Nick Harty’s Storiara targets film budgeting, not creative work

Penn senior Nick Harty is building Storiara, an AI agent that analyzes scripts and produces detailed line items for initial film budgets. The platform breaks scripts into scenes and identifies production needs including cast, props, wardrobe, vehicles, stunts and music. Harty says it compresses weeks of manual work into 20 minutes, helping the person preparing a budget rather than replacing their job.

The idea emerged during a visit to the Cannes Film Festival, where Harty questioned whether AI could support physical production without displacing creativity. He developed the system with friends Charlie and Spencer, founding the company in July of 2025. Filmmakers at New York University and University of California, Los Angeles returned to the tool after trying it, and requests for pricing helped signal a business opportunity. The founders also use it on their own films.

Harty distinguishes administrative assistance from generating creative material, which he strongly opposes. He says his willingness to use AI has narrowed as he has learned more about filmmaking, and that even people skeptical of AI have embraced Storiara. Studying marketing with minors in Cinema & Media Studies and Electrical Engineering, he sees the business as a way to build industry relationships while pursuing longer-term ambitions in producing, writing and development.