even second, shot at making a movie. AI’s ability to dramatically lower the cost while expanding the scope of what’s possible opens the doors to more talent.
“Hollywood needed a trusted way to find and work with the best of these companies, while the companies themselves needed help with business development and operations, technology relationships, and capital. We built Collage to connect the two and give great creative companies the support they need to grow.”
Collage’s founding investors are Black Bear and Fundamental Films. Other investors and senior advisors include Dennis Miller, Blue Deer Media, GOAL Ventures, AGC Studios, Roy Lee, Marty Bowen, Todd Lieberman, Todd Garner, Barry Porter, George Huber, Max Michael, and Ric Roman Waugh, among others.
The post Collage Wants to Navigate New AI Studios Through the Hollywood System appeared first on TheWrap.
