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For the Contra x Envato Challenge, 'Human by Design', we built a brand identity and animated a promo video for 'Olo', an accessible crypto-trading platform.
To us, the core of this challenge wasn't about creating more content with AI, but about maintaining one clear creative...
The network for creativity
Join 1.25M professional creatives like you
Connect with clients, get discovered, and run your business 100% commission-free
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Candle & Crumb, "Some cakes come with dragons."
For this challenge, I made a 24-second ad for a bakery that doesn't exist. A completely ordinary family birthday, one small impossible guest, and nobody reacts. That's the product: some cakes come with dragons.
I'm a filmmaker, so I treated this as a directing job, not a generating job. One master frame was born first, and every shot inherited its DNA through start frames and references. The family went through three castings (the first felt sad, the second laughed like a stock photo). The tin went through three lives (a transparent one would have killed the reveal). The dragon was cast like an actor: one reference sheet, seven poses, every shot.
Human by Design moment: My first instinct was to make the dragon fly in and light the candles from the air. Halfway through, it stopped feeling right. A flying dragon is a spectacle, and this world doesn't do spectacle. So I made the opposite decision: the dragon stays in the tin, never stands up, and lights the candles lying down. The joke isn't a dragon that performs. It's a dragon that can't be bothered.
The Project Includes:
- The Film (24s ad)
- The Brand (Candle & Crumb wordmark, slogan, closing card)
- The Dragon (character reference sheet)
- The Workflow Video
Created entirely with Envato + AI.
Envato tools used: ImageGen, ImageEdit, VideoGen, SoundGen, Music, Sound Effects, Fonts
Thanks to Envato and Contra for introducing me to a toolkit I had somehow never touched. I had never used Envato before this challenge. Turns out that was my loss.
My Socials:
X: https://x.com/sarpstar/status/2078757967634080113
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Da-CGApIdf1/
@envato #envatochallenge #HumanByDesign
haha I loved this submission
AN ODE TO IMPERFECTIONS - Making Of
I wanted to create something that felt... human.
A film that celebrates the little imperfections that make us who we are.
So here's how I made it.
First came the idea.I spent time thinking, sketching, and exploring different directions before landing on a simple thought:Our imperfections aren't flaws—they're our fingerprint. Once the concept felt right, I built a visual moodboard.I collected references, explored color, cinematography, typography, and pacing until the film had a clear emotional direction.
Then came the script.
Every line was rewritten multiple times until it sounded less like advertising and more like a quiet observation.Next, I generated the voiceover using Envato's AI Voice Generator, aiming for a natural, understated performance that let the words breathe. Music was just as important. Instead of an epic trailer score, I searched through Envato's massive audio library and chose a minimal classical piano piece that complemented the emotion without overpowering it.
Then came my favorite part.
I explored Envato's Video and Effects libraries, searching through hundreds of clips to build a visual story—finding moments that felt authentic, textured, and unmistakably human. With everything ready, I moved into Adobe Premiere Pro.
This is where the film truly came to life. Editing. Timing. Rhythm.
Matching visuals to the voice and music. Shaping emotion frame by frame.
To finish it, I added subtle transition overlays, cinematic LUTs, and a touch of film grain from Envato to give everything a cohesive, tactile feel.
And that's it. From a simple idea...to a finished film.
Because AI can generate possibilities- but it's still the human choices that shape the story.
Human by Design.
envatochallengeenvatoaibrandfilmMotion DesignScriptwritingVideo EditingAdobe IllustratorAdobe Premiere ProEnvato
This is definitely in my top 10. Your planning, selection of assets, and execution are flawless. The result exudes cinematography, emotion, and the embracing of imperfections that make us human. Evrything came together so nicely because you orchestrated each element and adjusted every detail.
Upgoated! 🐐
Apocrypha: Human by Design
For the EnvatoChallenge, I wanted to explore a different relationship between AI and creativity.
I created Apocrypha, a collectible card universe where every artifact begins as an AI-assisted concept but only becomes part of the archive through human taste, creative direction, and design.
Instead of asking AI to create finished pieces, I used Envato as the main creative toolkit throughout the entire project. I explored its stock image and video library to build moodboards, collect textures, study compositions, and define the visual language of the world. I also used Envato AI to generate concepts for characters, artifacts, and environments, then refined, combined, and reworked them into a cohesive universe. Some of the concepts were even manually painted over to push them beyond the original AI output.
Alongside the cards, I designed ArchiveOS, a living creative bible where I organize collections, lore, references, prompts, and every creative decision behind the project. It became the place where the entire world of Apocrypha could grow consistently.
The biggest creative decision wasn't generating images. It was deciding what deserved to exist. Knowing when an idea felt wrong, when an artwork needed more work, when a concept should evolve, or when it should be discarded completely. AI gave me possibilities, but every final artifact exists because of human judgment.
I'd love to hear what you think about this approach to AI-assisted worldbuilding.
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