As OpenAI continues to refine and expand its groundbreaking Sora technology, a select group of pioneering creatives are testing its capabilities and limitations. These early adopters—spanning fields from digital visual effects (VFX) to architecture, choreography, and engineering art—are helping to shape the future of AI in the creative industry. While access to Sora remains limited due to ongoing safety testing, the artists’ initial experiences are already showcasing the transformative potential of this new tool.
One of the most compelling applications of Sora comes from multidisciplinary artist Manuel Sainsily and immersive director and creative entrepreneur Will Selviz. Together, they crafted the short film Protopica, an exploration of the existential question: “What if our lives are the result of intricate choices crafted long before our current existence?” The film, which features visuals generated entirely by Sora without any VFX, uses sound and traditional filmmaking software for editing, blending cutting-edge AI with established creative techniques.
Sainsily and Selviz highlighted the utility of Sora in their creative process, particularly for rapid prototyping and non-linear iterations. “Sora was most useful for developing a visual aesthetic early in the process,” they shared. The technology allowed them to experiment with different ideas quickly, enabling a level of creative exploration that would have been difficult to achieve with traditional methods alone.
The voice-over in Protopica is delivered in Guadeloupean Creole by Sainsily himself, adding a personal and cultural layer to the film. This collaboration exemplifies how AI can be used not just as a tool for efficiency but as a partner in the creative process, enabling artists to push the boundaries of their mediums.
As OpenAI continues to expand Sora testing to more creatives, the insights gained from these early projects will be crucial in guiding future research. By understanding the model’s capabilities and limitations through real-world applications, OpenAI aims to develop increasingly safe and powerful AI systems that can be used responsibly across various creative fields.
The work of artists like Sainsily and Selviz demonstrates that Sora is more than just a technical innovation; it’s a catalyst for new forms of artistic expression. As the technology evolves, it holds the promise of revolutionizing the way we create and experience art, opening up new possibilities for storytelling, design, and visual communication.
