A New Chapter

Eddally Studios is an AI-powered production studio creating emotionally-driven vertical romance movies, for a mobile-native audience.

Or, at least, it will be.

This is a behind-the-scenes look at how I get from 'now' to that future.

I’m Erika Everest and I've been part of indie publishing for nearly a decade. I have written YA fairytale retellings and author help guides under this name, and spicy billionaire romance under a pen name.

I used to think that “indie author” was my title, and to go beyond the book meant setting up a different sort of company and leaving my author identity behind. But I've realized I'm not an author. Or, at least, not just an author.

I'm a storyteller. And going beyond the book just means exploring new mediums to share my stories, in addition to the written word.

I started watching vertical movies, particularly those focused on billionaire romance, and I was hooked. I binged them. I started writing a billionaire romance with a goal to sell it to a vertical movie company as a way of expanding my IP.

And then someone said to me, well, why wouldn't you make your own?

It's an idea I've had before. Take a group of friends, rent an Airbnb for a weekend, bring your iPhones and make your own movie. But realistically, those are difficult to pull off. There's a lot that goes into doing an acted drama well. And while I have a background in theater, it's not something you do on a whim.

Then in early 2025, there were two huge leaps forward in AI image generation.

The realism increased so much that it’s possible to generate content that looks like realistic models, like real actors. And then came consistent characterization.

I realized that I could take on those roles I wanted - director, show runner, and scriptwriter - without needing the full infrastructure of a traditional studio. I could effectively be my own studio by using AI ‘actors’.

We are on the cusp of it being possible.

There's likely to be some absolutely anti-AI people who think that it's a sellout to do this, etc., but they are not my audience. I'm not looking to convince or convert anyone. I believe it is better to make informed decisions than to work from a position of ignorance. I hope sharing real information here - what it takes, what it costs, what it enables - will empower others to make their own informed choices. Only you can decide what is right for you and your business.

For me, I'm stepping more into myself and saying, I do use this. I see the value. I also see the issues with the origins of how AI was developed. But I'm not letting that hold me back from the future I want.

Like most things in the indie world, it's about control - having the control and making the decisions yourself. For some people, those decisions may involve saying, I'd rather wait for Hollywood to pay me to make my movie for me. And that's perfectly valid!

But I want to be involved. I want to shape the creation of my IP across different media. And I think there's a lot of other people who feel that way too around their book babies, that there's something more to be developed that they want to be part of.

And now it's possible.

Not everyone will want to do this themselves. But I believe by the time mainstream adoption hits, there'll be companies that are willing to do it for you.

I hope Eddally will be one of them.

That's the overall goal and aim: to master the technology to the point where it is possible to offer page-to-screen production for other authors. Just like audiobooks. Just like foreign rights. Just like indie publishers who handle your marketing and take a cut.

A new industry is emerging around creator-led cinema. I want to help build it.

The future of storytelling is about giving more creators the tools and opportunities to bring their stories to life on their own terms.

This is my first step. I’ll share what I learn as I go.

Thanks for coming with me.