As Halloween approaches, creative minds worldwide are conjuring up spooky ideas and eerie campaigns to thrill and entertain their audiences. NMCO Creative Studio has taken Halloween to a new level this year with a campaign that blurs the line between reality and alternate dimensions. What happens when creativity and artificial intelligence form an allegiance and blend one into the other? Let’s take a trip and see what happens when AI sucks a creative studio’s souls and creates a creative campaign from another dimension.
But first, who is (or better yet, who was) NMCO Creative Studio? Known for its innovative approach to design, marketing, and storytelling, NMCO has a reputation for pushing creative boundaries and delivering outstanding results for its clients. In Las Cruces, NM, NMCO has visually told the stories of organizations throughout the Southwest.
Using Adobe Firefly and Illustrator our creatives were able to generate disturbing images and vectors, enhancing the other dimensional experience. Words like ominous, nonsensical, and weird helped create the strange visions and scenes used on the social media graphics and the website.
NMCO upholds its identifier of being innovative by continually researching and experimenting with new concepts and technologies, and AI is a form of technology that has surely captivated us. So, the creatives at NMCO decided to take it a step further, experimenting with the idea of becoming AI, and from there, Souls Studio was born. A creative studio born in the dredges of AI, capturing creatives from NMCO to enact its plan for creative studio domination. But what happens when AI runs the show: fantastic anomalies, nonsense, nightmarish visions, distortions, and artificial transcriptions.
Souls Studio started as a Halloween video script that developed into a creative campaign. Using the script as a jumping off point, NMCO then developed the idea of a social media and website take over and needed to dive into the AI world to generate the creative.
Our creative team embraced AI and experimented with prompts like, “A creative studio that has been sucked into an AI void, creepy and ominous” to create messaging and visuals that are a little off-putting. To develop the content used for social media and our website, our creatives asked AI questions about fictional clients and what their line of work would be, as well as generating images that would accompany companies like one that intertwines human brains with computer hardware systems. Our team used AI to develop short 15-second scripts about a creative studio that was actively beginning to be possessed by AI and constantly interrupted while trying to film a Reel. From there, NMCO was able to rewrite, adjust, and develop the creative that fit with the AI creative studio narrative.
Souls Studio is a fun and expressive Halloween campaign that engages our creatives’ souls and entertains our audiences. NMCO was able to dive into different aspects of AI curating scripts, images, logos, and vector images.
By utilizing Photoshop’s new generative fill tool on a team photo, NMCO’s senior graphic designer, Dana Apodaca, was able to produce an unusual and unsettling result. The process involved taking a regular photo of the NMCO team and manipulating their appearances with the tool to create distorted, uncanny versions of themselves.
Conversations about AI have been circulating in the creative field for some time now, generally the curiosity of where it is currently, where it is going, and what that means for a creative. As it stands, AI is just that, artificial intelligence, and can’t be replaced by an actual person’s autonomy, conceptualization, and creative process. AI provides a way to push creative boundaries that were limited before by time, space, or budget. In Photoshop, we can now imagine spaces in new ways with generative fill. In Illustrator, we can quickly render a vector shape with a simple text prompt. ChatGPT can develop an ominous video script for a Halloween campaign.
What AI can be is an assistant in the creative space, like the experience of computers emerging into the graphic design, photography, and video space. It is a tool that became synonymous with the commercial creative world but did not replace the analog form of creating.
Because AI is being integrated into different digital creation platforms, it allows for greater access to content creation, gives creatives a hand in workflow, and provides creative liberties they may not have had due to location, budget, and skill.
So, enjoy this alternate plane of reality generated by NMCO Studios and get immersed in the chaos that beckons. Check out NMCO Studio on social media to become even more entangled in the web of creativity and AI, and watch our Souls Studio video premiering on October 30. We will see you back on the other side soon.
Kahlo is our gentle, friendly, office pup! He loves his belly rubbed, sniffing absolutely everything, and hasn’t found a treat he wouldn’t eat! Be sure to say hi, he loves the attention!
Once those websites are complete, Kelsey is our web maintenance manager. From regular updates, security checks, and content updates, Kelsey keeps our websites running smoothly, secure, and in tip-top shape.
Anna Kat is the driving force behind NMCO’s web development endeavors. With a sharp intellect, unwavering efficiency, and a keen eye for goals, she is the go-to expert for crafting everything from sleek landing pages to nationally acclaimed e-commerce sites. Anna Kat not only serves as your trusted web developer guide but also, if you look closely, you’ll notice she’s always impeccably color-coordinated with NMCO’s brand – a true testament to her attention to detail and commitment to the company’s image.
If you’re needing quality animation, Zac is your guy! Motion graphics, custom character rigging, and 2D animation are some of Zac’s specialties. Zac always wears a smile and is truly one of the nicest people you’ll meet. When Zac isn’t whipping out great animations, he plays bass guitar for a local jazz band! What a cool cat!
Meet Aaron, NMCO’s “Silent Assassin.” Despite his quiet demeanor, Aaron is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to videography, editing, color grading, drone operation, lighting, and crafting unforgettable cinematic experiences. His remarkable talent and expertise shine brightly, leaving an indelible mark on every project he touches.
Meet Sam, our resident photographer extraordinaire, who effortlessly transitions into the roles of Director of Photography, editor, color specialist, and an all-around Jack-of-all-trades. With an innate talent for capturing picture-perfect moments, Sam’s versatility knows no bounds. Beyond the camera, you’ll find him cruising the Southwest, embracing life to the fullest. Oh, and did we mention he boasts a head of truly great hair?
Don’t confuse Ralph with Academy Award-winning actor Johnny Depp. Although there’s a close resemblance, Ralph is much more talented behind the camera. He’s done it all from VFX to animation, to producing, directing, and editing some of our most memorable productions. It also should come as no surprise that he’s mastered the technical and practical aspects of videography, giving him the nickname, “The Doctor.”
Dana’s journey with NMCO has been nothing short of impressive, starting as a design intern and progressing to become a designer who now plays a pivotal role in assisting with art direction. Her dedication keeps our graphics department on track and ensures our processes are efficient and business-ready. Dana’s knack for creating identity systems has resulted in some of our most recognized work. And, if you’re fortunate enough to listen in, she’s consistently voted the best playlist in the studio.
With a background in journalism, file archival and organization, Dawn is our client onboarding extraordinaire. From contract preparation, to project management, account direction, and reporting, Dawn stirs the pot for most productions, making sure it’s served hot and on time.
When you have a wealth of creative content, you need someone like Lucky with 18 years of business experience to guide you on where to put it. He’s our media placement guru, with the expertise and know-how to maximize your impact. Whether it’s digital banner ads or broadcast TV, Lucky can take any budget and transform it into impressions and conversions. He’s dedicated to finding solutions for your unique challenges, making him an invaluable asset to our team.
Tina, as a co-founder of NMCO, has been on a relentless mission to redefine creative services in the southwest. Building a creative studio from the ground up was a formidable challenge, but her vision and determination have transformed NMCO into a beacon of professionalism and innovation, known for its people-centric approach and out-of-the-box thinking. While she’s taken on nearly every role in the studio, Tina’s next ambition is nothing short of global. She’s poised to take on the world with her creative endeavors.