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We sat down with Anil Nataly, Creative Director at Together, to talk about how AI is reshaping the creative process from concept to completion. Whether it’s storyboarding, retouching, visualisation, or client communication, AI is now a core part of how the team thinks, experiments, and produces work. Anil reflects on the early days of exploring these tools, how they’ve influenced real-world projects like Aqua Sana and High Bet, and what the next chapter of AI in creativity could look like.
I first began exploring AI shortly after Midjourney was released, around 18 months ago. At that point, it was more of a curiosity. I was simply experimenting, seeing what it could do. But soon, I realised the potential behind it.
Even though the outputs back then were far from perfect, what impressed me most was the speed. It could generate visuals in minutes that would otherwise take hours to design manually. Over time, as the tools improved, we began integrating AI more deliberately into our creative process at Together. It shifted from being just a fun experiment to becoming a genuine extension of how we think and work.
AI has made a noticeable difference, particularly in projects like Aqua Sana and High Bet. In the past, storyboarding used to be time-consuming, especially when clients wanted to see several visual variations. With AI, we could generate those variations quickly, allowing us to explore multiple creative directions in a much shorter time frame. For Aqua Sana, there was a scene involving a large portal structure designed to look like a tree emerging from the ground. The client needed to understand exactly how it would appear in 3D space.
Using AI-generated visuals, we could create realistic versions of this structure almost instantly. The props team had detailed visual cues to work from, including where the branches spread out, how the textures looked, and how the light would hit the surface. That process, which traditionally might have taken a month, was completed in a matter of days. It changed the way we collaborate internally and communicate externally, making the entire production process faster and far more visual.
We still start with our traditional approach to mood boards, using photography and reference imagery to establish tone and direction. However, AI allows us to refine these boards and get much closer to the final concept at an early stage. For instance, if we have an image of a man running on a street but decide he should be on a rooftop instead, AI helps us recreate that instantly.
We can match the lighting, the camera angle, the overall mood, and even specific visual details. It means we can present something far more precise to the client. What we have noticed is that clients today prefer to see visuals that are closer to reality right from the beginning. They do not want to imagine how something might look; they want to see it almost exactly as it will appear. AI has allowed us to bridge that gap and make our pre-production process much more accurate.
Retouching has always been a craft that requires a keen eye and patience. While AI cannot replace that artistic judgment, it has certainly made the workflow smoother. We use AI to take care of the repetitive and time-consuming parts such as masking, replacing small background elements, or cleaning up details in an image.
This allows our designers and retouchers to spend more time perfecting the colour balance, adjusting the tone, and focusing on the overall composition. With tools like Adobe Firefly and the new AI features in Photoshop, tasks that used to take hours can now be completed in minutes. The process has become faster without losing the human touch that makes the final image feel natural and refined.
The main advantage is clarity. Many times, clients do not come from a creative background, so it can be difficult for them to visualise a concept from rough sketches or abstract descriptions. AI helps us translate ideas into images that are nearly final, even at the concept stage.
When we present visuals that include lighting, framing, and atmosphere similar to the end product, it eliminates uncertainty. Clients can immediately understand what we are aiming for. A good example is Aqua Sana, where the concept visuals we presented during the pitch were almost identical to the final result. That level of accuracy was impossible to achieve so quickly with traditional methods.
AI has made a huge difference when it comes to communicating ideas to people who are not from a creative background. Stakeholders like CFOs or COOs are often more familiar with the final output - a TV commercial, a billboard, or a print ad rather than the conceptual process behind it. With AI, we can now skip the rough sketches and present visuals that look almost final, giving them a much clearer sense of what the end product will be.
A great example of this was on Aqua Sana. The visuals we shared during the pitch stage were almost identical to what we finally produced, probably 90 to 99 percent the same. That level of alignment early in the process built confidence and helped everyone make faster, more informed decisions. It’s made the entire approval process smoother and far more collaborative.
They absolutely do. The key is in how the visuals are executed. We are always transparent that something has been AI-generated, but we make sure it looks authentic and polished. Our aim is not to create images that look artificial or exaggerated. Instead, we want the output to feel real enough that the client believes it could have been photographed or filmed.
When that happens, and the client momentarily forgets it is AI, that is a real success. The better the quality and craftsmanship behind the AI visual, the more trust it builds. Clients appreciate that level of attention to detail.
For me, the balance comes down to intent. I never rely on AI to come up with an idea. That is where human creativity is irreplaceable.
I use AI the same way I would direct a photographer. I tell it what I want - the lighting, the framing, the colour palette, the composition. If you go in without direction, AI will simply produce random results. The value lies in guiding it with a clear creative vision.
When used that way, AI becomes a powerful tool to enhance what is already in your imagination rather than replacing it.
Yes, it has. Each member of the team now uses AI differently, depending on their area of expertise. Some use it for retouching or image enhancement, others for animation, motion graphics, or CGI. It has helped us remove the repetitive, mechanical parts of the job. Tasks like cutting out images, masking complex shapes, or cleaning up fine details can now be done much faster.
That leaves more time for the creative discussions, the part everyone enjoys. Ultimately, AI has made our internal collaboration smoother and more efficient, letting each specialist focus on what they do best.
I think AI is following the same path CGI once did. When CGI first appeared, people criticised it for looking fake and unnatural, but over time it developed its own aesthetic, something audiences now recognise and appreciate. Brands use CGI not just to imitate reality but to express a distinct visual language that feels dynamic and modern. Similarly, AI will evolve into a creative style that people celebrate rather than question.
In the future, we will probably see projects built around different creative styles - a CGI look, an AI look, or a photoreal approach, sometimes even a mix of all three. AI will move beyond being just a tool for speed or realism; it will become a new artistic medium in itself, opening up unexplored visual possibilities and giving creators more freedom to experiment and push boundaries.
At Together, the integration of AI isn’t just about keeping up with technology, it’s about expanding what creativity can be. It’s helping the team visualise faster, communicate more clearly, and experiment more freely. AI has become a bridge between imagination and execution, allowing creative ideas to move from thought to reality with remarkable speed and precision.
The most exciting part, however, is that AI has not replaced creativity; it has reignited it. It has made collaboration stronger, storytelling sharper, and the entire process more intuitive. For Together, the journey with AI is not about trading craft for convenience, it’s about pushing boundaries, elevating ideas, and shaping a new era of creativity where human imagination and intelligent technology work hand in hand.
Bring your vision to life faster. Reach out and discover the power of AI in creativity.
