Lair NYC brought Odd Global on board to design and produce the background environments for a promotional film for Ruthless Podcast, shot entirely in studio against chroma key.
The brief was to create a series of cinematic background plates that could support the world of the spot while giving the production team a clear visual target before cameras rolled. Working alongside director Thor Raxlen and Executive Producer Mark Aji from job approval, we developed the environments according to the approved storyboards and delivered initial background plates ahead of the shoot.
This allowed each camera position, lighting setup and chroma key scenario to be planned with the final composition already in mind.
The Approach
Rather than treating the AI backgrounds as a post-production add-on, we designed them as part of the production process from the beginning. Each plate was built to serve the specific framing, perspective and lighting direction required for the scene, giving the studio shoot a stronger foundation and helping the live action integrate more naturally into the final world.
Execution
After the shoot, we revisited every background plate and adjusted them to match the captured camera movement, lens choice and composition. Plates were refined, fine-tuning perspective, scale, lighting and visual continuity so the environments sat convincingly behind the talent.
The result was a chroma key production where AI-generated environments became an active part of the filmmaking process, supporting both the shoot and the final composite with precision from pre-production through delivery.
Credits
Client: Ruthless Podcast
Production Company: Lair NYC
Director: Thor Raxlen
Executive Producer: Mark Aji
AI Background Environments: Odd Global
AI Artist: Arthur Machado
