Kevin Friel Is a 

Pixel Wizard

AI FILM PIONEER, Creative Director, Content Solutions Architect

ABOUT THE WIZARD

Kevin is a veteran filmmaker and AI storytelling pioneer based in Vancouver, British Columbia, whose credits include serving on the Oscar-and-BAFTA-winning VFX team for Dune: Part One at DNEG Vancouver, and who now bridges Hollywood blockbuster excellence with cutting-edge artificial intelligence while developing next-generation content creation tools alongside legendary industry innovators.

Latest Projects

AI Filmmaking Innovation

Revolutionary short-form content demonstrating the fusion of traditional cinematography and post-production with cutting-edge artificial intelligence. These proof-of-concept pieces showcase next-generation storytelling methodologies, combining Hollywood-caliber visual narrative techniques with AI-assisted production workflows developed alongside legendary industry pioneers.

Teleporter

AI-Assisted, realtime cinematic lighting system for high-end music and performance based content based on pre-recorded or live audio

The VibeBox

Realtime, context-aware AI-animation system adding dramatic production value to podcasts, performances and live events.

the pixel wizardry

  • Sensitive Data. Offshore Servers. One Big Mistake.

    Inspired by Mr. Robot and The Social Network, this AI-co-created cinematic short explores how corporate training can evolve into powerful storytelling—while warning of AI’s unintended consequences. Generated with Runway Gen 4 References for character and set consistency from Midjourney V7 images, Midjourney Video, and Veo 3 Fast for dialogue scenes. After Effects and Midjourney Video composited for UI screen animations. ElevenLabs for the VO. Score from Mr. Robot S2 by Mac Quayle.

    Watch

  • The Visitor

    ‘The Visitor’ AI Short film - A visual motif to celebrate the groundbreaking release of Google Veo 3 in May 2025, alongside Runway Gen 4 References for character and set consistency, Kilng 2.0 to run consistent image-to-video to match Veo 3 material, and Elevenlabs to clone the Veo 3 news anchor voice - along with audio-to-audio ro match the performance - with consistency for the VO over the rest of the piece. Score generated in Udio.

    Watch

  • Shepherds

    Shepherds AI Short film - Utilizing Runway’s just released video-to-video engine in Gen 3 Alpha in Nov 2024, this is the first experiment in a pioneering new frontier - blending cutting edge tech with human sourced emotional nuance in record-breaking time. Original footage shot on iPhone 16 Pro.

    Watch Teaser

  • Shepherds - Gen AI Behind The Scenes

    This behind-the-scenes version of Shepherds gives you a rare split-screen look into the process of creating a sci-fi short film using Runway’s video-to-video Gen-3 Alpha.

    Watch bts

  • Dune: Part one (2020)

    VFX Production Coordinator for the FX department at DNEG Vancouver.
    2022 Academy Award, BAFTA, & multiple VES Awards winner for Best Visual Effects.

    Watch Trailer

  • Inked with purpose

    Cinematic lifestyle podcast teaser exploring the intersection of life, spirituality, and the art and culture tattoos.

    Cinematography and Editing by Kevin Friel.

    Watch Teaser

  • pixel wizard teleporter

    AI Assisted Realtime Lighting for Musical and Performance Based Content Creators.

    Watch demos

  • Fishing BC - Salmon Fishing with Squid

    Post-production services for a micro-doc featuring the unique practice of fishing with squid for salmon in Ucluelet, BC.

    Watch

  • Dominion City Brewing Co. — Crowdfunding

    Kickstarter campaign for Ottawa, Canada craft brewery, Dominion City Brewing Co. Producer, Director, Cinematographer, Editor

    Watch

  • MBNA CFL Mastercard - Grey Cup Experience

    60 sec spot featuring a superfan's gameday experience with the Grey Cup after redeeming his MBNA MasterCard Rewards points.

    Watch

  • Fiera Capital — Asia Launch

    Motion Design celebrating Fiera Capital’s Asia launch. Motion Design, Editing, Sound Design by Kevin Friel.

