Entertainment
Is this plausible? Make sure it is.
Development, production and post-production for writers, directors, producers and documentary teams. Hand off the science, the shoot or the finish.
Humans Tell the Best Stories: why you shouldn’t use AI to write your screenplay.
When the science breaks, the audience stops believing.
And no one has the bandwidth to research, build, shoot and finish a world alone.
Hand off any phase
We work in the standard phases: development, video production and post-production.
Development
Research and consulting so the science holds up.
Video Production
Concept trailers and proof-of-concept films, including AI.
Post-Production
Edit, sound, music, special effects and AI.
01
Development: R&D and consulting
We review scripts, worlds, and story timelines so the science holds up on screen.
- Science plausibility consulting for existing screenplays
- Worldbuilding documentation and series bible creation
- Technology design and speculative engineering support
- Screenplay development, treatments, presentations and pitch decks
- Character design
What’s included
- Science plausibility consulting for existing screenplays
- Worldbuilding documentation and series bible creation
- Technology design and speculative engineering support
- Astrophysics, astrobiology, and planetary habitability studies
- Neuroscience, bioenergetics, and medical science research
- Comparative analysis of real-world science against projected timelines
- Civilization modeling and extrapolation
- Cultural heritage, language evolution, and community dynamics
- Character development with psychological profiling (MBTI) and relational mapping
- Logistical plausibility studies for socioeconomic and geopolitical scenarios
For Producers & Studios
- Complete screenplay packages with character sheets, world documentation, and concept materials
- Concept trailers and proof-of-concept films
- Grant application support materials — sizzle reels, science statements, project synopses
Screenwriting & Script Documents
- Original screenplay development (Final Draft 13, Scrivener)
- Treatments, synopses, and loglines
- Series bible and episode arc development
- Presentations & pitch decks
- Story & concept documents
- Spacecraft, stations, and fleet systems
- Propulsion, power generation, and energy systems
- Communications infrastructure and data systems
- Medical systems, robotics, and autonomous units
- Ground transportation and charging infrastructure
- Space suits, EVA systems, and operational equipment
Environmental Research
- Planetary and orbital habitats
- Subterranean and underwater structures
- Props, furniture, and functional set pieces
Character Design
- Full character appearance design: facial features, body type, age presentation
- Family resemblance planning across character groups
- Character sheets with reference imagery for production use
02
Video production, including AI
Concept trailers and proof-of-concept films that show the world, the tech, and the tone. Practical props, CGI and AI-augmented visuals in one pipeline, as in Alliance Arrival and Interstellar Backup. Also sizzle reels for grant applications.
- Practical filmmaking with real actors and fabricated props
- AI-augmented image and video generation (custom model training)
- All source imagery created original — no sourced or stock content
- Individual scene elements composed and assembled per shot
- Iterative generation and curation with high selectivity standards
03
Post-production, special effects and AI
Edit, color, sound and music, plus CGI composited with live footage and AI-augmented visuals.
What’s included
Video Editing & Composition
- Professional editing and assembly (DaVinci Resolve Studio)
- Color grading and correction
- Scene pacing, transitions, and visual continuity
Sound Editing & Engineering
- Sound effects design and placement
- Dialogue editing and voice direction
- AI voice generation and custom voice design (ElevenLabs)
Music Composition & Production
- Original music composition
- Lyric writing
- Music production, mixing, and mastering
- Scoring to picture
Films we’ve made
Concept films built across practical, CGI and AI-augmented pipelines.
In development: CRONOS: Achieve Optimum Balance, a documentary.
How it works
- 01Tell us what you’re building.
- 02We scope the phase: development, production or post.
- 03We deliver: documents, a concept film or a finished cut.
Pricing
Development
Hourly and day rates: see Development.
Production & post
Typical Seattle ranges. They are not fixed prices. Every project is quoted to its scope.
| Item | Typical Seattle range |
|---|---|
| Single-day shoot: simple interview or testimonial (per project) | $2,500–$6,000 |
| Branded video: multiple locations or interviews, with graphics (per project) | $6,000–$15,000 |
| Multi-day production with a larger crew (per project) | $15,000–$40,000+ |
| Drone / aerial footage (add-on, per project) | adds $500–$1,500 |
| Edited social clip (per clip) | $500–$3,000 |
| Full event coverage (per day) | $6,000–$18,000 |
| Corporate brand film (per project) | $15,000–$80,000+ |
| Director of photography (per day) | $600–$1,200 |
| Full crew: gaffer, PA, sound (add-on, per day) | adds $2,000–$5,000+ |
| Union crew | higher end of range |
| City permit | $25/day, billed separately |
Ranges are for Seattle. We also shoot onsite in other states, such as California, where Los Angeles has more studios.
