How an Emmy Award–Winning Director Continues to Create and Evolve with AI

In this episode of How I AI, I sit down with Michaela A. Ternasky-Holland. She is a Peabody-nominated, Emmy Award–winning director using immersive technology, animation, and AI to tell deeply human stories.

Michaela has built a career at the intersection of creativity and innovation. She was also among the first filmmakers to premiere a short film created with OpenAI’s Sora at Tribeca Festival. 

We talk about how she’s evolving with new tools while staying grounded in story  using AI to expand what’s possible for independent creators and small studios without replacing human artistry. From worldbuilding and animation to ethical storytelling and cultural preservation, Michaela is redefining what it means to direct in the age of AI.

Topics We Cover:
• How AI is transforming animation and immersive storytelling
• The economics of creative production in an AI-assisted workflow
• The evolving relationship between artists, technologists, and AI tools 
• The making of Kapwa and how cultural storytelling meets technology

Tools Mentioned:

AI Creation & Production
Runway, Midjourney, OpenAI Sora, ElevenLabs

Development & Worldbuilding
Unity, Unreal Engine

Voice, Sound & Post-Production
Descript, ElevenLabs Music Studio

Machine Learning & Open Models
Hugging Face

AI Research & Writing
ChatGPT

Projects Referenced
• Kapwa
• Sun Still Rises (AI-assisted short premiered at Tribeca Festival)
• Reimagined Vol. III: Blue (animated series with 2.2M+ YouTube views)

Connect with Michaela
Instagram: michaela.ternaskyholland
michaelaternaskyholland.com

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