HYBRID PRODUCTION
A hybrid production is not AI added in post to rescue a shoot. It is a decision made in pre-production, shot by shot: which moments depend on real texture, performance and product accuracy, and which are better generated because they are impossible, too costly or too slow to shoot.
Because we produce live action as well as AI, we can make that call without bias towards either. The crew, the camera plan and the AI pipeline are designed around the same storyboard, the same light and the same references.
If your idea doesn’t need a camera at all, a fully AI production may be the better route.
01 — Brief and shot split
From the objective, channels and deliverables, we break the idea into shots and mark each one: shoot, generate or combine. Product accuracy, talent and usage rights weigh in that decision.
02 — Concept and script
One script for the whole film. The idea leads, and the technique serves it, never the other way around.
03 — Joint pre-production
Camera, lens, light direction and colour references are fixed for both sides, so plates shot on set and AI-generated material can match.
04 — Storyboard, animatic and approvals
The animatic mixes test generations with planned shots, so the client approves the whole film, not two separate halves.
05 — Shoot day and AI generation
We shoot what must be real, often lean and focused on product and people, while AI shots are generated and refined against the footage under the director’s eye.
06 — Compositing and finishing
Compositing, colour, sound design and music blend shot and generated material until the seams disappear.
07 — Versions and delivery
Formats, cut-downs and market versions, with a clear record of what was shot and what was generated for disclosure and usage.
Our in-house roster of AI Commercial Directors, Jaime Calachi and Carles Mas, leads the AI side of each hybrid production, with specialised external AI talent added per project and our live-action crew on set.
AI WORK
PHOCUS own work. AI-generated images directed by Carles Mas.
PHOCUS OWN WORK · DIRECTED BY CARLES MAS
The product must be exact.
Real packaging, materials and details are filmed, and AI builds the world around them.
People need to perform.
Real talent carries emotion and nuance, while settings and effects are generated.
The world is impossible.
Locations, scale or physics that no shoot could deliver are generated and matched to the footage.
Many versions, one shoot.
A single, focused shoot day can feed backgrounds, seasons and markets generated afterwards.
One team on both sides.
In-house directors, specialised external AI talent and our live-action crew work from one plan.
What is a hybrid production?
A commercial or brand film that combines live-action footage and AI-generated material in one piece, planned together from pre-production so it reads as one film.
How do you decide what to shoot and what to generate?
Shot by shot. We shoot when product accuracy, real performance or legal certainty matter most, and generate when a shot is impossible, too costly or needs many variations. Fully generated films are covered on our AI production page.
Is hybrid cheaper than a full shoot?
It depends on the idea. Hybrid often allows a shorter, more focused shoot, but compositing and AI work add their own time. We scope both sides in the proposal so the trade-off is clear.
Can AI shots match real footage?
That is the point of planning them together. Shared references for lens, light and colour, plus compositing in post, are what make the two kinds of material sit in the same film.
Do you work with agencies?
Yes, with brands and agencies, worldwide. We can run both the shoot and the AI work, or the AI side of a campaign the agency produces. There is also a version in Spanish.
How do I start a hybrid project?
Send your brief, deadlines and deliverables through our contact page. We will reply with a proposed shot split, stages and a proposal.