Guido Callegari: The Real Skill in AI Creation

In this episode, I speak with Guido Callegari, who shares how discovering generative AI in 2022 completely reshaped his creative career. After 15 years working as an art director in advertising, he began experimenting with tools like Midjourney and Runway, eventually becoming a creative partner with multiple AI platforms and collaborating on projects for global brands.

We explore what many people misunderstand about AI creativity, why prompts alone don’t create great work, and how human taste, curiosity, and experience remain the defining ingredients of meaningful creative output.

We Discuss

• The biggest mistake people make when using generative AI tools
• The difficulty of generating authentic emotion with AI
•  Why creative identity and personal taste still define great work
•  The role of failure and experimentation in mastering AI tools
•  How Guido collaborates with other creators and shares knowledge
•  Ethical responsibilities when creating with AI
•  Why young creators today have unprecedented opportunities to share their voice

Key Takeaways

• The tools can generate images and videos quickly, but the real value comes from the concept, vision, and intention behind the work.
• Producing visuals is easy. Producing something that feels personal and meaningful is much harder.
• Film knowledge, photography, music, and art history all influence how creators work with AI systems.
• Many creative breakthroughs come from unexpected results during experimentation.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Thank you so much, Guido, for joining me on Judes List. Welcome to the podcast. How are you doing today? Really good. Thank you for having me. It's really a pleasure to talk with you. Honor, honor to have you here. So tell us where you're speaking from and give us a bit about your background.

SPEAKER_03 0:14

Okay, I'm Guido. I'm Italian. I was born in 1981, 80 songs, okay, but later in the 90s. I come from Turin. I'm an art director. I work in the advertising agency for many 15 years. And two years ago, three years ago, it's really really difficult to tell view. I uh I found AI uh in on holidays during my holiday in the summer, and this is an explosion for me. Creativity in my mind changed uh all my life, all my creativity, all my approach. And uh now actually I'm uh a creative director. Um work with uh Grail, uh it's LA-based studios that use AI uh and uh storytelling, obviously. And I work with a lot of agencies in Italy and all over the world, uh big brands like Coca-Cola or Microsoft Activision, Meta, and others. I'm uh founder of uh uh ACC, if you know, and one of the eight founders of ACC is artificial intelligence creative community on LinkedIn. I think it actually is one of the most bigger communities uh that speak about AI. I'm actually partnering with all I think all the all the tools that are in the markets. For example, uh create a also uh run with Alian Community and one of the things that I do.

SPEAKER_01 2:01

Amazing, amazing. So um from your background, your your background is in art direction. How how how did that influence you entering the AI space?

SPEAKER_03 2:11

Um from my background, starting from my direction and the work in uh agency and brand, are really a game changer because uh can see uh um the moment of my life where uh the creativity is not the main focus of my career. Uh it's a flat career, flat to work always for the problem that uh uh the the tar in the in the industry, you know, the budget or uh not just so creativity, I can do this. And when comes a guy uh for me is uh from the the first generation, I remember uh my first generation uh is uh a third-story scene, not like the first story scene. Uh I see that my uh prompt um become something else. I brought something and transforming in imaging and changed all the things. Okay, this is the future. For me, this is the future. Okay, here my future is to understand exactly how to use these things in my world every day. My experience is is here and the future is here. It's uh it's difficult at the beginning because it's really crazy. But uh for me is uh uh really really my first point on this and change everything because okay, my creativity can fly over the clouds, okay. It's not sky's the limit, it's my creativity the limits, and I have to go really really hype with this and testing and understand exactly because I am in the middle about uh from uh uh engineer, okay, I'm creative, creative mind, because I like I'm a nerd and I like the code, the the vibe coding. Uh I'm not an engineer, but I like the code and all the things that I had to deconstruct, okay. Change something about the coding and by coding and images come together in AI, and for me it's mind-blowing. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 4:16

Nice, nice. What year, what year specifically did you start using um AI heavily?

SPEAKER_03 4:22

Uh for me I start from uh uh mid-journey uh in August 2022. Uh and um I try to understand it's the the prompting, the the uh to deconstruct the prompting, understand okay, I want to uh create this. How can I create this with exact prompt when the prompt is not uh I don't know, like actually an actual language, okay. And uh uh with all my friends in AEC uh in the in the business, because we we start all together, okay, all the big names that you know, obviously, we are starting together and speak each other in Discord or on LinkedIn. We see that there are a lot of people that try to do something uh a correct way, okay. And for me to create something uh that I want that represent me and it's useful for my work, okay. But the scenario into the agency three years ago is really difficult because all the people think that you are crazy, it's a passenger time, you know, like like like tripto or like I don't know, uh like a metaverse. No, okay, this is another metaverse, it's uh smoking clouds, it's not it's not real, but uh today we see that the story is was different.

