My Creative Obsession: Claudia Lalau
Claudia Lalau is an AI filmmaker and post-production expert, and the founder of Bottomline AI Agency (Paris & Dubai), with nearly 20 years of experience across animation, VFX, editing and post-production.
Her work includes the 3D AI kids’ series 'Nick & Meeva', the historical trailer 'The Last Shield', the award-nominated ChatGPT spec ad, the award-nominated 'The Enchanted Village' AI musical short and the award-winning spec ad 'Barbãr: The Beer of Warriors'. She is also a creative partner to AI platforms such as Flora, Freepik, and PixVerse, and a recognised voice in the evolving world of intelligent filmmaking.
Today, Claudia shares her creative obsession.
What is your creative obsession?
I’m obsessed with two things: bringing imagination to life, and proving to myself that I can achieve any idea no matter how challenging it is. When something that exists only in my head suddenly becomes an image, a film shot, a character, or an entire world through AI, it feels like magic every time.
When did it first arise?
It began years ago in post-production, long before AI. I was always obsessed with animation, storytelling whether historical or futuristic and everything tied to lighting, framing, color, texture and imagination. But the obsession truly exploded the moment I tested my first AI model. I realised how much control I could have over worlds we could never afford to shoot traditionally, and that was it. I was hooked.
How has this creative obsession evolved over time?
It went from curiosity, to experimentation, to a full creative philosophy. At first, AI was just a helper. Then it became a real production tool. Today it’s a whole ecosystem for me; image generation, style transfer, cinematic prompting, animation, colour grading, sound and VFX.
I still believe in teamwork and in treating a production like an orchestra, but we can’t ignore how filmmaking has evolved. With AI, a small team of a director, DP, editor, AI creator and sound designer, we can now create work that once required a crew of 50.
The ChatGPT spec ad is a perfect example: one of the most hyper-realistic AI commercials created so far. This obsession also expanded into teaching others, building workflows, and designing end-to-end AI pipelines for clients.
How does this creative obsession influence the way you approach your work and how do you think it enhances your output?
It pushes me to take every idea further than what’s expected. I never stop at “good enough.” I want the shot to feel real, the emotion to land, the lighting and subjects to stay consistent, and the story to feel intentional.
A strong example is 'Barbãr: The Beer of Warriors', a spec ad that went on to win several awards. The entire cinematic world -- Romans, Celts, battles, armour, firelight, atmosphere -- all was built through AI. My obsession with realism, continuity, and mood made it feel like a big-budget production even though it was created independently.
What’s the most extreme thing you’ve done in pursuit of your creative obsession?
Regenerating the same shot over 200 times for perfect consistency…
Has your obsession inspired any side hustles, hobbies or other projects outside of your day to day work? If so, what? Or does it impact your personal life in any way?
Absolutely. This obsession turned into a whole universe of side projects: cinematic trailers, animations, and my kids’ 3D AI series 'Nick & Meeva'. It also led me to create an educational channel that I’ll be revealing soon. Honestly, it spills into my personal life too, I’m always creating. It’s become my true creative addiction.
What advice would you give to anyone who wants to learn more about this obsession?
Adapt to new technology, don’t run from it, because it’s moving with or without you. Treat AI like a crew, not a toy. Experiment, refine, regenerate and stay endlessly curious. If you embrace it, it will become a powerful creative addiction… and your imagination will be the only limit.
