Goafest Day 3 Sees AI And Visual Storytelling Discussions: Is AI Cost-Effective?

On Day 3 of Goafest 2025, Vivek Anchalia, Founder and CEO of Amazing Indian Stories, emphasized the importance of AI and how it supports creativity.

Anchalia talked about how AI plays a keyrole in visual story-telling. It is a boon for brands and filmmakers.

To achieve narrative clarity, one had to resort to traditional animatics. Anchalia said that AI-generated spec advertisements now offer a visually rich manner of storytelling. Advertisers benefit from this because they don't need to look for locations, large crews and logistics. Hence, AI reduces production costs without compromising quality. As for AI generated spec Ad's, he elaborated by saying that one did not need a 30-slide deck. One slide could do the job, mood, lighting, and character.

In montage, mood films and brand image pieces, AI lacks performance-driven storytelling. " AI will not replace the filmmaker, it will expand their reach and eliminate creative compromises," he said.

However, it is wrong to assume that AI makes production cost-effective. Lulu Raghavan, President, APAC at Landor, said that agency value now lies in combining technological fluency with brand understanding. He highlighted that AI is still underhyped and those who understand its storytelling potential will cause the next creative wave. Anchalia talked about the hybrid reality of AI-powered production. AI doesn't erase the need for strategy, storytelling, or cultural insight.

Integrated Production Modules (IPM's) which are powered by AI, condense the material. What once took six hours now takes only a few minutes.

Anchalia talked about his upcoming feature Naisha. He said, "From drone shots of Uttarakhand to entire mood sequences, AI did it all."

Anchalia and Raghavan highlighted AI's limitations in sonic storytelling. Basic sound effects can be automated, and music remains a human-led domain. Anchalia stated AI music is " too flat" for narrative rhythm. For his movie, he chose human composers.

Talking about AI literacy, Anchalia encouraged self-learning through YouTube and Discord.

Anchalia and Raghavan also highlighted the industry's response to AI. AI can become a cause for unemployment.

Goafest is the name of a major advertising festival in South Asia, specifically focused on the advertising and creative industries. It's considered the region's largest creative festival and attracts a significant number of industry professionals. Goafest is hosted by The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club (TAC) according to the Goafest website.