SPEAKER_01 5:50

Okay. So when you started, it wasn't common for um for your industry for people in your industry to use these tools. Was that the case?

SPEAKER_03 5:59

Uh no, no, because uh for me in Italy, I think that I'm one of the first persons that can try to match the advertising world and uh AI word into the creativity, it's not an engineering process or workflow. It's how can I think the creativity in in the full service? Our AI is in the full service of my creativity. Uh it is not uh workflow. Okay, I have to change mindset in this, and I go real deep into this uh process. And uh my my first uh experience is that uh uh I'm starting to share my knowledge in LinkedIn, and okay, I I create this, and for make this, I wrote this, and it's incredible because a lot of people in Italy um see my my post. I remember my my first post on September where I share um a woman and a man, the woman made by water and a man made by fire dancing together. This post in two days, I think have an insight about uh one 100,000 people two days. It's incredible because every every everyone thoughts about I and me journey, and no one knows nothing about it. Yeah, and create these images in a few seconds. It's really incredible. A lot of people, okay, tell me more about this. I have to understand. Tell me more, show me more about this. For me, night all the night will become my um my gym, my AI gym, okay, for training and uh uh what can I do? And uh my my initial purpose is to explain this to all the creative people. Yeah, in Italy is diff is difficult, and this is the reason that I speak a lot with uh all the all the other words, people around the world, but in Italy is not really appreciate the the AI, but Italy is uh as different into the mindset of models. Well, why is that? Uh, because I think that Italy is uh more conservative from workflow, we have a lot of tradition, a lot of uh genius in creativity, and mixing something that is uh a machine output with human output uh is not is not a good idea. Okay, it's not is not a human, okay. It's not human. Human is uh uh thinking is more uh interesting than uh a thing that is uh an output from a machine, and all the people don't like the initial image. Okay, but is uh machine, is not creativity. Why you you said it is creativity, is uh is a machine that make all the things not human.

SPEAKER_01 9:02

Interesting. So how how how do you feel about that conception about how people think about AI?

SPEAKER_03 9:07

Um I think that people uh think about AI uh um is uh fundamental uh a bias because uh it's um it's correct, it's right for process, uh a kind of okay, a process not human uh uh human value. And um for for a lot of people, uh I think that a lot of people see only the the top of the iceberg into AI. Okay, for example, actually uh the the main discussion is uh on the price, okay. It's fast, you can spend a low money, hey, I don't have budgets, okay. It's really cool, but it's really simple. And uh the first year and the second year into the the business, I always speak about okay, no, but think about this is the correct approach. You have to think in functional of AI, because if you want to recreate something real, but it isn't impossible two years ago to make something real into the AI, photographic images. Think about okay, what can I do with this specific output? Actually, the price is always on top, obviously, but I think that we have uh um line and we have over the line that okay, for make something interesting and very beautiful, you have to uh have a really big knowledge about AI, how to use it and how to manage. Okay, because a lot of people try to do something and they stop it because the AI doesn't respond like the c the the agency or the clients or the brands imagine. Okay, okay, we we can do everything. Uh okay, do it. No, it's uh it's a um it's in between to okay, we can do a lot of things, but we we can do all the things. It's important to uh create a concept and uh um an idea from the beginning, concrete concept uh that ends in AI, because I have a lot of user case and I know that something is possible, something is impossible. You have to trust all the um professional guys, women uh creatives that create with AI, because uh all the creatives have uh uh experience and they know exactly what is possible but what is impossible. If I told you you can create everything is uh incredible mistake and is isn't isn't the the correct uh message because you can do uh a lot of things, many things, incredible things, but not all. But with your creativity, you can bypass this problem. Okay, the eye is always mixing tools, mixing ideas. I have a problem, okay. I uh I try to pass over this problem with uh my lateral thinking, okay, with uh a lot of uh creativity ideas that can you uh the the idea impossible, okay.

SPEAKER_01 12:28

Okay. So when you started using AI heavily, what most felt uncomfortable about using these tools?

SPEAKER_03 12:35

I was most comfortable uh for me the primary objective is to go to the videos. Okay. Uh my my my final uh objective is my final mission is to create something interesting into the videos. Okay, when I when I see my my first image, okay, the second phase is I have to move it. And I move to to the videos, obviously, for add to my image, to my concept of storytelling, for for say something, for give a message, or create emotion. And this is the same things for the for my uh business, for my agency, create something that has a message, quality message, or intentional message. Okay, absolutely. It's not random videos, random things. Uh it's not only a meme, uh it's my full meme, but I don't like a lot of the memes or all the viral videos that make great AI for a lot of people. Uh, you know, it's really important the focus uh on I I do something for a reason.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

Yeah. So so these tools really make generating ideas quick, right? And you're able to generate the images and videos quickly as well. But what is actually hard to generate?

