Recess AI
Production-ready creative assets for Recess's limited-edition Peppermint Bark 'Tini flavor launch - combining generative AI with traditional After Effects compositing in a professional client workflow. From initial brief through multiple rounds of feedback to final delivery, this project demonstrates how AI-augmented creative pipelines deliver production-quality output at a speed and visual richness that neither approach achieves alone.
This was not an experiment in AI art - it was a paid client engagement with brand guidelines, revision cycles, platform specifications, and a hard launch date. The AI served the creative process; the creative process served the client.
Client Context
Recess makes functional beverages - calming drinks designed to take the edge off. Their brand identity is playful, premium, and visually distinctive. The Peppermint Bark 'Tini was a limited-edition holiday flavor that needed launch assets matching the brand's elevated aesthetic while communicating seasonal indulgence. The visual language had to feel warm, rich, and celebratory without veering into generic holiday clichés.
The engagement followed a standard professional workflow: creative brief, concept development, iterative feedback rounds, and final delivery across multiple platform formats. What made it distinctive was the production pipeline - using generative AI for environment creation and scene composition, then bringing those outputs into After Effects for the compositing, motion design, and refinement that transforms raw AI output into brand-safe, production-ready assets.
Process
01 - Brief & Concept Development
Received the creative brief from the Recess team and developed initial concept directions - mood boards and visual frameworks blending holiday-themed chocolate and peppermint textures with the brand's signature aesthetic. The concept phase established the visual rules: surreal product environments that feel indulgent and premium, with the can always positioned as the hero element.
02 - Generative AI Production
Used Runway, Flux, Kling, and Stable Diffusion to generate surreal chocolate environments, melting textures, confetti scenes, and cinematic reveal compositions. Iterated through dozens of outputs per concept, refining prompts and parameters to match the playful-yet-premium aesthetic that defines Recess. The AI handles what it does best - rapid visual exploration and environment generation at a scale that would take weeks through traditional 3D rendering or stock photography.
03 - After Effects Compositing
This is where the AI output becomes a finished product. Best-in-class AI generations were brought into After Effects for professional compositing - layering product photography, adding motion design, color grading, timing refinement, and ensuring brand consistency across every frame. Multiple rounds of client feedback shaped the final direction. AI generates the raw material; traditional post-production delivers the polish.
04 - Multi-Platform Delivery
Delivered a complete suite of animated social assets - looping GIFs and video clips optimized for Instagram Stories, feed posts, Reels, and paid social placements. Every asset was exported in multiple aspect ratios and compression profiles to meet platform specifications. The final package gave the Recess team everything they needed for a coordinated multi-channel launch.
Final Deliverables
Recess - Melt
Melting chocolate textures surrounding the can - AI-generated environment composited with product photography in After Effects.
Recess - Choco
Rich, indulgent chocolate world with the can as the hero element - multiple rounds of generative iteration to nail the brand aesthetic.
Recess - Party
Celebration scene - vibrant confetti, dynamic motion, and playful branded elements for social media launch assets.
Recess - Reveal
Product reveal sequence - cinematic unwrapping animation with depth and drama for the flavor drop.
Production Pipeline
AI Generation Layer
Generative models handled environment creation, texture synthesis, and initial scene composition - replacing what would traditionally be weeks of 3D rendering or stock photo sourcing with rapid, on-brand visual exploration. The key is treating AI as a production tool, not a final output. Every generation is raw material that enters a professional post-production pipeline.
Traditional Post-Production
After Effects handled the compositing, motion design, color correction, and final output encoding. Photoshop for asset preparation and retouching. Media Encoder for platform-specific export profiles. The hybrid workflow delivers higher quality and faster turnaround than either AI-only or traditional-only approaches - the AI generates breadth, the compositor delivers precision.
In the Wild
The final assets deployed across Recess's official Instagram - Stories, Reels, and feed posts for the Peppermint Bark 'Tini launch campaign.
“AI does not replace the creative process - it compresses the exploration phase. The real value is in knowing when to stop generating and start compositing. That judgment is what turns a prompt into a deliverable.”
Jordany Iturbide - Creative Direction & Animation
