What Secret Level does

Secret Level is an AI-native entertainment studio founded in 2023 by Emmy-winning filmmaker Jason Zada that produces films, series, and brand campaigns for global consumer brands, entertainment companies, music artists, and government clients. The studio combines generative AI tools — including Google DeepMind's Veo 2 and Veo 3, Midjourney, Runway AI, Udio, and Kling AI — with traditional Hollywood creative and production expertise under a unified hybrid pipeline. Its proprietary platform, Liquid Engine, orchestrates end-to-end AI-native and hybrid production at feature and series scale, and the studio maintains a public-facing portfolio of original IP (The Heist trilogy, Ashwick, Imperfectly Perfect, Submerged) alongside branded work for clients such as Coca-Cola, Mercedes, Intel, Amazon, Snapchat, LG, Wu-Tang Clan, Ghost, and Black Eyed Peas. Productions have generated billions of views across 20+ languages and territories.

The studio's business model rests on three revenue streams. First, project-based professional services fees from branded content campaigns and commercial projects for global enterprises, sold through a dedicated sales function and bespoke quote-based pricing. Second, original IP development and co-productions, where Secret Level retains creative leadership while external financiers (e.g., Artlist on the feature film Terrarium) provide production capital in exchange for distribution rights; the studio monetizes through licensing, royalties, and equity participation. Third, course fees from Secret Level Academy, a professional AI filmmaking education platform launched at CES 2026 with pre-sale pricing at $849 and a $1,299 regular price, which also functions as a talent pipeline and community asset. The go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, anchored by presence at Sundance, SXSW, CES, and TED, and reinforced by earned media in Ad Age, The Wrap, Forbes, and The Ankler.

Secret Level is privately held, incorporated in the United States as Secret Level, Inc., and headquartered in Los Angeles with engineering presence in the Pacific Northwest and a Delaware registered office. The company operates with an estimated 10–50 employees and a leadership bench that includes former Netflix and DreamWorks executive Christina Lee Storm (Head of Studio, Narrative), former Microsoft M&E CTO Andy Beach (CTO), former Verizon Media CRO Joseph Hopkins (Chief Business Officer), and veteran EP Kim-Lara King (Head of Production). No external funding rounds have been disclosed, indicating either a bootstrapped posture or undisclosed investment, and the company has received industry recognition including Ad Age's 2025 Production Company to Watch and an Ad Age Tech Power List 2025 honor for Zada.

Name

Secret Level

Legal name

Secret Level, Inc.

Website

https://secretlevel.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Secret Level is an AI-native entertainment studio founded in 2023 that produces original films, series, and brand campaigns for global consumer brands, studios, and music artists using generative AI tools orchestrated through its proprietary Liquid Engine platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AI-Native Entertainment Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219)

akta.pro primary industry

Development & Packaging (IP Sourcing, Script, Attachments) (MPADAAAA)

Keywords

• AI-native filmmaking
• Generative video production
• Branded content campaigns
• Original IP development
• Production management platform

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Branded Content Campaigns & Commercial Projects: Professional services revenue generated through producing brand campaigns and commercial projects for global consumer brands (e.g., Coca-Cola, Mercedes, Intel). Revenue is project-based, typically one-time engagements with significant contract values given the enterprise nature of clients.
2. Original IP Development & Co-Productions: Revenue and value creation through developing and producing original intellectual property. The company has attracted co-production financing (e.g., Artlist as financier and executive producer on Terrarium) and maintains an active pipeline of original projects that generate returns through distribution, licensing, and equity participation.
3. Secret Level Academy: Educational programs and training courses covering AI-driven production techniques. Revenue generated through course fees, providing an additional recurring revenue stream while also serving as a talent pipeline and community-building mechanism for the company.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Secret Level is an AI-native entertainment studio that produces films, series, and brand campaigns using generative AI tools combined with traditional Hollywood production workflows. The studio creates original intellectual property (films, series, shorts) and branded content for global consumer brands through its proprietary Liquid Engine production platform, which orchestrates AI-native and hybrid production at scale. The company also monetizes its production methodology through Secret Level Academy, a professional AI filmmaking education platform.