SPEAKER_03 13:49

It's really hard to generate uh correct emotions because uh I think that the main problem to the AI generation is to make something really personal. I like probably I'm crazy, but I like to speak a lot about philosophy at the same time of AI, because uh it's really easy to stop your ideas at the second generation. Okay, AI make a lot of good things, beautiful things that uh everyone can say, okay, it's beautiful, it's fantastic, is but uh it's really difficult to have an output that represents your personal choice, your personal uh experience. What do you want? And uh I I think that the the the most difficult thing is about this video, this image, uh represent me in Nikolai's way. Is this what I like really? Or is uh is not uh uh 100% my ideas? Okay, the focus on what do you want is the most difficult things into the AI generation for for me, for my experience.

SPEAKER_01 14:59

So, when you're working on a project, how do you decide when something is finished? How do you know this is the final output?

SPEAKER_03 15:04

I have to stop because uh the most dangerous things is the new tools. I work uh you know into a project, I made all the things that uh um I believe it's the best uh videos, the best tools, and uh in the middle of production, some brand drop another tool that makes something more incredible, and you have to fight with yourself that okay, I I I don't want to regenerate everything because I know that it's better, and uh the main problem is that if you have a long time of production, uh when you finish your production and you you look at the the the output videos, okay, but it's all two years. This is uh like two years ago videos because it's really really fast. And I think that uh solution it's uh okay, keep your focus on on message, okay. Don't don't don't don't lose your message. This is the main things, okay. And the execution is is is better and better and better day by day. We see it to the present, you know. Every weekend is uh another another year, so yeah. But you have to uh concentrate and focus about in the message. If the message is correct, yes. I like this message, yes. Uh, it's clear, yes. Okay, go.

SPEAKER_02 16:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 16:27

Then you you don't have to look another time because you have to solve it.

SPEAKER_01 16:32

Why do you think people are making mistakes when they are using these tools?

SPEAKER_03 16:35

I think that the people make mistakes uh when uh they only think about uh how fast can I create something? Obviously, the composition of prompt uh is really important, but uh I think the prompt is dead uh uh actually. The prompting is that fortunately the prompting is that, but I think that uh you have to consider uh the pros and the cons of generating something. Okay, there are things that are really great and other really slopey images or videos. The choose in the middle, no, uh you have to know really, really good. Uh okay, this tool is better for I don't know, combat or fighting, and this is really great for consistency. This camera movement is uh uh good with I don't know this image, but not with this. He's always uh um create something that is really really good, but you have to uh evaluate every single images, prompt, or output that you have to do. Uh the the main uh client or agency, I thought always maybe. Is good this for AI? Maybe it depends whether you want. Uh okay, you have to put all the correct ingredients every time.

SPEAKER_01 17:56

Okay, but I guess what I'm also asking is from your experience, how do you tell, how can you tell someone has put in the correct ingredients? How do you recognize that?

SPEAKER_03 18:05

For the main uh images, for create something images.

SPEAKER_01 18:08

No, for the for the final output, when you see someone's work, how do you tell how how do you tell the ingredients that they've put in to generate the output that they have?

SPEAKER_03 18:18

It depends. I don't have a um uh fixed rule for it. Uh depends uh what is the final output. It's uh realistic, I only have one process. It's uh illustration, uh I use another process. The correct ingredients are based on experience and all the failure that uh creator uh makes in in his uh career. I I know that uh this uh particular uh angle is uh a problem, okay. And and then I choose another one. It's uh it's always a back and forth. Try this because I know that uh for the most try a lot of things, but this is the correct way for this, and uh I I remember and I follow my old rules, but I am ready to change this because uh new tools comes and new tools have uh another approach. It's like uh uh you know uh cooking something. You have uh the same ingredients, every sign, but it depends. In my kitchen, you have an approach in your you have to change my approach to another.

SPEAKER_01 19:25

Okay, okay. So in your work, what well how do you how do you define your taste with your work? How how can we see this work is from is from uh uh is from you? How do you define your taste?

SPEAKER_03 19:40

I I think and I hope that my uh my my my taste and my my vision is uh is clear because uh I come from uh comes directly from my experience. I have uh, I don't know, for example, I I work a lot of many years into the automotive, you know, and um I have uh I like angles and cameras and I have uh my taste, you know, you know, I like like a director, this is the same things, and uh uh obviously uh after a year's uh prompting uh adapt the prompting uh and the tools that learn from my prompt uh especially uh mid journey. I have my my code, my um my purpose. When I make something uh uh especially for for personal use, for exploration, I have uh I I I love anime. Okay, and uh it's uh it's a typical my feed is is full of anime. Uh I like very much. It's the red inside, like particular uh anime or cartoon or comic. And also horror and uh also the automatic. I love Lamborghini, and if you see a Lamborghini video, yeah, it's one of mine. Um I think that uh that's all it depends on uh what do you like, what do you choose. I think that uh it's not um uh it's uh uh uh it's not a direct selection, it's a natural selection of images and themes and music. I play guitar and bass, and uh I have uh my personal vision of music. This is an influence of my videos or my editing, okay, because uh it's difficult to have uh some kind of genre in my videos, and this is an influence for for for anything.

