The best ideas often come from the simplest questions. A question that lingers, nags, and sticks around long enough to demand an answer. Luke’s big question came one afternoon in New York City, while standing in a line that stretched down the block outside his friend’s tiny creamery.

“Why don’t you open another location?” Luke asked. “You’ve got a line out the door. Why not scale this up? Build a network?”

His friend paused, leaning on the counter, and gave a wry smile. “To grow, you need advertising,” he said. “Real advertising. It’s not 2015 anymore. A blurry selfie and a clever caption don’t cut it. People want polished content—something they can share and remember. And good video? A proper 30-second clip? It costs more than opening a second location. Small businesses like mine can’t afford it. It’s a vicious circle.”

That conversation stuck with Luke. It wasn’t just about one creamery—it was about every small business struggling to break free from the confines of its block, its neighborhood, its city. The barrier to growth wasn’t talent or ambition. It was access to a toolset—a way to tell their stories at a professional level without bankrupting their dreams.

This wasn’t a new problem. But maybe there was a new solution.

The Hollywood Dilemma

Luke knew this world. He had spent decades in the entertainment industry, creating stories that moved people. He understood the power of video, the magic of cinematic storytelling. But he also knew the cost. The price of lighting, sound, editing, and endless retakes. The difference between a good video and a great one often came down to money—money small businesses didn’t have.

Then, he thought about technology. Specifically, AI. In Hollywood, technology had always been part of the equation, from CGI dragons to motion-capture suits. But what if AI could do something different? What if it could democratize storytelling?

Luke dove headfirst into the world of AI. He became a mentor, a researcher, a collaborator with engineers and developers pushing the limits of what AI could do. He tested tools, refined workflows, and learned the language of algorithms.

One day, after months of experimenting, he called his friend in New York.

“I have a solution,” Luke said.

Building Luke & California

That solution became Luke & California, a company with a simple but audacious mission: bring Hollywood-quality video production to everyone.

The team Luke assembled reflected his vision. There were industry veterans who knew how to craft a story that would leave people breathless. There were young creatives who approached problems with fresh eyes and unrelenting curiosity. There were tech enthusiasts who believed AI wasn’t here to replace human creativity, but to amplify it.

Together, they built something unique: a place where the art of storytelling met the precision of AI.