The company
Our story
AI on the creative industry’s terms.
At Vertigo Films the founders spent twenty-five years making films, high-end television and branded content for studios, broadcasters and streamers. In 2024 they got a very early look at a new generation of video models and knew filmmaking was about to change. Chad Nelson and Nik Kleverov had already shown what was possible with their AI short, Critterz. So we joined forces to make Critterz the movie, and that’s when we found the problem.
Generating a shot is one thing. Making a film is something else entirely. A feature needs characters and worlds that stay consistent across hundreds of shots, and writers, designers, animators, editors and producers working from the same material. The AI tools could give us clips. What we needed was a production system. So we built one, and called it Woven.
Along the way they co-founded businesses across the whole value chain: the distribution operation now known as Vertigo Releasing, the international sales company Protagonist Pictures, and the post and VFX companies Post Republic and Automatik.
AI may change how films are made. The story, the performance and the final creative decision still belong to the filmmakers.
Why us
Twenty-five years making films, high-end television and branded content, with the top creatives and the biggest companies.
Early in digital filmmaking and distribution, in 3D outside America, and in building our own post and VFX company.
We have asked for the money and decided whether to give it. We have built a sales and distribution business.
Selected Work
Box office number ones and industry firsts.
The Team
Chief Executive Officer
Co-founded and built Vertigo Films, one of the UK's leading independent studios. Twenty-five years making films, high-end television and branded content, including Monsters, Bronson and Britannia, and scaled global distribution, VFX, post and sales businesses.
Chief Content Officer
Co-founded and built Vertigo Films with James across a twenty-three-year partnership. Twenty-five years making films, high-end television and branded content, with deep experience in international distribution, sales and financing.
Chief Creative Officer
Fifteen years at the intersection of storytelling, brand and technology at Native Foreign. Made the first AI brand film, for Toys“R”Us, and the main titles for Netflix's Narcos, alongside award-winning work for global brands and agencies. Directing Critterz.
Chief Technology Officer
Twenty-five years building high-performance platforms for Tesco, Cadbury, Ford and Marks & Spencer. Leads architecture and platform development.
Chief Operating Officer
Twenty-five years scaling film and TV businesses at PolyGram and Universal, and CEO of Vertigo Films. Former Investment Director at Ingenious Media, financing 60+ productions.
Head of AI Studio UK
With twenty-five years across the creative industries, Joe was an early pioneer in UK generative AI filmmaking. He helped shape Woven from a creative user perspective and now leads Amersia’s UK AI studio across development, previs and production as a director, producer and AI supervisor.
Go-to-Market Lead
15+ years driving revenue growth across media, entertainment, adtech, and emerging technology. Co-Founder of SL8TE.xyz, an entertainment platform partnered with XYZ Films. Previously at PubMatic (NASDAQ: PUBM), YouAppi (acquired), and Visible Measures (acquired).
Talent is universal. Opportunity is not.
Five per cent of our equity, profit, product, time and opportunity, committed from day one. The Foundation
Build with us
Studios, broadcasters, brands and creative teams. Start with one production and build from there.
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