SPEAKER_01 21:44

Yeah. So, Guido, um when it comes to responsibility as a creative, especially now that all these tools are making like generating images and generating videos very cheap, how do we carry responsibility as creatives?

SPEAKER_03 21:58

I think that I like creatives. That use uh AI every day. Our responsibility is first thing is to explain what is the effort and the knowledge uh to uh the AI because uh we have to respect all the artists, all the uh genre, uh the copyright, obviously. It's really important for me that all the things come from myself, from my suggestion, not from another uh uh I don't know, brand or artist that don't want to share his work with me. Uh I think that the process is the same if you create something in advertising. I like uh create something like Banksy, but not the same. Okay, is uh kind of sound alike because it is my experience, like Graffiti, and obviously I put my experience into my work, and this is the same. It's really important that uh you don't uh steal nothing, for example, frame or logos or name of artists or photographer is um rule that uh I think creatives have to adopt every time we create something. It's really really important to also to explain this to the new generation, to the ACL or others, because it's not uh is not it's not good, it is uh our responsibility.

SPEAKER_02 23:24

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:25

I hope I hope that the the the uh the law uh comes really fast on this, but uh I I think that is not a really fast uh process.

SPEAKER_01 23:36

Yeah, and I think the tools are changing so fast and new ones are coming all the time. So uh we're still very early with all all of this. All of this is very early.

SPEAKER_03 23:49

Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely, absolutely. It's really important that uh we um I also teach in university here uh to explain this, explain this to the new generation. Respect the artists, respect the properties, respect uh all the um uh respect your yourself because it's not a good thing. So you have uh uh you have the power to come outside to the world with your style. This is really important in this moment. You have um possibility to have a voice to tell what do you want? So don't copy other. Yeah, okay, uh give uh a high volume to your message.

SPEAKER_01 24:32

Yeah, so in in in in that, how do you develop your voice? How do you develop your style? If there was a guideline you could give.

SPEAKER_03 24:39

Yeah, for for create something, yeah, uh study a lot, see a lot, a lot of things, a lot of things everywhere, everywhere, in every moment. It's the same, the same process. You have to uh be real curious about uh all uh all the all the back end, all the things that okay, you have something uh you have to um push your creativity and mixing your experience. Look at all the films or uh be curious about okay, but uh what is this? Okay, how can I make this? Because the in the AI era it's really important the data and the knowledge. If you know a lot of things about cinema, about photo, about uh what is your I don't know, your hobby. You can transfer all your experience into image, into videos. Fundamentally, be curious. Don't don't don't don't uh don't stop at the second generation, make one other generation, then decide that the second is correct. Okay. That's that's that's a lot of work. Yeah, a lot of work, and uh obviously uh I think the most important things for me, a famous phrase that that I uh say always into the meetings or panels is that think about a guy like a jazz music, you know, and give uh the arrow an opportunity. Is the arrow is not bad things, it's really good things because broke your ideas and travel your your concept and your your mind into another way that you don't have to consider in your first uh concept, okay, and create something like just no from an arrow. Use this, you don't have fear about error. Uh yeah, um you have to uh uh okay, it's not I think it's not a bad process to put some inspiration from AI. Okay, it's not necessarily one way, it's a dialogue, okay. Uh and uh if you have a really, really uh straight concept, but at some point AI give you an arrow, okay. No, it's not correct. Think about this error, okay. Okay, is not correct, or is it another way? Is another thing that uh for me is half of my concept. Make this error an opportunity, okay? Make the arrow an opportunity. This is uh I think that the the best way to with AI, with GPTs, with uh mid journey, obviously. Uh uh a lot of campaign uh comes from an error from mid-journey, you know, seven fingers, a lot of fingers that come into the advertising campaign, uh or also other, but give another opportunity. I think it's uh really important. For me, it's here.

SPEAKER_01 27:36

So, Guido, um let's break down one of your recent projects. Can you tell us about the inception of the project, what went into the project, and let's also talk about costs. How much does it cost to use these tools? So, when you describe that project, can you describe the cost element as well?

