The beginning
Creating the visuals
Creating the visuals
Assets generated:
282
Assets used:
30+
Images Magnific’d:
69
Coffee counter:
6+
Magnific credits spent: 2600+
Hours spent:
12+
Tools used:
Starting from experience
The journey to creating these images kicked off with MidJourney, the AI-driven platform that turns abstract ideas into something tangible. Every image was crafted with care and then sharpened using Magnific, making sure each detail popped. This project is all about blending creativity with tech, turning what was once just a thought into something real. I always believed that AI gives us a chance to reduce production times and provides a solid wireframe of our ideas to present, either in a team or to the world.
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The Origins
This story began on a moody Tuesday when Runway's image-to-video feature was released. My initial idea was simply to experiment with the tool, sparking some new ideas from earlier images. As I reviewed my Adobe Stock folio—which had started as a hobby side-hustle—I noticed that my best-selling image was the dragon I had created back in 2023 (see the first image above).
It all started with:
"Wait, I can do better than this."
It all started with:
"Wait, I can do better than this."
I spent considerable time crafting new images with MidJourney, eventually upscaling them using Magnific.Ai. The plan was straightforward: generate fresh content to upload to my portfolio. Little did I know, this would evolve into a passion project spanning over 50 hours. Once satisfied with the initial work, I began the retouching process, removing any artifacts that detracted from the final images. This process naturally led me to experiment with Runway, which I had subscribed to two weeks prior. Having already committed to the unlimited plan, my goal was to fully explore its capabilities and make the most of the investment.
This scene was part of the 6th revision based on the comment of a friend of mine
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Moving on with the story
Driven by creativity and curiosity, I found myself increasingly immersed in the project. A vision for The Extinct started to get outlined. This is how the initial footage gradually transformed into a story I was determined to tell.
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Conclusion
Cranking out over 300 images and upscaling around 50 was more than just a numbers game—it was about honing in on the best of the best. This process allowed for deep exploration, where each batch of images pushed the boundaries of creativity. By upscaling only the top contenders, the focus was on quality, ensuring that every final piece wasn’t just visually striking but also aligned perfectly with the project’s vision. It’s about refining ideas until they truly shine.
The amount of variations in Midjourney including upscales, vary region, and more. Roughly 300+ prompt executions.
Money spent*1:
$69
RedBull Counter:
3
Image variations:
1129+
Time/Image Average:*2
26 minutes
*1: Amount spent for the monthly subscriptions, in this case Midjourney Standard ($30/Month) and Magnific Pro ($39/Month)
*2: Time spent on an image including the image generation, variations and inpainting, retouching, upscaling. Calculated from the number of visuals kept/time spent
*2: Time spent on an image including the image generation, variations and inpainting, retouching, upscaling. Calculated from the number of visuals kept/time spent