In this episode, I speak with Jan-Willem Blom an AI filmmaker and creative director whose work sits at the intersection of classic storytelling, world-building and emerging AI tools.

Jan traces his creative origin story back to a video store in the Netherlands hours spent studying VHS covers. That early obsession with imagery, myth and struggle later became the foundation for how he approaches AI filmmaking today.

Jan argues that AI makes images faster, but stories still take time. We explore why struggle is the core of storytelling, how world-building is a way of seeing rather than a scale problem and why creators must intentionally preserve friction in their process.

Jan also breaks down his practical frameworks for:

• Developing stories through “what if” questions
• Testing ideas through teasers instead of full productions
• Building visual identity through posters, symbols, and tone

Key Themes We Explore

• Why “storytelling” is really struggle-telling
• Characters, world-building, and struggle as inseparable pillars
• How classic films taught us systems thinking through story
• Using AI to refine judgment, not replace it
• Why speed without intention creates noise
• The importance of creative anchors and long-term obsessions

Key Takeaways

• World-building happens at every scale, from a bus to a galaxy
• Great stories require time, friction, and reflection
• Tools should serve story not the other way around

🔗 Find Jan’s work: https://videostate.nl/