Director's Works
Ikona Jovardi
Jonathan has his finger firmly on the digital zeitgeist button. A cross-media visual storyteller with a rich, immersive & playful aesthetic, his work combines live action, green screen, 2D and 3D animation to create kinetically-charged commercials. Jonathan's style is highly dynamic and imaginative, and heavily influenced by his time as Creative Director at Artlist and Motion Array. Most recently he has been experimenting with AI, looking at the emerging possibilities in the exciting creative intersection of organic and digital craft.
With his background in VFX and creative directing at Artlist and Motion Array, Jovardi has always been drawn to experimenting with cutting-edge technology. His latest work, IKONA, showcases his talent for pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, not just technically but narratively.
"I’ve been exploring the AI filmmaking space for some time now, working with Gen1, Gen 2, and Luma from their early stages. What always interests me is figuring out how we can tell stories with AI. My first films were more experimental, more video art-oriented. Genesis, the one I did before, started leaning more toward storytelling, but it was still very experimental. With IKONA, I wanted to take it to the next level and really tell a story, to make the film I had in my mind.
For IKONA, the transition from a more traditional production approach to utilizing AI was really interesting. The core change, which I think is huge, is that AI is only a tool. In traditional filmmaking, there’s a linear process: you write a script, get it approved, do a shooting script, create a storyboard, shoot, and edit—each step follows the next. AI breaks all of that. I was literally
doing everything simultaneously—creating the storyboard as I shot, editing while doing sound design, rewriting dialogue as the visuals came together. The film builds up more like a statue that takes shape rather than a factory where one step follows the next.
This is the beginning of something... and who knows where it'll lead."
