AI with Johnny — Start from zero

The free lesson

Bring an old photo to life.

One evening, start to finish. You pick a photograph — a wedding long ago, your parents when they were young, something from a dusty old album — and by the end of the night it moves and breathes.

What you'll actually do

No jargon, no theory, no thirty-minute preamble. You open one tool and you make one thing.

Choose the right photo — some work, most don't, and there's a reason
The best tool for the job, and how to sign up and use it properly
The exact words to type, and why those words and not others
What to do when the result looks wrong, because it will the first time
How to save it on your phone or upload it online to share with family far away

Where it goes from here

Start easy, then progress to the hard stuff.

The photo lesson is real work you finish tonight — and it's a huge step forward on my pathway that guides you from total beginner to AI creator. Here's a clear overview of how long each step takes:

Day One Your first video One old photograph — your grandparents when young, or you as a child — brought to life. Finished, saved, and ready to send to someone before you go to bed, even if you've never opened an AI tool.

Week one Entertain family and friends Delight your grandkids by animating their very own drawings. Make your pet talk. Magically transform travel footage and fill your family with wonder. Create funny meme reels that make your friends laugh. Now you're having fun.

Weeks Two to Four Put yourself in a movie Your own face, dropped into a famous movie scene. This is where you stop being nervous about the tools and techniques once and for all, and start to believe in yourself.

Months One to Three Tell a whole story Now you're cooking! Multiple characters who stay consistent shot to shot, back-and-forth dialogue, a scene that holds together for a full minute. This is when you start to dust off all those ideas you've held in your head for years.

I won't tell you that you'll create fancy narrative pieces in a week. It took me well over half a year to learn, with many frustrated nights and wasted credits. But you can learn from my mistakes and accelerate your own learning curve and avoid those very same pitfalls. I'll also be available in my free Skool community while you work through it, so you're never stuck on your own.

Who this is for

People who think they've missed the train.

You've never made a video Not a short film, not a TikTok, nothing. That's the assumed starting point here, not an embarrassing exception.

You think it's too late You may think you're too old or not tech-savvy enough to learn AI. The truth is, AI makes age or tech knowledge irrelevant. And you're still early to the party. The tools and workflows that make this possible are still new and change every other week.

You've tried to learn before but gave up Most tutorials move too fast and are made by people who assume you know more than you do. Not mine — it wasn't long ago that I was completely lost myself.

You want to make something real Not disposable braindead content. Something you'd show your family and make them smile, truly delight your grandkids, or excitedly share with friends.

What I've made

Proof that this actually goes somewhere.

Some of my AI work. All of it solo, since the beginning of the year. You can bring your own ideas to life too, and I'll help you get there faster than I did!

Mad Snax: Furious Road TripParody short

The Someday TicketSpec commercial · VW

Jacob vs EsauMicrodrama

Indiana JohnnyJohnny Ruins Movies

Something to Smile AboutAd for a local business

Dune ArenaJohnny Ruins Movies

The Last BoatSpec Commercial · Toyota

The Alright CorralJohnny Ruins Movies

Sci Fi CrusadersMovie Trailer

Warrior KingMusic Video

Across the CosmosOriginal Short

One thing you should know before you trust me with your evening.

I'm not a filmmaker. I spent two decades on the technical side of things — software, 3D animation, visual effects — and almost none of it transferred. I had to learn this the same way you're about to.

What I have is eight months of figuring out what actually works, and a very clear memory of not knowing anything.

That memory is the whole reason this place exists. The people who are brilliant at this forgot what confusion feels like years ago. I haven't had time to forget.

Tonight you make your first AI video

Bring an old photo to life.

What you'll actually do

Start easy, then progress to the hard stuff.

People who think they've missed the train.

Proof that this actually goes somewhere.

Start tonight.