Branding, Website,
And project summary
And project summary
Lines of code written:
600+
Coding issues: 40+
Swear counter:
∞+
Coffee counter:
13+
Folder size:
31.2GB
Hours spent:
20+
Tools used:
Witness the dawn of a new era—The Extinct. A visual experience created 100% with AI magic.
Revisit again the trailer of the Extinct featuring 100% AI generated visuals and the combination of maximum effort
The image
When creating the logo for The Extinct, I wanted something that truly captured the ancient and mystical vibe of the Lightkeepers. I started with a basic sketch: a circle crossed through, which I envisioned as a dragon. This dragon symbolizes their cycle—rising, falling, and nearly going extinct. The idea was that the crossed-through dragon would represent their near wipeout. I took this concept into Midjourney, where I refined it through multiple iterations. After landing on a version that clicked, I further refined, vectorized, and polished it to perfection, ensuring it fit seamlessly with the project’s overall visual theme. The final result? A logo that’s not just cool but deeply connected to the story and essence of The Extinct.
Empty heading.
Showcasing the work
With the logo in place, I began building the website using WordPress and Elementor, based on a theme from Envato Elements called Stylex. While the theme was a good starting point and matching perfectly my vision, it required significant adjustments to meet my goal. I had to restructure some layouts, create new sections, and fine-tune the design with custom CSS and JavaScript to represent the case study the way I wanted to. These changes allowed me to tailor the site to my exact needs.
As I continued developing the project, I simultaneously worked on the story and visual elements. The Story page was born from my desire to immerse viewers in the world of The Extinct. I kept generating more mood images, and some of them became my favorite. (Like the one on the case study page for generative motion showing a movie set of a dragon in the city with cast next to)
I found myself in a spot where I kept creating an creating based on my ideas until I didn't see the perfection I wanted. Not much later I couldn't keep myself resistant to create a movie poster as well, and the number of files—and thus the folder size—just kept growing.
As I continued developing the project, I simultaneously worked on the story and visual elements. The Story page was born from my desire to immerse viewers in the world of The Extinct. I kept generating more mood images, and some of them became my favorite. (Like the one on the case study page for generative motion showing a movie set of a dragon in the city with cast next to)
I found myself in a spot where I kept creating an creating based on my ideas until I didn't see the perfection I wanted. Not much later I couldn't keep myself resistant to create a movie poster as well, and the number of files—and thus the folder size—just kept growing.
This folder is before wiping, includes every workload, ideations, psd files, upscaled images and concepts. Everything.
Expanding the workload
Realizing that a single case study wouldn’t do justice to the work involved, I decided to break the project down into four smaller case studies with interesting stats about it. Throughout this process, I used ChatGPT as a brainstorming partner, helping me craft the initial drafts. These drafts were then expanded upon and refined, making sure each section captured the essence of the project.
Empty heading.
AAAAND CUT! OH wait a minute
With the website and case studies nearly complete, I revisited the trailer for one final pass, ensuring every detail aligned with my vision. Next, I made sure the site was fully responsive, fine-tuning it for different devices to get everything just right. As a final touch, I gathered "bloopers"—footage that didn't make the cut—to showcase the challenges and growth throughout the project. After more than 60 hours of dedicated work, I was ready to call this passion project complete.
Conclusion
This project represents my first major passion project—something I was determined to finish no matter what. Over roughly a week and a half, I poured everything into The Extinct, setting aside all else to focus solely on this journey. I'm incredibly proud that I never gave up, never turned my back, and that I documented the entire process in this case study, hoping to inspire others.
The main takeaway? Ignite your passion and let it drive you forward. But always keep a reflective mirror to maintain objectivity. My standards have never been just about what I can achieve, but about reaching the level of excellence I see in the works that inspire me. Whether it’s the iconic trailer for Assassin's Creed II by Digic Pictures, the upcoming The Crow (2024), or the Avengers: Infinity War. These all-timer inspirations have set the bar high and have pushed me to aim higher.
At the end of the day, no matter what the future brings, I'm just glad I finished this project, and that I stayed true to my vision. If there's one thing I'll always strive for, it's this: never stop improving.
Because if there's anything worth doing, it's worth doing right.
The main takeaway? Ignite your passion and let it drive you forward. But always keep a reflective mirror to maintain objectivity. My standards have never been just about what I can achieve, but about reaching the level of excellence I see in the works that inspire me. Whether it’s the iconic trailer for Assassin's Creed II by Digic Pictures, the upcoming The Crow (2024), or the Avengers: Infinity War. These all-timer inspirations have set the bar high and have pushed me to aim higher.
At the end of the day, no matter what the future brings, I'm just glad I finished this project, and that I stayed true to my vision. If there's one thing I'll always strive for, it's this: never stop improving.
Because if there's anything worth doing, it's worth doing right.
Project Summary
Money spent*1:
$271
Days spent working*2:
8
Hours spent working*3:
60+
AI Tools used:
5
*1: Amount spent on monthly subscriptions, not including TopazLabs AI Video, which I “borrowed” from a friend of mine (would have been additional $299/One time purchase).
*2: I wouldn’t really consider it “working” as almost every moment was pure joy and discovery, but these were the total days when I focused solely on the project.
*3: I’m quite sure even though I’ve been tracking the numbers, it’s slightly more. However, there were sessions that I didn’t consider 100% focused on the project yet contributed to the small details. These hours include everything, starting from ideation and first images to turning them into motion, editing, SFX, branding, website development, and writing the case studies for each part of the process, along with preparing the supporting visuals.
*2: I wouldn’t really consider it “working” as almost every moment was pure joy and discovery, but these were the total days when I focused solely on the project.
*3: I’m quite sure even though I’ve been tracking the numbers, it’s slightly more. However, there were sessions that I didn’t consider 100% focused on the project yet contributed to the small details. These hours include everything, starting from ideation and first images to turning them into motion, editing, SFX, branding, website development, and writing the case studies for each part of the process, along with preparing the supporting visuals.
Thank you for making it this far! I hope you enjoyed the case study and learned something new from the process.
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