“Dream Lab LA” will be led by industry veteran and filmmaker Verena Puhm and entertainment technology expert Jon Finger

With support from a16z, AWS, NVIDIA and other leading investors, Luma AI is partnering with filmmakers to evolve their craft – honoring the past while innovating for the future

Luma AI, one of the world's most advanced generative AI companies, today announced the launch of its groundbreaking initiative, “Dream Lab LA” – a bold new initiative headquartered in Los Angeles that combines frontier AI technology with deep expertise in filmmaking. Dream Lab LA is designed as a creative engine room where Hollywood veterans, emerging storytellers, studios, and curious minds come together to shape the next era of storytelling – before it arrives.

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Luma AI launches "Dream Lab LA" to give filmmakers the knowledge, tools, and team to thrive in the AI era. Verena Puhm (L) was named Head of Studio, and Jon Finger (R) named Creative Workflow Executive. (Credit: Tim Kasper for Luma AI)

"Dream Lab LA is where we build what everyone else is still guessing at," says Amit Jain, CEO and Founder of Luma AI. "This is not about chasing trends, this is about defining what’s next."

Rooted in hands-on filmmaking and backed by frontier research, Dream Lab LA exists to explore how AI can empower creativity, not replace it. As AI rapidly reshapes the creative landscape, Dream Lab LA offers a space for experimentation, education, and collaboration between studios, creators, and curious minds.

Luma AI today announced the leadership team for Dream Lab LA, naming Verena Puhm as Head of the studio. A powerhouse in both traditional and AI-driven storytelling, Puhm has shaped content for global giants like CNN, BBC, Netflix, Red Bull Media, and Leonine Studios. As one of the earliest creatives to embrace AI in filmmaking, she’s led acclaimed projects recognized by Sundance, Project Odyssey, Curious Refuge, and OpenAI’s Sora Selects. Her ability to merge narrative craftsmanship with technological innovation has earned her a reputation as one of the leading voices driving the future of the entertainment industry. In her new role, Puhm will spearhead the studio’s vision for next-generation content and lead a slate of boundary-pushing productions.

"I believe the future of storytelling should be shaped by the people who tell stories, not just the people who build the tools," says Verena Puhm, Head of Dream Lab LA. "We’re cultivating a community, a creative lab, and a launchpad for what’s next. This isn’t just another platform; it’s a creative studio built from the ground up to blend technological innovation with artistic intention."

Jon Finger, Creative Workflow Executive, brings over 15 years of experience at the intersection of emerging technology and content creation. A pioneer in at-home motion capture, 3D scanning, and virtual production, he has worked across various entertainment sectors with brands such as Paramount Network, The Game Awards, and Comedy Central, and has developed for Netflix. For the past three years, Finger has focused on AI integration in filmmaking, developing workflows that give creators physicalized control over AI-driven productions.

“The focus here is to find the best experiences for passionate creatives,” said Jon Finger, Creative Workflow Executive. “The world is changing quickly, and we want to find the best ways for fun, fulfilling human-centric creative expression to not only continue but be amplified, so more creative people can find a new prosperous way forward.”

Luma AI is fundamentally different from other technology companies; it builds AI that elevates the craft of filmmaking, working closely with creatives. From its intuitive Modify Video, Reframe, and Keyframes to its foundation models Ray2 and Photon, Luma is creating instruments, not gimmicks, explicitly designed for narrative storytelling.

At its core, Dream Lab LA is a creative harbor where:

- Filmmakers collaborate, learn, and tell new stories

- Studios get embedded support to modernize workflows and upskill teams

- Curious daredevils push boundaries and experiment freely

Projects created using Luma AI’s tools are already being deployed in real-world productions and will continue to shape what’s next across film, TV, gaming, and beyond.

About Luma AI

Luma AI is building a multimodal general intelligence that understands and operates in the physical world. Its flagship platform, Dream Machine, enables anyone to generate photorealistic video and images from simple prompts, and now powers creation for over 30 million users. In 2025, Luma released Ray2, a frontier video generative model capable of creating realistic visuals with stunning detail and natural motion. Luma’s models are utilized by top entertainment studios, ad agencies, and technology leaders such as Adobe and AWS, and are available via subscription or API. The company is backed by Andreessen Horowitz, AWS, Amplify Partners, and Matrix Partners.

For more information, visit https://lumalabs.ai.

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Rooted in hands-on filmmaking and backed by frontier research, Dream Lab LA exists to explore how AI can empower creativity, not replace it.