James d. Phillips
Writer | Director | Producer
My creative process is rooted in free exploration. I don’t chase certainty — I wait for creative encounters, brief but electric, that invite me into unfamiliar territory. I approach every project with a clear, precise vision, but I remain open to the unexpected events that occur as the work evolves. That tension — between control and chaos, intention and surprise — is where the most meaningful creative breakthroughs emerge.
Generative AI has profoundly expanded what I can achieve. It allows me to work with the same visual discipline I’ve developed over decades as a Creative Director, Graphic Designer, and Photographer — but now with a level of speed, freedom, and scale that was once out of reach. These tools aren’t shortcuts; they’re catalysts. They remove traditional constraints and replace them with something far more potent: the unfiltered reach of imagination.
The Wizard of Oz revisited. Frank L. Baum's original vision brought to life as it's never been experienced before.
In OZ, childhood dreams finally take visual form through L. Frank Baum's original literary vision. This isn't the MGM adaptation—it's Dorothy as Baum imagined her: grounded, serious, a quiet survivor who sees wonder but feels its weight. The Scarecrow emerges as an animated artifact, the Tin Woodsman as pure engineered machine, the Lion as a beast of contradiction. From the whimsical Munchkins to the bat-faced flying monkeys, from the green-glass metropolis of Emerald City to the regal terror of Oz himself, this GenAI reimagining excavates a lifetime of imagination, proving that the most audacious childhood dreams were simply waiting for the right tools to catch up.
LOGLINE: Transported to a strange and wonderful land, Dorothy embarks on a perilous journey to the Emerald City, discovering that the greatest magic lies not in wizards, but in friendship and courage.
Reality bends. Memories lie. Step inside the nightmare of Recursion.
In Recursion, a man's lucid dream unravels into a surrealist nightmare, as a lifetime of memories fracture to reveal a disturbing truth lurking beyond the shadows of reality. This GenAI short film blends dream logic with psychological horror, immersing viewers in a visually arresting, nonlinear narrative. Crafted with Midjourney's generative visuals and a deliberate artistic vision, Recursion explores the fragile boundary between perception and reality, inviting audiences to question the nature of consciousness and the stories we tell ourselves.
LOGLINE: A lifetime of memories unexpectedly fracture into a surrealist nightmare, as a man's lucid dream state gives way to a disturbing truth lurking beyond the shadows.
Mom tested. Kid approved. A 30-second proof that GenAI means business.
In Goodie Good Baby Food, a familiar family moment unfolds—a persistent mother, a reluctant daughter, and the age-old battle over breakfast. After perpetually refusing to eat, one tentative bite changes everything as the young girl discovers she actually likes it. This 30-second GenAI commercial proves that artificial intelligence can deliver the charm, timing, and emotional authenticity that effective advertising demands. Created as a proof of concept with Pixar-inspired aesthetics, it demonstrates that today's AI tools can achieve broadcast-quality storytelling, turning simple human moments into compelling brand narratives that resonate with audiences and clients alike.
LOGLINE: A persistent mother faces off against her reluctant daughter in the age-old battle over breakfast, until one tentative bite changes everything.
Some memories refuse to fade. Even when the places that made them disappear forever.
In Of Home, a memory poem becomes a visual journey through fragments of a vanished world—red and green lights flashing without fail, children running between houses like they ruled the world, a place where helping was as natural as breathing. This GenAI short film explores the intersection where fiction and reality converge, creating something more emotionally authentic than either could achieve alone. Through poetic narration and nostalgic imagery, it captures the universal experience of carrying places and people that exist now only in memory, yet refuse to release their hold on the heart.
LOGLINE: A young woman reflects on the idyllic childhood she left behind, and discovers that some memories refuse to fade even as the places that shaped them disappear forever.
He sought to conquer death. But some wounds transend mortality.
In The Last Immortal, Dr. Ethan Thorne achieves humanity's ultimate dream—cheating death through technological transcendence. But his mechanical immortality becomes a prison, amplifying the very grief he sought to escape. This GenAI film explores the dangerous intersection of loss and hubris, following Thorne's millennia-long journey from human to god-like machine to something caught between worlds. A cautionary tale that asks whether our greatest technological achievements might also be our most devastating failures, questioning the price of playing god with consciousness itself.
LOGLINE: Consumed by grief, a brilliant mind transcends mortality by transferring his consciousness into a machine, only to discover that immortality offers no escape.
Cinematic EXPLORATIONS
These visual explorations venture into alternate universes and untold narratives, each frame a glimpse into worlds waiting to be discovered. More than mere images, they represent the seeds of potential stories—moments that hint at larger mythologies, characters caught between destiny and choice, and environments that breathe with cinematic possibility. Each composition demonstrates the world-building potential that emerges when traditional storytelling craft meets the limitless canvas of artificial intelligence.
This technology doesn't replace the filmmaker's craft; it amplifies it exponentially. The director who approaches AI with fearless imagination and refined technique discovers they can manifest realities that exist nowhere but in their mind's eye. It's a form of magic that previous generations of filmmakers could only dream of—the ability to step into any universe, craft any character, and build any world with nothing more than vision, skill, and the audacity to believe that no story is too ambitious to tell.
LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES
GenAI has fundamentally transformed what's possible for visual storytellers, demolishing the traditional barriers between imagination and execution. Where once a director's vision was constrained by budgets, locations, and physical limitations, artificial intelligence offers a canvas limited only by the courage to explore the impossible. Every frame becomes achievable, every world buildable, every story tellable—regardless of scale or scope.
THE AUTEURISTIC DIRECTORS
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![Mark LaLonde]()
Mark Lalonde
Writer | Director | Producer
“Story is everything” -
![L. Frank Baum's OZ]()
James Phillips
Writer | Director | Producer
“Story is everything”
"Every frame is an act of discovery, exploring worlds that live just beyond the edge of reality. The best techniques disappear completely—when an audience is so engaged they forget how something was made, only to be surprised afterward by what they just experienced. This is where the magic resides.”
“story first, always. The tools are irrelevant."
— James Phillips, Founder, Auteuristic*