    Watch

Clients & partnerships

Behind the pixels

  • Vancouver AI - 'The Visitor' VEO 3 AI Film Debut

    Live from the May 2025 Vancouver AI Community Meetup, Kevin debuts his latest Google Veo3 and Kling produced AI Film ‘The Visitor’.

    Feel the energy of a cutting edge crowd as Kevin explains his process and novel problem-solving techniques in this brave new creative frontier.

    WATCH KEYNOTE

  • AI Video VFX Revolution: Kevin Friel on Creative Apocalypse | BC + AI at Web Summit Vancouver 2025

    A deep-dive into the state-of-the-art and business of top level creative, live from The Orpheum Theatre during Web Summit Vancouver 2025.

    Watch

  • The Upgrade.ai - DUNE Production Coordinator Exposes How AI VFX is Reshaping Hollywood

    Hollywood veteran Kevin Friel (DUNE, Detective Pikachu, Bullet Train) pulls back the digital curtain on how AI is completely transforming video production—from blockbuster studios to indie creators. In this no-BS conversation, Kevin reveals the exact "Franken-workflow" he's using to create cinematic-quality content that previously required million-dollar budgets and massive VFX teams.

    Watch

  • Community Spotlight: Kevin Friel — A Pixel Wizard's Take on Creative AI

    Say hello to the Pixel Wizard! See how Future Proof Creatives has levelled up his offerings and community reach in Vancouver AI and creative fields, and how you can too.

    Watch

  • Cinematic Podcast: Behind the scenes

    Live from AWS Community Day Vancouver: Kevin Friel Is A Pixel Wizard walks us through the behind the scenes of all the intersecting technologies behind the engaging Cinematic Podcast platform.

    Watch

  • Virtual Production in Unreal Engine — BRON DIGital's 'Fables'

    As Associate Virtual Production Manager of Fables, I was a leading part of BRON Digital’s cutting-edge initiative utilizing Unreal Engine, where I leveraged my content creation and workflow design experience to help shape this exciting new frontier. Spot my wee cameo in this feature by the Unreal Engine team at Epic Games!

    Watch

  • Pixel Wizard Update: Oct 2024

    New cameras! New lenses! New tutorials! New everything!

    Watch

  • Pixel wizard on the Teen2Life Experience podcast

    Listen to my musings on the future of visual AI, tech, my ups and downs in content creation at all levels, and how the heck to survive it all coming into this amazing and weird industry.

    Listen

A day in the life in the new frontier

 
BC Founders Day was a crowded blast at the @vanconventions ! It was nice to be in these halls just a few days after @acmsiggraph to film and host interviews with a great handful of innovators in BC’s growing ecosystem. Will be taking a couple o
First time I’ve sat and not used my voice since 8AM. Wow @acmsiggraph Van, that was one helluva first day on the exhibit floor, and starting bright and early with so much other talent at the generative croissant meetup at @northeasternvancouve
Likely going to be breathless for the next 72 hours. @acmsiggraph Van 2025, here we come! Honoured to officially kick it off at a sold out side event tomorrow AM, speaking on Film GenAI with a heap of talented folks in AR/VR/XR at NorthEastern Unive
Dear future Kevin, Remember that day you did an amazing amount of work expressing your well of creativity, and then… hours later… you went shopping for budget ginger ale on the way home, opened your email on the way into the store, dro
It’s gonna be a hot night at the squirty crab shack tonight at @spacecentreyvr for July’s @vancouver_ai meetup! I love getting to haul my event tech in and curate the digital portion of each night with so many amazing humans in all circ
What a delight to present the latest GenAI video tools, prompting techniques, and incredibly engaging discussion and musings with the brilliant and thoughtful teens at Ethós Lab yesterday. We discussed the virtues of my current workflows, ut
We had a tremendous night at @vancouver_ai ‘s June Meetup on Wednesday. I’m just rendering the recording for Morten Rand-Hendriksen spellbinding and brilliant keynote on all things MCP…. And I soooo can’t wait for you all to

Let’s work together

Share your story, and let’s generate something extraordinary together.