Behind a 30-second ad
- Before the shoot
A storyboard from AI frames
Before filming, the festival received a storyboard built from AI frames. We used it to agree the characters, oval and scene composition.
The robot character
We agreed the head and body design before filming. The white ring around the black ear lens and the armour panels had to match in every shot.
A helmet marks the robot
The simplest stand-in on set. It marked the head height and eyeline, giving the actors a real point to play towards.
- A day at EC1
Camera and drone
Sony FX3 on set, a DJI drone above the hall. LED tubes on the floor cast colour onto faces and shoes.
- AI post-production
The robot as a separate layer
Video models generated the robot movement, with some shots processed locally in ComfyUI on our hardware. Only the masked robot entered the frame; the rest remained the filmed footage.
4K masks
We masked people and shoes at native 4K resolution so the arena could pass beneath their feet without outlines.
Oval and closing frame
Three bands from the festival identity. The closing frame background matches the festival website colour.
- Formats
16:9, 9:16 and a screen version
A horizontal ad, a vertical version stacking two wide images instead of cropping their centre, and a version with partner cards for EC1 screens.
Reels during the festival
During the festival we edited speaker reels as events unfolded, delivering them the same day.
Tech for Humanity needed a robot. We made sure the people stayed real.
Generating the robot, keeping the people
We tested an AI version of the whole shot, including the actors. The movement looked impressive, but the people lost credibility. We kept the EC1 footage: the model generated only a masked robot, while the camera movement, gestures, light and colour came from the set.
A set planned for post-production
A white helmet on a stand played the robot. The actors had a point to address and look towards, and we knew the head position and height. LED tubes on the floor cast red and turquoise onto faces and shoes. In post-production, an arena of light replaced them in the same colours.
The robot from every angle
Before compositing, we made a character sheet: front, three-quarter, profile and rear views. Every generation used it as a reference to keep the helmet, ears and armour panels consistent.
The EC1 set
Drag the line. The left shows the ungraded camera frame; the right shows the finished ad. Every frame is 4K.
Two tubes on the floor coloured the shoes and face. In the ad, an arena of light replaces them in the same colours, and the lift doors disappear.
Red for people, turquoise for the machine
Colour follows the story. When people argue their case, red fills the arena and faces. When the machine gains the advantage, the band turns turquoise. Each change follows the real set lighting.
The line cuts through the whole ad. The left shows the camera frame; the right shows the final screen version. Camera movement, actors and gestures stay identical. Only the added elements change.
Over 70,000 views in six days
The ad launched on 20 October, three days before the festival opened. By 26 October it had 70,443 views across YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. On Instagram it was a shared reel from Freedom Games, Liberté! magazine and Łódzkie Centrum Wydarzeń. AI-assisted frames carry the AI MODIFIED mark in every publication.
Plan a similar project for your company.
See how we run the production and what it costs
Frequently asked questions
Have another question? Write to us. We reply the same working day.