Product overview

Secret Level is an AI-native entertainment studio that operates as a single integrated offering combining proprietary technology, original content creation, and professional education. The core of the business is Liquid Engine, a cloud-based AI-native and hybrid production platform that enables the creation of films, series, and brand campaigns. The studio produces original IP (Secret Level Originals) including feature films, animated series, and shorts, alongside branded entertainment for global clients. Secret Level Academy provides professional education in AI filmmaking using the same workflows and tools. Together, these elements form an end-to-end production ecosystem where Liquid Engine powers the creative work, which generates both original IP and client projects, while the Academy trains the next generation of AI-native filmmakers using these same methodologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Secret Level Academy: Professional-level AI filmmaking education platform teaching real-world workflows from the studio's production pipeline.
• Liquid Engine

Products and services

• Liquid Engine Proprietary cloud-based production platform built for AI-native and hybrid filmmaking workflows. Brings creative development, production, and iteration into a single connected system, enabling teams to move faster, work smarter, and produce at feature and series scale.
• Secret Level Academy Professional-level AI filmmaking education platform for filmmakers, creatives, technologists, and storytellers. Features 7 pre-recorded modules covering the full production pipeline, taught by working professionals from Secret Level. Includes downloadable resources, real creative briefs, and a Certificate in AI-Native Filmmaking.
• Secret Level Originals (Narrative) Original films, series, and shorts created by Secret Level including The Heist trilogy, Ashwick (animated series), Dreamland, What Remains, Submerged, The Wood Fuzzles (kids' show pilot), Imperfectly Perfect, and documentary projects like Free Leonard Peltier (Sundance 2025).
• Brand Work (Branded Content Production) Bespoke branded entertainment and campaign production services for global brands and artists including Coca-Cola, Intel, Mercedes-Benz, eToro, Wu-Tang Clan, Black Eyed Peas, Snapchat, Amazon, LG, Ghost, Kalshi, and Washington Lottery. Projects range from AI-generated commercials to interactive AR experiences to music videos.
• Terrarium (Feature Film) Hybrid horror feature film written and directed by Jason Zada, produced by Christina Lee Storm, financed by Artlist, and produced alongside legendary horror producer Steven Schneider (Paranormal Activity, Insidious, Blair Witch). First union-compliant AI-powered feature film using fully DGA and SAG-AFTRA-compliant workflow.

Quantifiable outcome

• Billions of views generated across client brands and original productions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ArtlistcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtlist serves as financier and executive producer on Secret Level's original feature film Terrarium. This is a significant co-production relationship in which Artlist provides production financing in exchange for executive producer involvement and associated rights and distribution interests. The partnership enables Secret Level to develop original IP with external capital support while retaining creative leadership.
• Jason ZadacoreOthersJason Zada is Secret Level's co-founder and filmmaker advisor, providing strategic creative direction and leveraging his Emmy-winning filmmaking expertise and industry relationships. He serves as writer and director of Terrarium, Secret Level's flagship original feature film project. His involvement establishes credibility with Hollywood studios and enterprise clients.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Midjourney: Generative AI image model used by Secret Level for concept and image generation across productions. Comparable as an upstream tool supplier whose models Secret Level's pipeline depends on.
• ElevenLabs: Generative AI voice and audio platform used in film, gaming, and advertising. Comparable as an enabling technology provider in the broader AI-native production stack that Secret Level builds on.

Direct peers

• Promise Studios: Generative AI film and animation studio producing original features and series. Most directly comparable as a peer AI-native entertainment studio competing for the same long-form, original-IP opportunity.
• Runway: AI video generation platform that has moved from pure tooling into branded content and short-film production. Closest comparable to Secret Level because it combines generative video models with creative production services for brands and studios.
• Pika: Generative AI video startup building consumer- and prosumer-facing text/image-to-video tools. Directly comparable as a peer in the AI-native video creation category competing for the same creator and brand budgets.
• Luma AI: Developer of Dream Machine and other generative video models, with growing enterprise and creative-studio adoption. Comparable as a peer building generative video technology used in commercial production.

Broad incumbents

• The Mill: Global VFX and content production studio serving major brands with high-end commercials and experiential content. Comparable as a traditional incumbent production partner for the same enterprise brand clients.
• Anonymous Content: Independent entertainment company producing films, series, and advertising with top-tier creative talent. Comparable as an incumbent production house pursuing branded and original narrative work in the same talent tier.
• RSA Films: Long-established Ridley Scott production company producing commercials, branded content, and feature films. Comparable as an incumbent competing for premium branded content budgets Secret Level targets.

Emerging players

• Wonder Dynamics: AI-driven VFX and character automation platform (acquired by Autodesk) targeting film and episodic production. Comparable as a peer applying AI to traditional film production workflows.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/secret__level
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Secret__Level
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/secretlevel
• Instagraminstagram.com/secret____level

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Secret Level