Before There Were Words secures VOD and AVOD distribution for a 2026 release
ATLANTA, GA — August 25, 2026 — Filmmaker and screenwriter Austin “Ossy Oneal” Jones announced today that his short film Before There Were Words has secured distribution opportunities across multiple VOD and AVOD platforms and is moving through the 2026 release process. The Atlanta-based announcement follows the film’s festival recognition and reflects Jones’ use of AI-assisted production to complete a narrative film as a single creator while retaining human authorship of the screenplay and original characters.
Before There Were Words is a prehistoric narrative told without conventional spoken dialogue. The story relies on physical performance, sound, atmosphere and visual storytelling to depict survival, relationships and communication in a world before developed language.
Jones wrote the screenplay and created the film’s original characters from scratch. Generative AI tools were used as part of the visual production process, while the story, characters and underlying creative direction originated with Jones.
Based on currently identifiable public distribution records, Before There Were Words appears to be the second documented AI-assisted narrative film created by a single person to secure distribution through an established VOD or AVOD platform. No centralized industry registry currently tracks AI-assisted films by production method, creator count and distribution status, so the ranking is based on publicly available records.
Jones has previously received recognition as a screenwriter and filmmaker. His earlier feature film, Let There Be Vengeance, was written, produced, shot and edited by Jones and entered distribution through Buffalo 8, part of the BondIt Media Capital network. The film became available through digital services including Tubi, Vudu and Plex.
Jones is also the writer and creator of Of All the Colors, a classical-jazz musical screenplay that received festival recognition through the Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival. The project is currently in development.
The production of Before There Were Words differs from larger AI-assisted film projects that use teams of artists, editors, programmers and producers. Jones handled the film as a single-creator production while using generative technology within the production workflow.
The short is now in the process of being prepared for VOD and AVOD availability. Multiple distribution platforms have already been secured, with individual release timing dependent on each platform’s delivery and publishing process.
About Before There Were Words
Before There Were Words is a prehistoric narrative short film created by Austin “Ossy Oneal” Jones. The film uses limited verbal communication and focuses on physical storytelling, survival and human connection. Jones wrote the screenplay and created the original characters, while generative AI tools were incorporated into the visual production process.
The film has received festival recognition and has secured multiple VOD and AVOD distribution opportunities for its 2026 release cycle.
About Austin “Ossy Oneal” Jones
Austin “Ossy Oneal” Jones is a screenwriter, filmmaker, producer, editor and musician whose work includes independent film, music and AI-assisted video production.
Jones created the feature film Let There Be Vengeance, which entered distribution through Buffalo 8 / BondIt Media Capital and later became available on digital platforms including Tubi, Vudu and Plex.
He is also the writer and creator of the musical screenplay Of All the Colors, which received recognition through the Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival and is currently in development.
His 2026 short Before There Were Words combines a human-written screenplay and original human-created characters with AI-assisted visual production in a single-creator filmmaking process.
