For Ilnar Vafin, storytelling is more than a creative pursuit, it’s a way of carrying cultural memory into new worlds. His art, rooted in folklore and cinematic storytelling, bridges tradition and technology, showing how myths and human emotions can live inside generative visuals.

A creative partner with leading platforms like ImagineArt, PixVerse, and an AI artist at AIST Studio, Vafin has established himself as one of the most distinctive voices in AI-powered creativity. His work isn’t about chasing novelty, it’s about using new tools to expand the boundaries of what storytelling can look like.

The “Photograph” Project for Odyssey

That balance came to life in his ambitious 3-minute, 40-second video for Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph”, created during the Odyssey creative contest.

“My focus has always been on creating campaigns that feel authentic while pushing visual style in new, innovative directions,” Vafin shared during our interview.

More than an experiment, the film proved that generative video could carry real cinematic weight, aligning mood and rhythm into a cohesive narrative. For Vafin, the project wasn’t about showcasing tools, but about testing whether AI could hold emotional resonance in long-form storytelling — and the answer was yes. His work continues to push those boundaries in both cultural and commercial projects, where he treats AI not as a shortcut but as a collaborator that expands creative possibility.

AI Film Snapshots

ImagineArt for Filmmaking

When creating “Photograph”, Vafin leaned heavily on ImagineArt to manage both the scale and the pace of the project. Generating hundreds of scenes for a film running over 3 minutes and 40 seconds would normally take days of work, but ImagineArt’s ability to cut generation times by more than half kept the process moving. Instead of waiting an hour for iterations, he could get results in minutes which allowed him to test and refine dozens of shots in a single working session.

The platform’s wide range of effects and editing options also meant he could fine-tune transitions, lighting, and atmosphere without starting from scratch. Looking back, Vafin is clear: without ImagineArt’s speed and flexibility, finishing the project to this standard, within the tight timeframe he faced, would have been nearly impossible. For him, it was the difference between an ambitious idea and a completed film ready to be shared.

Don’t Take Our Word For It - Try it Out!

If you’re a filmmaker working in a team and this resonates with you, give ImagineArt a try. Whether you’re chasing big cinematic visions or experimenting with short-form storytelling, our platform makes it possible to move faster, explore more, and let your creativity lead the way. Try it out — and let the results speak for themselves.