Prototyping the future of creative production inside one of the industry’s most storied agencies

Overview / The Opportunity

At AnomalyNY, I sit within UNR Studios, the agency’s internal production arm, where I lead AI-driven innovation, content creation, and the transformation of our end-to-end production workflows.

I was hired with a clear mandate: future proof the agency. Drawing on my experience building creative systems and implementing automation, I defined a vision for how AI elevates both the craft of storytelling and the operational backbone behind it.

Since joining, I have engineered the foundation for the UNR Innovation Lab, established Creative Technology and AI Production as new revenue-driving pillars, and positioned us as a leader in applying emerging AI capabilities to brand creativity.

What I Built

My work concentrates on embedding artificial intelligence into the fabric of our production ecosystem. I serve as the organization’s AI video expert, responsible for both the systems that power creation and the knowledge required to use them well.

Key initiatives include:

• AI-first production infrastructure. Implemented generative image and video capabilities, automated cleanup and rotoscoping, AI-driven editorial acceleration, and ML-powered footage enhancement to improve speed, quality, and cost efficiency.

• Advanced AI video pipelines. Architected ingredient-based workflows for character and product consistency, motion transfer, AI VFX, AI dialogue and lip sync, and rapid variant generation.

• AI Video Knowledge Base and model intelligence. Developed a living database that benchmarks emerging video models against specific creative needs. This resource maps which models excel at which shot types and production use cases, ensuring we deploy the right capability for every brief and stay ahead of the tech landscape.

• Continuous model research and evaluation. Track vendor updates, run performance tests, and identify opportunities where new capabilities create value for advertising storytelling and scale.

• Generative prototyping for pitches and new business. Rapid experiments in interactive media, virtual production, branded games, and AR that unlock new narratives and drive client growth.

• Organization-wide AI enablement. Host workshops and trainings to upskill producers, editors, and creatives across the 800 person agency in the latest AI workflows.

• Operational and strategic advising. Collaborate with leadership to design our tech stack, remove bottlenecks, and standardize automated pipelines that future-proof the business.

Spearheading AI Video Production at UNR

When I recognized the growing potential of AI-generated video, I also recognized the chaos surrounding it. Hype and uncertainty were everywhere—what was actually possible, how consistent could outputs be, and how could large teams work with these tools responsibly? I took the initiative to bring structure, realism, and repeatability to the process.

I designed and implemented a complete workflow for how we onboard and execute AI video projects across the organization. This framework defines clear stages—from scoping and creative development to production and post—so that AI video is treated with the same rigor and craft as traditional filmmaking.

At its core, the system reframes AI video production through the lens of real production discipline. We still plan our shots. We still need to know how to handle product, cast talent, consider wardrobe, define locations, and map camera moves. Every element of composition and performance is intentionally directed, so that generative outputs align with creative vision and brand standards.

Below is a knowledge sharing deck I created for our in-house producers to help with planning. The original deck had animated gifs and video, so to see the real thing, you can click here.

Building an AI Video Knowledge Base

To bring order to a fast-moving landscape of AI video models, I led the creation of a centralized knowledge base in collaboration with the Anomaly Emerging Tech team. The goal was simple but essential: understand what each model does best, and build a shared framework that helps our creative and production teams choose the right tool for the right job.

We approached the research like a controlled study. First, we defined a taxonomy of shot types—from practical, everyday setups to abstract, surreal compositions that push the limits of advertising storytelling. Then we ran a consistent series of tests, applying the same prompts across multiple models and tracking how each performed across categories such as motion quality, realism, continuity, and creative control.

The result is a living database that benchmarks emerging models by capability and reliability. It allows teams to make informed creative and production decisions, accelerates our ability to test new tools, and keeps us on the forefront of generative video innovation.

From the surreal…

To the mundane…

Creative Work Highlights

Xiaomi EV - AI Video

Vacation Inc. - AI Video Exploration

Crown Royal - Kickoff With Crown NFL Campaign

Vans

TopGolf

Live Nation

Buffalo Wild Wings

Professional Jealousy Podcast

Outcomes & Legacy

While still in progress, my efforts have already:

Reduced costs and turnaround times through automation and AI
Sparked internal dialogue around new creative formats and production models
Positioned creative technology as a strategic growth area for the agency

The Innovation Lab I envisioned is becoming a sandbox for next-gen ideas—and a launchpad for rethinking what agency creative & production can be in the years ahead.

Anomaly