Sources: Yes And Video · Video Editing Company · City of Seattle Film Manual
What changes the price
- Where it will run
- Shoot days and locations
- Actors (union or non-union)
- Crew only, or full scripting, production, and editing
Questions
Can you review a script we already have?
Yes: science plausibility consulting for existing screenplays.
Can you take it past development?
Yes: production and post, in the same pipeline.
Do you help with grant applications?
Yes: sizzle reels, science statements and project synopses.
How are credits handled?
IMDb credits go to whoever did what.
How is development billed?
By the hour or by the day. Rates are in the Development section above.
Meet the team
Every world starts with one question: is this plausible? Props, music and post are made in-house in Seattle, including the James Webb Space Telescope mirror array props in Alliance Arrival.
Filmmaker & science researcher
Skye Stout
IT expert. Science researcher for fun. Storyteller. Baby writer and filmmaker. Let's accomplish worlds!
Read bio
I've worked in the IT industry for two decades. My approach in storytelling is still human, though I've got the heart of an engineer. I've studied astronomy, cosmology, space time, biology, and neuroscience. I am an INFJ.
In books by Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Stephen Baxter, you'll notice that world-building was highly involved. For example, Mr. Clarke was skilled in blending compelling narrative with solid science. What they started carried into film — Nature series on the Planets, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Close Encounters, Avatar, The Expanse. What Cameron and Lucas built on screen proved that science fiction could feel immersive.
This is my approach to storytelling and discussing science. Hard science fiction with heart. Immersive worlds where the technology feels inevitable, not invented. Ad Astra — without the depressing solitude of the universe. Documentaries that make science relatable.
I am a survivor. Of motor-neuron disease. Of unimaginable trauma. Of quantum weirdness.
And yet… I love to bake sourdough from ancient grains. Conduct science experiments. Make hard science easy. Approach biology with a systems engineer's perspective.
My greatest inspiration is Jose-Luis Reyes. Jose makes costumes, props, ship models. He acts. He shows up and builds whatever the story needs. That's the standard.
Spaceships are just toys, but bigger. With stellarator fusion, MIMS Drives, or possibly Warp Drives. I don't do hyperdrive. Sorry Star Wars fans.
Musician, writer, engineer & props maker
Jose-Luis Reyes
Jose-Luis Reyes was born in San Diego, California in 1951. He holds an engineering degree — which explains why the things he builds actually work.
Read bio
He designs and fabricates wardrobe, costumes, ship models, and practical props using custom molding, repurposed materials, and whatever the story demands. The James Webb mirror array in Alliance Arrival? The earpiece? That was Jose. He also starred in the film as the alien — because when you need someone who can build the set and perform on it, you call Jose.
He is also an accomplished cosplayer, a self-taught composer, and a multi-instrumentalist who plays synthesizer keyboard, classical guitar, 7-stringed electric violin, baroque cello, Turkish Oud, and duduk. He writes comedy, inspirational essays, and screenplays.
He is an Honorably Discharged United States Army veteran — Regular Army, volunteer, 1972–1976, Vietnam Era.
He is a survivor. Of cancer. Of unimaginable trauma.
And yet… he designs and makes toys. He sews costumes. He composes music. He teaches about the principles of truth and the need to live by them — to stand firm in one's integrity, to never back down, and to always hope. In oneself.
He raises his eyes to the night sky and dreams of the infinite stars there, and the worlds that are with them.
He cooks a mean shrimp-bacon and SPAM fried rice, heavy on the green onions. On occasion, he sings — after a couple of good brandies in his coffee.
He is your neighbor. He asks for nothing. He never has. And he will do everything he possibly can to help anyone.
Jose is the greatest inspiration behind Skybird Science Films. He shows up and builds whatever the story needs — and he reminds us why we tell these stories in the first place.
Ride the light. All the way home.
Tell us what you’re building
Don’t let the story stall in development, or lose the audience on the science.
Development, production or post: tell us the phase and where you’re stuck. We’ll contact you within 2 business days.
Or call (206) 690-7593.
A world your audience believes, and a pitch-ready concept film or a finished cut.