Tyrannus co-founder pushes AI tools to help overlooked filmmakers reach audiences

David Johnson Jiang is using AI-linked development pathways through Tyrannus Angel Awards to help creators turn buried scripts into testable film projects. The effort aims to lower costs, widen access to investors and give more stories a chance to reach screens.

Why it matters: - David Johnson Jiang is betting that AI can lower the cost barrier that keeps many scripts from becoming films. - The approach could help more independent and overlooked storytellers build proof-of-concept materials, attract investors and reach audiences without surrendering control of their stories. - Tyrannus Foundation frames the work as both a creative platform and a values-driven mission, linking storytelling with support for vulnerable children and families.

What happened: - David Johnson Jiang, co-founder, chief operating officer and juror of Tyrannus Angel Awards under Tyrannus Foundation, is positioning AI as a way to give buried stories another chance. - Jiang also serves as CEO of Dominant Culture and chairman of the Taiwan IP Association. - His credits include producer on Jay Chou’s musical film The Rooftop and Taiwanese racing film Nezha, plus associate producer on the Hollywood sci-fi action film Assassin. - The Tyrannus Angel Awards are intended to help creators develop AI-assisted trailers and other early materials that can be used to test audience interest and approach backers.

The details: - Jiang worked with creative teams around Jay Chou and Will Liu. - The Wall Street Journal named The Rooftop one of the year’s top ten Asian films. - Nezha won Best Action Choreography at the 58th Golden Horse Awards and received a Best Sound Effects nomination. - Assassin featured Taiwanese actress Hannah Quinlivan alongside Bruce Willis. - Jiang says a typical film in the United States often costs at least US$1 million to produce, while in Asia the threshold is rarely below US$500,000. - Jiang also points to productions around US$10 million that still face intense financial pressure. - He says nearly 80 percent of films never recover their investment. - Jiang describes AI image generation, concept development and trailer prototyping as tools that can reduce costs and reopen access to filmmaking. - Jiang said, “AI should never replace creators; it should remove the barriers that kept their stories from ever being told.” - Jiang added, “The AI era only matters if it gives more voices a real chance to be heard.” - Tyrannus Foundation is a Los Angeles-based, faith-based nonprofit focused on Influence, Rescue and Educate. - The foundation says it advances faith-rooted storytelling through AI filmmaking, global cinema and cultural exchange. - The organization also says it supports vulnerable children and families through rescue initiatives, educational programs and long-term restoration efforts. - Tyrannus Angel Awards is an international honors platform under Tyrannus Foundation that aims to celebrate storytelling, creative excellence and visionary work at the intersection of AI and cinema.

Between the lines: - Jiang’s argument is not that AI should replace filmmakers, but that it should lower the first financial hurdle that keeps many projects from being made. - The awards platform is designed to shift leverage toward creators by giving them something concrete to show investors before a full production is funded. - His dinosaur-game example suggests Jiang sees film, television and games as tools that shape what younger audiences learn to value. - The mission statement also shows Tyrannus Foundation is trying to connect entertainment with a broader moral and social purpose.

What's next: - Tyrannus Angel Awards is expected to keep using AI-enabled development tools to surface creators and stories that might otherwise remain invisible. - Jiang is building on his Asia-Pacific and American film experience to support a pipeline where more projects can advance from idea to proof of concept. - The longer-term aim is to expand the kinds of stories that get financed, produced and shared across global markets.

The bottom line: - Jiang is trying to use AI not as a shortcut around storytelling, but as a way to widen access to storytelling itself.