Hermosa Beach, CA-In a bold experiment that could reshape Hollywood’s approach to screenwriting, Hermosa Beach’s own Matt Allen and Krista Suh have demonstrated the power of an AI-human workflow by creating a 10-page script draft in just 2.5 hours. While traditional screenwriters can spend days refining pages, Allen and Suh harnessed AI’s speed and precision to accomplish the feat in a fraction of the time, presenting a new blueprint for efficient and high-quality content creation. This isn’t just a quick fix—it’s a game-changing shift in the writing process.
A Veteran’s Perspective: WGA Experience Meets AI Innovation
With over 20 years as a WGA writer, Allen brings extensive industry experience to this experiment. Known for popular films like Four Christmases and Soul Surfer, and co-writer of the Juneteenth comedy Block Party with Krista Suh, Allen has long understood the nuances of storytelling that resonate with audiences. His depth of experience is a crucial element in this process, proving that AI alone—or even AI combined with an amateur’s input—cannot deliver the same quality results.
This experiment shows that a veteran WGA writer using AI as a tool is what makes this breakthrough possible. “AI doesn’t replace skill,” Allen explains. “But in the hands of an experienced writer, it can dramatically amplify the creative process, allowing professionals to produce high-quality drafts faster than ever before.”
The Theory: Why AI Can Transform Screenwriting for Skilled Writers
For years, there’s been a persistent debate in the entertainment industry: Can AI be a reliable partner in creative work? Allen believes the answer is a resounding yes. According to him, this AI-human hybrid approach isn’t just faster; it enables skilled writers to prioritize creativity, pacing, and character depth. “When you have AI as an assistive tool,” Allen explains, “the grunt work—things like structuring, organizing, and iterative refinement—is sped up, giving writers more time to focus on what really matters in storytelling.” This is not about replacing writers; it’s about making the writing process more efficient, creating more room for creativity in less time.
The Experiment: A Head-to-Head Challenge
To test his theory, Allen partnered with No Film School and embarked on a unique challenge: create the first 10 pages of a screenplay in just 2.5 hours using AI tools, then pit it against a traditionally written script by WGA screenwriter Jason Hellerman. Allen and Suh’s process was all about leveraging AI to streamline brainstorming, drafting, and editing, allowing them to turn a high-level concept into polished pages in record time.
The setup involved a randomly generated logline that reads like a Hollywood thriller: A burnt-out bodyguard and a naive, fame-obsessed pop star must team up to take down a ruthless crime syndicate after accidentally witnessing a murder, leading to a series of chaotic mishaps and unlikely friendships. Using this prompt as their foundation, the AI-assisted team wrote a full 12 pages before trimming it down to 10 to match the guidelines.
In contrast, Hellerman took five days to deliver his own interpretation of the logline. Each script was then presented to an audience with a simple challenge: evaluate the writing quality and guess which script was AI-assisted.
The Results: Proving the Power of the AI-Human Workflow
The audience response was both surprising and enlightening. Readers couldn’t easily tell which pages were AI-assisted. In fact, more of them guessed that the human-written script was the AI-generated one, while the AI-assisted script was praised for its natural flow and pacing. It’s an irony that underscores a crucial point: the AI-human workflow is not only effective but competitive.
The challenge’s outcome validates Allen’s theory: by combining AI’s speed with human creativity, writers can achieve polished results in a fraction of the time without sacrificing quality. For Allen, this isn’t just a personal victory; it’s a proof of concept. “In 2.5 hours, we created something that could easily stand next to a human-written script, and it didn’t look like a second-rate attempt. It shows what’s possible when you work with AI as a creative partner.”
See the Results for Yourself: Links to the Scripts
Want to judge for yourself? Here’s your chance to read both scripts and decide which you think was generated by AI:
Read through both versions, and see if you can guess which is which. The results may surprise you, just as they did the audience in this experiment.
Why This is a Victory and a Game Changer for Hollywood
This experiment didn’t just prove that AI could assist with screenwriting; it showcased a scalable model for faster, cost-effective script generation. Imagine a Hollywood where screenwriters aren’t limited by lengthy turnaround times or exhausted by endless drafts. By adopting an AI-assisted approach, creatives can save time and energy, produce more content, and ultimately push storytelling into new territories with quicker iteration cycles.
This efficiency doesn’t come at the expense of creativity; if anything, it enhances it. Writers can spend more time experimenting with dialogue, exploring character development, and refining themes instead of getting bogged down in structural logistics. For both writers and producers, this workflow could mean major savings and a quicker path from concept to screen.
But that’s not all. Allen & Suh took an extra hour and also created a title song, and poster.
The South Bay Perspective: Leading the Way in Innovation
For South Bay residents and creatives, this success story highlights the area’s role as a hub of innovation and artistry. From tech startups to entertainment professionals, South Bay has long been a community at the intersection of creativity and technology. Allen’s experiment is a prime example of what’s possible when artists in the area embrace cutting-edge tools.
“South Bay has always been open to experimentation,” Allen shares. “It’s the kind of place where you can try new things and push boundaries. And right now, the boundary we’re pushing is how AI can amplify storytelling.”
Looking Ahead: The Future of AI in Screenwriting
The success of this experiment has opened the door to countless possibilities for AI in screenwriting, and Allen sees potential for this technology to continue reshaping Hollywood. Whether it’s generating first drafts, assisting in brainstorming sessions, or helping with storyboarding, AI has the power to simplify tasks that once took hours.
To readers and creatives in South Bay and beyond, Allen has a simple message: “Don’t fear AI. Embrace it. It’s a tool that can help you unlock your creativity and push your work to new levels.” The AI-human partnership is here, and it’s redefining what’s possible in Hollywood—and right here in the South Bay.