Sean O’Kelly and Sami Arpa are democratizing film production with a new AI-powered platform that gives independent filmmakers access to the same data-driven insights that major streaming platforms use internally. Their collaboration between Brilliant Pictures and Largo.ai aims to level the playing field by providing predictive analytics, automated focus group testing, and financing tools that were previously exclusive to industry giants like Netflix and Amazon.
What you should know: Largo.ai translates the complex data analytics used by major streamers into accessible tools for independent producers and writers.
- The platform analyzes scripts scene by scene to predict audience engagement, helping filmmakers package projects as lower-risk investments for banks, equity investors, and pre-sales platforms.
- “We saw how the major streamers were relying on technology to order the right content,” Arpa explains. “But their tools weren’t available to the rest of the industry. Our motivation was to give those same insights—about audience size, demographics, and emotional reactions—to everyone else.”
How it works: The platform replaces traditional focus groups with AI-powered simulated audiences that deliver feedback in a single day rather than weeks.
- “It fully replaces traditional focus groups,” Arpa says. “You can ask these simulated audiences anything about your content, and get the same confidence level as a live test—at a fraction of the time and cost.”
- The system generates sales materials, casting insights, and teaser visuals informed by AI analytics.
- O’Kelly describes it as “one of the world’s first 360-degree production, sales, and finance platforms.”
The big picture: Independent filmmakers face increasing challenges competing against well-funded streaming platforms that use sophisticated data analytics to guide content decisions.
- “The hardest part of filmmaking is no longer the creative side, but the financial one,” O’Kelly notes, emphasizing the need to make projects appear “risk-free” to investors.
- The partnership addresses a fundamental industry imbalance where only major players had access to predictive tools for audience analysis and market positioning.
Real-world testing: Their first collaborative project, “The Crane,” demonstrates the platform’s capabilities in action.
- The disaster thriller about crane operators caught in an earthquake has undergone Largo’s complete analytics suite and generated significant interest at Cannes Film Festival.
- “There’s a huge appetite,” O’Kelly says. “It’s a timely, mainstream commercial piece.”
What they’re saying: Both founders emphasize that technology should enhance rather than replace human creativity.
- “We’re not looking to replace actors, writers, or directors,” O’Kelly stresses. “That magic, that core creative, is irreplaceable. What we’re doing is making the process smarter, faster, and better.”
- “We’ve seen producers triple their chance of getting greenlit by using Largo,” Arpa adds. “It’s about leveling the playing field.”
Why this matters: The collaboration represents a significant shift toward democratizing film production tools, potentially enabling more diverse content to reach global audiences by giving independent creators the same technological advantages as major studios.
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