AI Education for Undergraduate Elective Program:
This intensive three-week studio elective guided undergraduate students through the creation of AI-assisted narrative films, transforming research, personal voice, and critical thought into compelling visual, sonic, and emotional storytelling.

OVERVIEW

In a world shaped by rapid content consumption and shrinking attention spans, the ability to communicate meaning clearly, emotionally, and responsibly has become a critical creative skill. This studio-based elective focused on how research, storytelling, and emerging AI-driven creative processes can be combined to craft narratives that resonate with audiences and make complex topics relatable.

Over the course of three intensive weeks, students developed a personally chosen topic and learned how to translate research into a clear narrative position. Through AI-driven deep research and visual content mindmapping, they identified relevant facts, emotional entry points, and a strong message suited to a specific audience and purpose.

AI-assisted creative processes were introduced as a means to accelerate research, visual development, video creation, and sound design. This enabled students to complete a large volume of creative work in a very short timeframe, creating space for refinement, authorship, and critical decision-making rather than surface-level execution.

The course culminated in a short narrative film. Final projects ranged from teaser films for exhibitions or experience-based formats, to content-driven feature films for social media campaigns, to stylistic concept films addressing pressing social or educational topics. Each film was designed to communicate a clear message, establish an emotional hook, and present a compelling narrative that audiences could learn from.

At its core, the course was about finding and articulating personal voice. Beyond learning a creative workflow, students sharpened their critical thinking and learned how to make their perspectives visible through intentional messaging, imagery, video, and sound. AI served as a supportive collaborator, enabling clarity, speed, and refinement while maintaining creative authorship and responsibility.

WHO THIS COURSE IS FOR

• Undergraduate communication and design students

• Students interested in storytelling, film, visual communication, and experience design

• Students exploring research-driven creative practice, experience-driven and narrative-led design

• Students curious about integrating AI into creative workflows with authorship and control

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students were able to:

• Translate research into a clear, audience-focused narrative concept

• Use AI-driven deep research and visual mind-mapping to identify emotional and thematic hooks

• Develop a coherent visual language through AI-generated imagery

• Create AI-assisted video work including motion, visual effects, and visual transformations

• Apply AI-assisted sound design and sound effects to strengthen emotional storytelling

• Edit narrative films in 16:9 or 9:16 formats suitable for presentation and content publishing

• Present a compelling narrative film that demonstrates clear messaging, critical thought, and personal voice

COURSE STRUCTURE

PART 1: Research Development and Concept Proposal

• Topic selection grounded in personal interest and relevance

• AI-driven deep research to uncover meaningful facts, tensions, and insights

• Translating complex or sensitive subjects into accessible narrative entry points

• Visual content mind-mapping to connect research, emotion, and intent

• Defining message, audience, and narrative direction

• Outcome: Research synthesis, visual mind map, and written concept proposal

PART 2: Visual Development and Storyboarding

• Defining tone, atmosphere, and emotional positioning

• Developing a visual language including color palette, texture, and stylistic direction

• AI-generated imagery for concept exploration and refinement

• Storyboarding narrative beats and visual transitions

• AI-generated video work to explore motion, pacing, and story-specific visual transformations

• Outcome: Visual language system, storyboard, and initial video sequences

PART 3: Final Film Editing and Narrative Presentation

• AI-assisted sound design and sound effects to support emotion and narrative clarity

• Video editing for 16:9 and 9:16 formats for presentation and publishing

• Refining pacing, rhythm, and emotional impact

• Final narrative alignment between message, visuals, and sound

Part 4: Final Narrative Film and Live Presentation

• Students presented a compelling story that demonstrated clear messaging, critical thought, and intentional storytelling, based on a personally chosen topic developed into an inspiring narrative for audiences to learn from.

COURSE DETAILS

This cohort is not open to the public — Enrollment is closed.

Course Format: In-person studio elective
Duration: Three weeks, Monday to Friday, 9:15 am - 12:00 pm EST
Institution: Saint Mary’s College of Communication
Program: Bachelor’s Degree Program, Undergraduate Students
Semester: Winter Term

THIS COHORT STARTS: January 5, 2026
Enrollment is closed.

INTERESTED IN TEAM ACCESS?
To schedule a consultation, request an invoice, or discuss internal training integration:

👉 Email
👉 Book a call
👉 Request Brochure PDF

Course Duration: 3-6 Weeks + 1 Live Presentation Week
Delivery: Online: Live Teaching + Asynchronous Lessons + Project Support
Certificate: Included for each participant upon project completion