Duane Allen

Filmmaker, Creative Director, Illustrator, Storyboard Artist, and Painter working across traditional art and generative AI. I’ve always started with my hands—drawing, doodling, painting, developing characters, storyboarding sequences, and building worlds on paper before they ever reach a screen. That traditional art foundation shapes how I think about composition, color, lighting, character, visual storytelling, and cinematic design. As a filmmaker, I bring that same visual language into directing, cinematography, editing, sound design, and worldbuilding. I use generative AI as another creative medium—not a replacement for the craft behind the work. My AI-native production process can move from an original sketch or storyboard through visual development, reference-controlled image generation, node-based workflows, animation, sound design, editorial, and final finishing. My toolkit spans traditional drawing and painting alongside Runway, Seedance, Nano Banana, Photoshop, ElevenLabs, Suno, CapCut, Topaz, and other emerging creative tools. I’m comfortable testing different models, breaking workflows apart, and choosing tools based on what a particular shot or idea actually needs rather than chasing whatever model is newest. I create cinematic, surreal, character-driven work with a particular love for horror, experimentation, and worldbuilding. Whether I’m holding a pencil, a paintbrush, a camera, or building an AI workflow, the goal is the same: make something with a point of view. Founder of Darkr Studios and The Good Villain Company. Los Angeles.