The HKUST AI Film Hackathon reached a pivotal moment on March 15 with Workshop 3 Creative Narrative, shifting the focus to the core of filmmaking—storytelling: how AI can be used to craft clear, intentional, and impactful stories. The workshop was led by Yang Xuan (FOS), award‑winning AI film director and screenwriter with over 10 years of industry experience, alongside Kiko Hwang, a Certified AIMV Director, commercial photographer, and AIGC artist specializing in fashion and sci‑fi visual aesthetics.
Building on Workshops 1 and 2, FOS guided students through designing short films specifically for an AI Hackathon setting—covering time control, what makes a complete short film, and prioritizing narrative under tight constraints. He introduced a streamlined production mindset spanning story, design, video generation, and post‑production, emphasizing principles such as “complete first, refine later” and using AI to enhance capability while saving time. The session then moved into hands‑on practice as Kiko Hwang led students on the TapNow platform, demonstrating how to generate storyboards in under a minute, produce audio‑visual‑synchronized videos, and finalize edits using CapCut.
This workshop was generously supported by TapNow, Strategic Partner of HKUST AI Film Festival, who provided free TapNow credits and connected us with our workshop speakers and a wider creative community. Their support enabled students to experience a full, story‑driven AI filmmaking workflow training—from concept to final cut—using real industry tool
✨The journey doesn’t end here: All three workshops now lead into the ultimate showdown—the HKUST AI Film Hackathon on March 28–29, 2026. Student teams will put everything they’ve learned to the test, racing against time and creativity to compete for a HKD 10,000 prize pool, and step into the spotlight as the next generation of AI filmmakers.
We repeat: Stay tuned! 🎥🏆