SPEAKER_03 27:51

Well uh this is a difficult question because uh okay, it depends from the project. Maybe uh for the the correct approach of um for the project, obviously it depends uh when AI when I come into the project. Okay, I I think that um for the um the the most uh the most project uh into the most when it comes at the first moment, okay, at the briefing moment is better because we can have a clear vision of uh problems, okay. And uh have a clear vision of problems reduce the cost because uh we bypass all the problems. For counting, uh it depends, it's uh uh spots or it's uh is an image, is uh is all the facts, uh depends from the tool. Uh we have to consider the right tool. Okay, there are more uh a lot of expensive tools and a cheaper tool that, for example, make the same things, but it's really uh a lower price. And obviously uh it's uh in equation. The most expensive tool create uh better things, two, three prompts, two, three generation, and the others uh uh need uh 15 generation. It depends, it's not uh fixed rule the cost. Obviously, the tools are every day more expensive, and this is uh uh an impact about the final project, final product, and uh we have to consider uh I don't know we have to consider the new tools or the the problems when you can't um when you when you call me at the end of the project for uh make a solution, give you a solution with uh project that uh doesn't start in a IA with a I expert. It's more expensive. Let's call the I expert at the beginning because you are in the in the blind way, you have to resolve uh this problem, and it could be really expensive. Okay, uh find the right solution uh at the problem.

SPEAKER_01 30:00

Uh it's it's the pen. Okay, okay. Um and again, I'm gonna push on this. Uh so uh let's go to 2025. How much did you personally spend on like using these tools? If you can give us like an estimate.

SPEAKER_03 30:14

Oh my god, I don't know. I don't know. Fortune uh to be uh creative partner of uh most of the tools. Most of the tools, yeah. So this is the this is a great things for the budget. Yeah, you have to recharge. Obviously, it's not enough the CPP. Give to the partner more credits tools, please. Especially Google that don't have partner expensive. I don't know, it's it's difficult to to uh have a good quantification of uh uh how I spend obviously if I had to uh make some price uh of the monthly price, I think uh for use six, seven, eight tools, uh we to pro business uh license three thousand, four thousand dollars maybe it depends. Yeah, I think depends on the estimate.

SPEAKER_01 31:18

Okay, okay. Okay, so if if someone were starting now, right? They're new to they're new to the space, don't know what tools to use, don't know how to start, like your your like some of your students that you speak with, what would you advise them to start? And what would be like a guideline that you would give them?

SPEAKER_03 31:39

With my students, I speak about process. And to obviously, actually we start from nano banana because uh it's uh the the the uh the most useful tool for everyone. This is the starting point for create something, but but I think that my students I speak a lot about uh uh idea. I have an idea really, really concrete, okay, a true six idea, okay. And don't don't um don't stop uh uh don't stop you in at the first image, at the image, okay. Your image is uh 30 second spots, okay. Your image tell stories after and before. I I think that tool uh uh at the moment that's simple because the natural language is useful for all the tools. Okay, you can you you can speak with LPDs or you can write in your language uh mid journey or video or other. I think that you have to concentrate uh to two ideas. Fortunately, we are in an age with all the information are free, a lot of free information on X, especially. We have a lot of uh content creators that make tutorials, explain all the process, and I think it's a good time to understand the AI, but you have to make a lot of uh a lot of practice. The most important thing is uh practice a lot, like like instruments. I can back always my first law. You have to practice a lot, a lot, a lot. You have to consider all the things, all the errors, okay. Learn from your error always. Okay, this is doesn't work. Okay, try another process. Okay, this is work, okay. But I know that the other process doesn't work. Okay, your uh your knowledge is really, really, really important and the practice, practice, practice. Okay. Keep keep keep the uh the tutorials or the prompts inside uh mid-journey, for example. Uh see the images that you like, take the prompt and change something. You understand really, really, really, really uh confidence with with prompting. Okay, I changed this and change this. Okay, this is uh practice, and you learn a lot from practice.

SPEAKER_01 34:02

The essence of practicing with these tools is to understand what would work and what would not work.

SPEAKER_03 34:07

Yes, absolutely. You have to uh uh many cases you have, okay, and uh a lot um if you have a lot of case uh failure, you know the correct way to do something. Okay, you try to to create something. For example, my my first uh film was an experiment because I I never create uh a film. Um I speak about my first film that um uh is for runway with runway, and after this I uh I became the first uh runway creative partner in Italy. But for me it's an experiment. I I I don't know how to how create a film. Imagine a story with JQT, for example, uh and create your framework and your still images and try to move. Three years ago, I don't have uh camera movements and uh all the other control things. I was guided only by my emotion. Okay, this is correct for me. And if I brought this, I have this. Is correct for this scene? Yes, okay. I learned how to create this emotion, this movement. Okay, and then move to another and put all your experience together. Okay. If I want to learn something, I try to do it. I learned by all my error. I I I made a lot of mistakes with prompting, with video, a lot of I'm not perfect, I don't have the the the the the grail of prompt or the perfect prompt. I don't know. I think it's uh kind of uh I don't know the vibing, you know. I think uh I think this is could be uh a correct way to try, yeah. Don't have fear to try something. The failure is uh great opportunity. Yard all the same things.

