Curious Refuge, an online community for AI storytellers, brought together hundreds of industry professionals and innovators to explore the future of AI-powered cinema.
Curious Refuge selected Leonardo.Ai as the platform of choice to power the event’s main attraction – an in-person image generation tournament. The first ever AI eSports event.
eSports and Generative AI a Perfect Mix
Their AI Filmmaking Party was hosted at the iconic HyperX Arena in Las Vegas during NAB 2024, with over 450 attendees and 16 competitors.
Players were tasked with generating a variety of different images and videos in real-time, in front of a live audience. Prompts ranged from clowns to poker-playing animals.
A panel of expert judges, including top AI filmmakers evaluated the generations on prompt accuracy and style. With winners walking away with AI generated plushies and an Apple Vision Pro headset.
Real-time Tools With a Competitive Edge
Leonardo’s diverse all-in-one AI toolkit made the live competition possible.
Our flexible, real-time tools enabled competitors to generate visuals from custom prompts and wow the crowd. With the arena’s dome displays showcasing the competitor’s AI art on a massive scale.
“Leonardo was a top choice because it includes multiple real-time generation tools. This not only enhanced the fun and engagement for the audience but also made the logistics of hosting a competition feasible.”
– Ike Waugh, Community Manager, Curious Refuge
An AI-Powered Creative Future
The success of the AI Filmmaking Party has paved the way for future events, with the Curious Refuge team planning more eSports competitions.
And for the team at Curious Refuge, Leonardo is more than a platform for their live competitions. It’s a go-to platform recommendation for their community of AI filmmakers, advertisers and artists.
“With features for generating images, animating, expanding, upscaling, transferring styles, and organizing into folders, Leonardo offers an exceptional toolset for managing complex projects efficiently.”
– Ike Waugh, Community Manager, Curious Refuge
We’re proud that our platform powers innovative storytellers like Curious Refuge as they push the boundaries of AI-driven experiences and community building.