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Join nowand also get a VIP ticket to GamesBeat Next (Nov 2-3, SF).Indie video game Astroburn is expanding into an animated vertical micro-series, to test how AI-assisted production could potentially unlock new Transmedia opportunities for independent creators.
Game developer, director and producer HaZ Dulull, whose career spans games, film, visual effects and television, partnered with to transform the indie game Astroburn into ten one-minute vertical episodes. Produced using Nura’s Showcraft platform, the series reimagines the game’s characters and world for TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram.
The first episode premieres August 27, followed by one new episode each day for ten days. For Dulull, who was initially skeptical of generative AI, protecting the game’s identity was essential.
“Showcraft was designed for producers and creatives who, like me, are very protective of their IP,” said Dulull. “I wanted complete control over a locked-down model trained exclusively on my assets, ensuring the visual identity of Astroburn was retained throughout,” said Dulull, in a press release.
Working closely with Dulull, Nura Studios writer-director Abe Scheuermann developed and produced each episode in approximately one working week. The streamlined process covered scripting, animation, sound design, voice recording, music, cleanup and final delivery.
“The first test frames were trained exclusively on the original character sprites, animation and artwork I provided,” said Dulull in the same press release. “I could send annotated notes and receive updates within hours, sometimes less, with the feedback addressed exactly. That level of responsiveness is rare for a director.”
The production remained firmly human-led. Graziela Larroca voices Astro, Elvis Deane voices AL, and Brian Ulrich performs a rotating cast of supporting characters. Music is created by human composers, licensed through Epidemic Sound and edited to picture.
“I strongly prefer human voice artists because they bring nuances to a performance that are almost entirely absent from AI-generated voices,” said Scheuermann, in the press release. “The same philosophy applies to music.”
Rather than replacing a traditional creative team, Showcraft enabled a small group, one IP owner / Showrunner , one writer-director, three voice actors and licensed composers, to complete a project that might otherwise have required months of production and significantly greater resources.
“AI can’t and won’t tell your story. That’s your job,” said Dulull. “This works because the technology supports a clear creative vision, it isn’t about prompting random ideas to generate random shots.”
The project offers a practical model for independent game developers seeking to extend their intellectual property beyond games, reach new audiences and build awareness through short-form storytelling.
“Micro-series are a powerful way for indie developers to get their games discovered where players already spend their time,” said Isabelle Riva, Executive producer and VP of content at Nura Studios, in the press release.
With ten completed episodes, Astroburn aims to provide tangible evidence of how human-led, AI-enabled production could help independent creators expand their worlds without sacrificing authorship, control or identity.
The Astroburn animated micro-series premieres August 27 on TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram. One episode will be released daily for ten consecutive days.