SPEAKER_00 35:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 35:54

In another in another universe.

SPEAKER_01 35:57

So, in your first experiment, how did you develop your story? How did you develop your your message? If if you don't have a background in filmmaking, if you don't have a background in storytelling, how did you do that?

SPEAKER_03 36:07

Okay, for my first film, uh uh I see all the processes that uh Nicolas Nelbert from Runway Possone X. I see the Nicholas film and it really blow my mind because okay, it's really a great thing, so I want to do the same things, and he explained all the process, and I try to follow the process, and then I may all make my my vision. Then okay, I have to study more than I know uh direction and camera and cinematic language, you know, and uh you have to it's easy if you have a lot of examples, you know, a consequence of okay, I see a lot of films, uh I like this and like this treatment, like this color, like this uh storytelling twists, you know, uh, and put it all together. I study a lot, I study every day, I study for my students, for myself, for my clients, you approach and experiment.

SPEAKER_01 37:16

That's that's interesting. So you're studying from other creators as well, and you're learning how they are using their prompts to create their work.

SPEAKER_03 37:26

Uh yeah, I want to see how other creators create uh his work. But um usually I create my GPT boat for everything. Okay, I train a lot of my um a lot of GPTs uh for my um creative workflow, a lot of projects from GPTs or automation or because I spend a lot of time for make perfect is not perfect training on not GPTs for me. Okay, or for me, not for others, but for me it's uh it's great because I like to um I like I I like very much the the process that are behind and ideas, okay. I come from engineering side. Okay. Because uh like creativity, but I want always that my creativity, my project comes to real, really solid output, okay. Yeah, I I don't like uh the pure creativity that fly in the sky and don't come to the earth.

SPEAKER_01 38:39

Okay, okay. So you want you want to make your creativity practical, you don't want it to be abstract.

SPEAKER_03 38:45

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because uh I think for me for me it works, and uh because uh if I transform my creativity into something that is concrete, I resolve a lot of problems. Okay, because it it's really good for me to have brilliant ideas, but always an idea. Then these ideas I have to transform into videos, into images, into a strategic uh operation for brand, for agency, and also for tool. I use tool for making my uh creation, my creativity concept real, always. I don't like the phrase that okay, give me solution, not problems. I don't like it. I hate this phrase. For me, it's a uh uh is I see all your problems for give you a solution. Because if I see all the problems, can I control the solution? And the solution is real, is correct. Okay, I have to think at the problems, why the problems happen, concrete solution of your problem is also the same same things from the arrows. Okay, the problems help me to give you a solution, and I have to think at all the problems. Think if I know all the problems, I give you the correct solution. I use the correct tools, I create the correct images that fit with your strategies, with your ideas, etc.

SPEAKER_01 40:12

Can you tell me more about how you're identifying problems and how you're able to work around them to develop solutions?

SPEAKER_03 40:20

Uh for develop solutions I I study the problem, all the problems uh that uh comes from my experience. For example, I don't know if you can come to me uh with a storyboard for film. When I see the storyboard, I imagine I don't know, camera movement. Oh, I read the script, and at this phase I I uh I see all the problems that come from uh movement, texture, for consistency, you know, and it's a kind of a radar, the problem rather from the scripts to the uh still images to the storyboard, uh also to the storytelling. It's uh it's continuous chain, you know? And all the things uh are I analyze all the things, vision, ideas, okay, but this is a frame when you move this, where we go, what what's happened? Okay, what do you want happen here? And I talk a lot with client and agency for understanding really really deep, go really deep into the ideas. Because inside the ideas, uh you think that is all good, all beautiful, but uh when we have to move into this idea, we have to um consider all the problems that this idea can generate. I it I told a lot of no, it's impossible. Yeah, but but not because I'm a bad guy.

unknown 41:49

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 41:50

My my my my no is your your make your idea really safe.

SPEAKER_01 41:56

Yeah, it's because you you you have a broad understanding of the challenges, so you're able to identify and shape the project.

SPEAKER_03 42:03

Yeah, it's it's um uh the thing is uh uh um I say always maybe because probably I think that this is possible, okay. But I don't want to promise something that uh uh I don't see. Uh maybe, maybe. I try, I try if it's possible, but I think that the um uh the the main thing is that you have to trust the the experts, but because from my experience, when you don't trust me is really um pain road to the output because uh nine percent uh it's true. We can have a problem if we follow this idea or this particular moment or I don't know, camera or macro details, uh etc etc. And if you want to go straight to your ideas, yeah, make it, but it's uh it costs a lot of money. Yeah. When we have to correct, yeah, and time, yeah, time is money. Uh if you if we have a spend a lot of time for correct your idea that I told you that is not correct, but money usually is uh the alarm for the client and agency, okay? But it costs a lot of money your ideas uh in this way. Oh no, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_01 43:35

We follow your yeah. How has it changed how you collaborate with other people?

