Michael S Thompson

Available to hire

I’m an AI animation director and cinematic storyteller based in San Ramon, California, focused on creating character-driven animated series and films from concept to final edit.

About

I’m an AI animation director and cinematic storyteller based in San Ramon, California, focused on creating character-driven animated series and films from concept to final edit. I lead story development, cinematic shot design, and character consistency while building modern AI-assisted workflows for multi-shot storytelling.

As the founder and creative lead of The Joshua Project, I direct everything from screenwriting and storyboards to 2D/3D character artist direction, voice-over performance, and post-production. I combine traditional film direction and Adobe Premiere Pro editing with generative video and ElevenLabs voice production to bring original historical and faith-based narratives to the screen.

  • Joined October 2026

Industry experience

  • Media & Entertainment
  • Education
  • Non-Profit Organization
  • Healthcare
  • Professional Services

Projects · 2

Addiction commercial for Tranquility Rehab - in patient facility. This was part of the their digital marketing campaign. Impact animation to show adult addiction and showcase the addiction and recovery process.

  • AI Video Editor
  • Animation Director
  • Creative Director
  • +2

Expert Witness Series is a digital animated series that deepens Christian understanding of Scripture by revealing the profoundly Jewish context of the New Testament. Using a cinematic courtroom- drama framework intertwined with a visual biblical narrative, The goal was to create a character-driven courtroom drama that teaches the Bible.

  • AI Video Editor
  • Animation Director
  • Creative Director
  • +2

Work experience

AI Animation Director | Cinematic Storytelling & Creative Producer · Like Lightning StudiosOct 2026 – Present · 2 mos

• Create and direct original AI-assisted animated series and short-form films, leading concepts, scripts, storyboards, visual treatments, cinematic shots, and final edits. • Direct AI 2D and 3D character artists on character design, expressions, costumes, environments, and visual continuity across scenes. • Direct voice-over actors on character interpretation, dialogue, pacing, tone, and emotional performance; produce AI-assisted narration and character voices with ElevenLabs.

AI Animation Director · The Joshua ProjectFeb 2023 – Oct 2026 · 3 yrs 9 mos

CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY Editing: Adobe Premiere Pro | Voice: ElevenLabs | AI Video: LTX Studio / LTX Video, Runway, Kling AI, Google Veo, Seedance | Visual Development: OpenArt, Gemini | Creative Development: ChatGPT

Education

Masters of Business Administration · Thunderbird School of Global Management (ASU)2008 – 2010
School of Foreign Service · Georgetown University2004 – 2008

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