Munich-based Leonine Studios has integrated AI tools across its operations, from creative development to administrative tasks. The media company's AI strategy, led by manager Danilo Pejaković, aims to enhance productivity while keeping humans at the center of creative work.
The film industry has seen growing AI capabilities recently. The short film "Salt" by Swiss filmmaker Fabian Luisi demonstrates this trend - its script was written entirely by ChatGPT.
While some experts see significant potential in these technologies, they also emphasize the need for responsible use. Despite improvements, AI-generated content has not consistently matched the quality and coherence of traditional film productions.
Leonine Studios, producer of films like "The Lives of Others", "The School of Magic Animals" and the Netflix series "Dark", has developed its own AI platform called "LeoChat." The system combines multiple large language models to support employees across departments.
"Management recognized the opportunities AI offers early on," says Pejaković. "Our team was enthusiastic about exploring these tools from the start."
Leonine's AI Swiss Army Knife
Employees can use LeoChat through preset prompts or open-ended conversations. "LeoChat is our 'Swiss Army knife' because it is very powerful," says Pejaković. He emphasizes that openness in working with the models is essential, as solutions often emerge through experimentation.
A general chatbot allows for wide-ranging queries and conversations. An internal FAQ assistant answers common questions like "Can I bring my dog to work?" For those looking to improve their AI skills, a "personal trainer" offers individualized AI training. A new booking agent streamlines the process of reserving tickets for company film screenings.
In office settings, LeoChat assists with tasks like composing and summarizing emails. Creative departments use it as a collaborative tool for script development. "This back-and-forth makes you faster and allows you to really get to the heart of the dramaturgy," Pejaković explains, noting that the system supports writers rather than replacing them.
The platform is available for both work and personal use, giving employees flexibility in how they interact with the AI. To maintain security, all data stays on company servers. Each department has a designated AI contact person to provide support. Employees also receive practical training on using the tools responsibly, ensuring that the technology is used effectively and ethically across the company.
Measuring efficiency through incremental improvements
Leonine Studios measures the impact of its AI tools by tracking incremental gains rather than seeking major breakthroughs. "It's not so much the big, always the same use cases, but rather many small improvements that we have our eye on," Pejaković explains.
To foster collaboration and learning, the company hosts a "Prompt of the Week" series. In these informal sessions, employees demonstrate their most effective ways of using the AI tools. The company also conducts regular surveys to measure productivity gains and time savings across departments.
Employee engagement plays a crucial role in the program's success. "We spark employees' curiosity to build intrinsic motivation," Pejaković notes. "Creative ideas and openness to implementation are key to success."
While Leonine keeps a close eye on emerging technologies like AI video and image generation, human creativity remains at the core of its approach. "We are convinced that the best combination is and will remain humans plus technology, partly because we want to create and tell stories," Pejaković says.
Further insights into Leonine's AI strategy can be found in an interview with co-founder Max Wiedemann.
