AI Made It Possible. **Craft** Made It Work.
How a PLAYE creative team used generative AI to produce a cinematic Fortescue brand film that would once have needed a major live-action shoot or CGI build.
An ambitious idea, with real constraints.
Fortescue's concept called for stylised environments, fast-moving vehicles, mining infrastructure, Formula E details and brand elements that had to appear correctly on screen. Generic AI output guesses at niche details, and gets them wrong.
A film crew mindset, applied to AI.
PLAYE Creative Partner Keir Crighton assembled a team led by Senior Creative Director Paul Mansfield. They refined the storyboard first, then generated around 1,200 images, rejecting and rebuilding until every shot held up, and finished it with a proper edit and sound design.
Brand-worthy work, not AI slop.
A cinematic brand film that would have been difficult, expensive or impractical to make the traditional way, with the quality control an enterprise brand needs.
The video literally got a standing ovation when shown on the big screen. Safe to say we knocked it out of the park with this one.
Why it worked
The storyboard came first
Changing the plan before generation is like changing an architect's drawing before the build. It saved time, credits and rework.
Volume as quality control
Generating many options gave the team range. Creative judgement decided what made the cut.
Human finish
Editing, music and sound design turned generated shots into a finished film.
Want to make an idea that used to be out of reach?
Get AI-capable creatives with the craft to make the work brand-worthy.