STAN AI Lab: Creating at the Speed of Culture

Introducing Marcus Widmann,
STAN´s first AI Artist in Residence.

AI is making creative production faster. The important question now is what we choose to do with that speed.

STAN AI Lab brings human imagination and artificial intelligence together to accelerate strategy, creativity and production. It is built around human-led AI systems that help ideas move faster, stay consistent and scale across channels and markets.

Meet our first AI Artist in Residence

Marcus Widmann contributes to STAN AI Lab as our first AI Artist in Residence at the edge of AI, art and culture.

With more than two decades of experience across art direction, post-production and visual creation for clients including BLACKROLL, Europa-Park, LIDL, Mercedes-Benz Services and IQOS, Marcus approaches generative AI as an opportunity to combine his expertise with the speed of technology.

His work unites the use of recent AI tools with an established understanding of light, composition, retouching and visual storytelling to extend his cinematic style, possessing a distinct “analog soul”.

AI is making creative production faster. The important question now is what we choose to do with that speed.

Meet our first AI Artist in Residence

Marcus Widmann contributes to STAN AI Lab as our first AI Artist in Residence at the edge of AI, art and culture.

AI meets human intent

While AI expands the possibilities of his work, Marcus remains focused on creating imagery that feels intentionally made rather than simply generated.

As synthetic imagery becomes increasingly seamless, Marcus explores what makes an image feel credible – deliberately playing with the increasingly fluid boundary between photographed and generated realities.

AI meets human intent

While AI expands the possibilities of his work, Marcus remains focused on creating imagery that feels intentionally made rather than simply generated.

Working at the edge of human craft and AI

You spent more than two decades mastering art direction, retouching and post-production before generative AI entered your practice. What does that experience allow you to see in AI-generated imagery?

Answer: …That it’s really just another tool like Photoshop. Maybe a bit more. AI can do amazing things. But only when the input is right. And the idea behind it is good. Otherwise it’s pretty darn stupid. And when you don’t have a trained eye for good perspectives, a trained mind for great ideas, or trained curator skills, you will be able to produce stuff that might look ok. But nothing more. So my expertise helps me to handle AI like a really good companion.

What does it mean for you to be the first AI Artist in Residence at STAN?

Answer: To get the opportunity to be the first AI Artist in residence is a huge compliment, especially when it comes from people that understand their passion of great communication. Big thanks for that opportunity to STAN.

When everyone has access to increasingly powerful creative tools, what becomes the real differentiator and what risks do you see?

Answer: Yes indeed, actually every monkey can use these tools nowadays. And the outcome can be good for many viewers. But to understand what it means to describe some things specifically and in details, to know angles, camera lenses, light, textures, colors, what does what, to understand what makes a great picture. To curate the best image out of 200+ created images. That makes the difference. To have the eyes for what’s really good.

Working at the edge of human craft and AI

You spent more than two decades mastering art direction, retouching and post-production before generative AI entered your practice. What does that experience allow you to see in AI-generated imagery?

Answer: …That it’s really just another tool like Photoshop. Maybe a bit more. AI can do amazing things. But only when the input is right. And the idea behind it is good. Otherwise it’s pretty darn stupid. And when you don’t have a trained eye for good perspectives, a trained mind for great ideas, or trained curator skills, you will be able to produce stuff that might look ok. But nothing more. So my expertise helps me to handle AI like a really good companion.

What does it mean for you to be the first AI Artist in Residence at STAN?

Answer: To get the opportunity to be the first AI Artist in residence is a huge compliment, especially when it comes from people that understand their passion of great communication. Big thanks for that opportunity to STAN.

When everyone has access to increasingly powerful creative tools, what becomes the real differentiator and what risks do you see?

Answer: Yes indeed, actually every monkey can use these tools nowadays. And the outcome can be good for many viewers. But to understand what it means to describe some things specifically and in details, to know angles, camera lenses, light, textures, colors, what does what, to understand what makes a great picture. To curate the best image out of 200+ created images. That makes the difference. To have the eyes for what’s really good.

How do you handle the speed of AI in your creative work?

Answer: The speed of AI can be tricky and foolsome. I handle it with a lot of enlightenment. We have to explain the process behind it. What it really means to create something in AI, that is really good. And that it needs time. We need all the same workflows for shootings, only for AI now. But it still needs to be as good and precise as it was before. And these steps need time. For example a model shooting. How does a model look like, what character, what clothes, what make up, hairstyle, expressions, locations, every little detail must be planned.

Where do you still see the biggest limitations in AI-generated content?

Answer: The biggest limitation in AI is not in AI. It’s in the user. Your knowledge limits you from using the tools correct. Sometimes it’s simply useless to use AI at all. The limits are in the wrong people hands.

Working at the edge of human craft and AI

You spent more than two decades mastering art direction, retouching and post-production before generative AI entered your practice. What does that experience allow you to see in AI-generated imagery?

Answer: …That it’s really just another tool like Photoshop. Maybe a bit more. AI can do amazing things. But only when the input is right. And the idea behind it is good. Otherwise it’s pretty darn stupid. And when you don’t have a trained eye for good perspectives, a trained mind for great ideas, or trained curator skills, you will be able to produce stuff that might look ok. But nothing more. So my expertise helps me to handle AI like a really good companion.

What does it mean for you to be the first AI Artist in Residence at STAN?

Answer: To get the opportunity to be the first AI Artist in residence is a huge compliment, especially when it comes from people that understand their passion of great communication. Big thanks for that opportunity to STAN.

When everyone has access to increasingly powerful creative tools, what becomes the real differentiator and what risks do you see?

Answer: Yes indeed, actually every monkey can use these tools nowadays. And the outcome can be good for many viewers. But to understand what it means to describe some things specifically and in details, to know angles, camera lenses, light, textures, colors, what does what, to understand what makes a great picture. To curate the best image out of 200+ created images. That makes the difference. To have the eyes for what’s really good.

How do you handle the speed of AI in your creative work?

Answer: The speed of AI can be tricky and foolsome. I handle it with a lot of enlightenment. We have to explain the process behind it. What it really means to create something in AI, that is really good. And that it needs time. We need all the same workflows for shootings, only for AI now. But it still needs to be as good and precise as it was before. And these steps need time. For example a model shooting. How does a model look like, what character, what clothes, what make up, hairstyle, expressions, locations, every little detail must be planned.

Where do you still see the biggest limitations in AI-generated content?

Answer: The biggest limitation in AI is not in AI. It’s in the user. Your knowledge limits you from using the tools correct. Sometimes it’s simply useless to use AI at all. The limits are in the wrong people hands.

How do you handle the speed of AI in your creative work?

Answer: The speed of AI can be tricky and foolsome. I handle it with a lot of enlightenment. We have to explain the process behind it. What it really means to create something in AI, that is really good. And that it needs time. We need all the same workflows for shootings, only for AI now. But it still needs to be as good and precise as it was before. And these steps need time. For example a model shooting. How does a model look like, what character, what clothes, what make up, hairstyle, expressions, locations, every little detail must be planned.

Where do you still see the biggest limitations in AI-generated content?

Answer: The biggest limitation in AI is not in AI. It’s in the user. Your knowledge limits you from using the tools correct. Sometimes it’s simply useless to use AI at all. The limits are in the wrong people hands.

Shaping the Possibilities

As technology continues to evolve, so will the ways we create with it. Through STAN AI Lab we are exploring those possibilities as they emerge – together with our Artists in Residence.

Discover Marcus’ work here!

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