Retroviral Art Director Elizma Keyter Details AI Workflow From ChatGPT to Suno for Campaign Pitching

After more than a decade in the creative agency world, one thing has remained consistent: tools change. Every “new” tool has arrived with a mix of hype, fear, and resistance of course.

And every time, it eventually becomes part of the workflow.AI is no different. A real creative doesn’t fear new tools, they use them to their advantage.

Why I use AI (and why it matters)

We don’t just work in a fast-paced industry, we work in one where clarity sells.

AI helps:

• Visualise ideas faster
  
• Align teams earlier
  
• Sell concepts more convincingly and affordably
  
• Reduce back-and-forth later

In a South African production context; where budgets, timelines, and multiple stakeholders all collide, clarity isn’t a luxury - it's a necessity. The quicker everyone “gets it”, the smoother everything runs.

VML Birdwatching at the Loeries | How technology and creativity can be bedfellows

My workflow: From idea to pitch-ready

Here’s how I actually use AI tools in my creative pitching process:

1. Step 1: Building the vision with ChatGPT

   This is where it starts. Whether I’m developing a key visual, a main character for a storyboard, ChatGPT helps translate abstract ideas into something tangible.

   The real skill here is prompting:

   • Camera angles
     
   • Lighting direction
     
   • Character traits
     
   • Mood and tone

   Done right, you’re not just generating images, you’re crafting a visual language.

   Once the main character is locked, consistency becomes a superpower. You can place that same character across multiple scenes, instantly building a believable narrative.

   For clients, this is gold. They don’t have to imagine the idea anymore, they can see it.

   AI: technology to help the creative process

   29 Dec 2021

2. Step 2: Refining with Adobe Photoshop Firefly & Adobe Illustrator

   Now we polish. Using Photoshop and Firefly:

   • Extend backgrounds
     
   • Create space for campaign lockups
     
   • Refine compositions for key visuals

   This is where the campaign starts feeling real. And most importantly, it bridges the gap between concept and production.

   When a production house receives this level of visual clarity, there’s no guesswork:

   • Talent direction is clear
     
   • Styling is defined
     
   • Lighting and framing are aligned

   It saves time, and ensures the agency, production house and clients are aligned on the day of the shoot.

3. Step 3: Bringing motion to life with Google AI Studio

   Static images are great, but movement lands. By taking storyboard frames into Google AI Studio (using tools like VEO), I can simulate:

   • Camera tracking
     
   • Scene transitions
     
   • Key cinematic moments

   You suddenly have something powerful, a moving reference of your idea before a single frame is shot. I usually convert these into short looping GIFs, quick, punchy, and perfect for pitch presentations.

4. Step 4: Setting the tone with Suno

   Visuals alone aren’t enough, tone matters.

   With Suno, I generate music that reflects:

   • Mood
     
   • Genre
     
   • Energy of the campaign

   Sometimes even incorporating the campaign name into the lyrics.

   It becomes a sonic moodboard, something that helps:

   • Clients feel the idea
     
   • Directors interpret the tone
     
   • Musicians understand the direction

   In the South African context, where music is such a powerful cultural driver, this step is a game changer, which also helps us source the perfect producer/musician for the job.

So what does this actually change?

Simple:

• Faster buy-in from clients
  
• Stronger alignment across teams
  
• Fewer revisions down the line
  
• And most importantly…It gives us more time to focus on what actually matters, which is “The Big Idea”, brainstorming creative solutions and direction. And then get to our end-result quicker!

VML Birdwatching at the Loeries | The future is now, AI is now!

The part AI can’t do

AI can generate visuals, it can simulate motion and it can even compose music.

But it can’t:

• Understand the nuance of South African culture
  
• Spot the human truth behind a campaign
  
• Land on that insight that makes people feel something
• Do the actual work for you.
  
• Set the tone for the visual language

That part? That’s still on us. “The Big Idea”, the creative input that real people bring to the set on the day, the editing of the video, and the rollout of the creatives across multiple platforms.

So, in conclusion, “The Big Idea” still belongs to us, AI just helps us get the campaign across the line more efficiently.