SPEAKER_03 43:41

It's good things because uh when I collaborate with others, especially in Ray, we have a lot of uh artists and director. Uh it it's uh it's interesting because uh uh every artist, every collaboration has to be aligned to your style. And respect your style and your uh uh your group and every uh artist or collab collaborator are really uh specific for for style or for prompting and it's interesting that every time that we work together we change and we change tips and tricks. But okay, I I create this in this way. Oh okay, yeah, it doesn't interest me because I use another way, okay, but we can mix it together. Okay, I have a problem for create this, oh use this, oh it's incredible. It's uh really um um knowledge sharing every time we we we work together, okay. But uh the the most important thing is that uh every artist, every director, male, and also my my partner out of the grail are respectful of my ideas, my process. We have to respect the process because uh uh everyone has a personal process. My my process is different from yours or from another's and I don't uh it's um is it's a bad thing to try to change the the the other process in the AI. Uh it's really uh um personal things.

SPEAKER_01 45:17

Yeah, so in that instance, who do you choose to work with? How how do you choose collaborators?

SPEAKER_03 45:22

Oh it's difficult. It's difficult. Um uh I mean normally I choose my collaborators because I like their work. Uh like uh the trick is okay, you do something that I don't know how to create your yeah, your videos. So you you know something that I don't know. I don't know. Then work with me and put all together our notice because they are all my friends and the EIA friends are uh all people that uh I really really appreciate for this contribution, for for for direct personality, a lot, a lot of yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:06

So, Guido, what are you still learning about AI? What are you learning to see clearly? To learning uh my my personal vision, I think.

SPEAKER_03 46:16

The main thing is that uh I work every day for my vision, for my ideas, uh and it's really important for me uh that AI is always challenging. I push my curiosity always in every aspect of my life, every moment of my life in music, my life family, um, you know. Uh and I then and I think really, really fast on all the things, a lot of things in my mind, always. Uh I I try to uh push my storytelling in everything, you know. Uh when I speak about okay, this is an image, I start to speak a lot of okay, but this is a character that comes from GoTo and then commit something or do something else, no. Uh it's really challenging. But every time that I create something from the etc., I'm really uh I'm really joyful of this. Uh it's really every time that I create something, uh told me it's incredible.

SPEAKER_00 47:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 47:31

Every time, yeah, it's uh uh I think it's a good uh good way to approach to the frustration or painful create something. Uh it's a joy to create something. Uh uh really uh a really really big power. You could you you can create everything, uh you can imagine everything uh on your phone on your desktop. It's uh it's really uh really happy of this condition, that's uh and grateful, obviously, every day. Every day.

SPEAKER_01 48:05

Yeah, so you mentioned it's a great power. How do you exercise control with managing that power?

SPEAKER_03 48:11

Ah, okay. Uh with my GitHub and with real things. Um I think that uh um this power uh is uh for control the power maybe from my my experience is to uh uh turn off the power when you want. You don't have to be a slave of AI, of the tools, of the news, uh because it's a really really um painful way. Be stressed by okay, I have to test the new tool, I have to create content, I have to make some videos and learn a lot of things. It's uh infinite loop and it's it's dangerous, I think. You have to break, turn off your AI mind, okay, mindset, and make something real, okay. My my child, also my music. I I I play music, and I think it's a really uh a planning session of thinking. But you have to go slow, go really fast, or restart really fast, but you have to go slow for an hour, two hours, one day awake. Uh it's really conservative.

SPEAKER_01 49:25

Yeah. So, Guido, what do you think young creatives need to understand about this moment? What do you what do you think they should understand about what is the change that is happening?

SPEAKER_03 49:35

But I think it's a really crucial moment for the young creators because they have a very big opportunity to speak to the world. Because today we have a lot of uh media and tools for speak to the world forever, I don't know, for leave a message. This is really important because I think that the new generation uh a lot of message for the world, a lot of personality, and uh they can move with their device, with their monitor that is uh occupied all the entire life, all the entire journey, with a message, with a personal message. And uh I think that it's really important that the new generation approach uh the AI without bias, okay, but uh with uh creative mindset. Okay, creative mindset and foresee what happened.

SPEAKER_01 50:32

Okay, okay. And um what what do you hope doesn't change in the creative process or with creative work, no matter how like powerful these tools become?

SPEAKER_03 50:41

I hope that uh the choice remains the same, remain on the human side. I think the real difference into the approach is actually uh the the personal choice, personal uh effort, you know uh that the human decide what is correct and what isn't, and I hope that uh this situation doesn't change for a lot of you.

