DDEC offers screenwriting workshops with the help of AI
Professionals with specialized expertise in artificial intelligence will lead the course.
The Puerto Rico Department of Economic Development and Commerce’s (DDEC, in Spanish) Film Industry Development Program (PDIC, in Spanish) has kicked off a series of workshops to train students in screenwriting using artificial intelligence (AI).
These workshops are being held at the Alternative Arts Media Studio (AAMS) in San Lorenzo and the Dr. Juan José Ozuna Specialized High School in Radio and Television in Hato Rey.
“The purpose is to design and provide screenwriting workshops that empower local screenwriters to integrate advanced techniques into the creative process, generating impactful and commercially viable narratives,” DDEC Secretary Manuel Cidre said.
The workshops will be attended by some 45 students from the Dr. Juan José Ozuna Specialized High School in Radio and Television in Hato Rey, the Dr. Antonio Fernós Isern Professional High School in San Lorenzo and the Cacique Agüeybana High School in Bayamón, as well as staff from the Central Specialized School of Visual Arts in San Juan.
A group of professionals with specialized knowledge in using AI as a tool will lead the course, which will consist of a minimum of eight workshops over a four-week period, with at least 40 contact hours.
“The program will illustrate to participants from public high schools in Puerto Rico the power of AI to enhance creativity, optimize audience engagement and drive the film industry as an economic engine for the island,” PDIC Director José Sánchez-Acosta said.
Orlando Ramos, an experienced Puerto Rican filmmaker and professor at the Sacred Heart University, and Nathaniel Arocho, a writer and filmmaker with 20 years of experience, will lead the courses.
In addition, James Dodson, an American producer, director, and writer with more than 40 years of experience, along with David Freeman, a Hollywood professor and screenwriter, will be developing the first AI platform to serve as a tool for developing film scripts.
The workshops will focus on empowering participants to use AI as a collaborative tool for story development, conducting in-depth analysis of audience preferences and industry trends to create compelling and successful scripts. The courses will lead students to explore their creativity, use AI to create innovative narrative structures and generate ideas that foster new approaches.