SPEAKER_02 51:06

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 51:08

It's really uh it's important to understand that all the things that have a value into AI is a human choice, is a human experience choice, is not a click.

SPEAKER_01 51:20

Yeah, yeah. So with all your influences, I know you speak about music, you speak about art direction and your personal experience that you've brought into into the AI space, into what you're creating.

SPEAKER_03 51:35

Uh for for my um my influence, my big influence. For me, uh it's a lot of manga. I think that uh it's a lot of uh anime for storytelling, for character. I like the character design so much. I like and love create character, crazy character like uh anime. And uh I think that this is the the the most influent things to my work for my creativity work. In my in my business work, advertising work, uh the experience of um spots and films and uh like all the things that are close to the manga also superhero and the Marvel, Schneider, Nolan, and all the big director, Lynch, uh Kubrick, uh Cellini too, the Italian way. I think that the all element of all the things that I see comes into my work, obviously not on the same result of this big name, but a little bit, just a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 52:47

Yeah. And then lastly, how did you learn storytelling just to develop your output? How to develop your your stories, your ideas?

SPEAKER_03 52:56

But I I think that I'm uh not the best storyteller side, because uh the the great storyteller has others, also other creators, but uh my my approach is to study the stories, read about stories, uh how uh how directors build films, what is the the rules of stories, you know, starting from the basic rules, okay, from the um from the text from the book uh that I read uh then I go with with my emotion. So things I have a lot of stuff of my story. Ask uh as to my friends whether it's correct, it's good. Okay, have a double check with generous people that I think that are good uh good friends and good artists and good directors, speak a lot and uh uh give all the things around from friends.

SPEAKER_01 53:52

Yeah, yeah. So we're we're up we're almost wrapping up the conversation. Do you have any large words for our listeners?

SPEAKER_03 53:59

I think and hope that uh you can find uh your way and uh your uh try to um uh try to express yourself. And I think that uh now is a really a crucial moment for emotion, for make make the things with heart, with love. It's uh strange uh that uh this uh this moment we can we can create something with machine full of emotion. I think this is uh uh the most interesting things into the 2026. I think that it's really important to believe in yourself and your ideas always. Don't be negative about the other, but follow your your mind, your concept, your your way. It's really important, obviously, today with a lot of social. But for example, AI starts with a lot of haters. Um we have had to go really straight to our way to come here today and say, okay, this is a good way, don't judge me if you don't like it. Okay, um uh stay do do your do yourself. Well, I I don't know, it's difficult to leave a message in the space. Follow your way, yeah, obviously. Uh don't be uh from your whoever you like. Yes, yeah. It's simple, it's simple, yes, but I think it's uh a good thing to follow in 2026.

SPEAKER_01 55:27

Yeah, and then lastly, Guedo, um, in your own words, what's your definition of love?

SPEAKER_03 55:33

In my own words, uh for me it's emotion. Love is guided by emotion, it's uh the the good final from an emotional thing. It's uh inspirational, obviously, but uh it's um joy to joy joy to to create something, joy to new email, joy to your success, joy to um create something with other people's, uh joy to share emotion with other people's. So it's really important that the best things that an AI artist can do, also a person, as a musician, a man, and a woman to create emotion in other people, sharing good things. Great, great.

SPEAKER_01 56:24

Thank you so much for the conversation. I hope you enjoyed it. Yes, obviously. Absolutely, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 56:30

Thanks for having me with our with uh all the others, creators, incredible man and woman into this post. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 56:38

Yeah, I think we're building something incredibly together, and it's such a great time to be in this space. So I'm encouraged by all the work that you are doing and just to see how we all push the space forward and how we all share what we are doing. I think it's a great time.

SPEAKER_03 56:54

Yeah, yes, yes, absolutely. We have to uh put all the experience together. It's really important, really important.

SPEAKER_01 57:04

Okay, probably it's a pleasure, always. Okay, okay. And um, do you have any advice for me on how I can improve what the work that I'm doing?

SPEAKER_03 57:12

I think it's a correct approach. I think that uh it's uh um a great moment uh for really, really understand and also what every creator wants to say to the world. Yeah. Uh I think uh that uh it's time to hear from the the makers the things. You know, a lot of guru of creator or something into the into the the web or social, but uh it's really important to have uh really to stay connected with the makers for for for people, for tools, for brand, because it's uh really, really uh a great time and the future I think in was was great uh uh from from this side, but you you have to hear the correct voice.

SPEAKER_01 58:03

That's amazing. That's amazing. Thank you so much. That I'll take that with me. Thank you. Thank thank you so much once again. Uh yeah, this has been a pleasure. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day, and then we'll I'll stay in touch. I'll stay in touch. Bye bye, bye bye.