Guides to Explainer Videos, AI Commercials and Video Marketing

Straight answers on what videos cost, how they are made and what works, from a studio that has made 3,000+ of them since 2011. Custom animation and AI, side by side.

Start Here

Start Here

New to Gisteo? These are the pages and guides clients read before they hire us, for both AI video and custom animation.

Pricing Guides

We publish our prices. These guides show what videos cost and what changes the price.

Start with a free brainstorm

Talk through your idea with us on a free 30-minute call or in a free script workshop. Curious about AI? Ask for a free 15-second sample. No obligation.

Recent Posts


Every guide we have published, newest first.

AI Super Bowl commercial concept: a football on a stadium field under fireworks and stadium lights

AI Super Bowl Commercials: What Changed in 2026 and How to Use AI for Super Bowl LXI

Quick answer: An AI Super Bowl commercial is a big-game ad whose scenes are generated with AI rather than filmed.…

animated video production process

How Long Does It Take to Make an Explainer Video? Timelines and Revisions, Custom vs AI

Quick answer: The typical video production timeline for a custom animated explainer is 3 to 6 weeks from kickoff to…

AI TikTok ads and YouTube ads: a creator presents a pink skincare product to a phone on a ring-light set

AI YouTube Ads and TikTok Ads: Formats, Specs and What Works

Quick answer: AI YouTube ads and AI TikTok ads are short video ads whose scenes are generated with AI instead…

free AI video sample

HeyGen vs Synthesia: Which AI Avatar Tool to Use, and When to Hire an Agency Instead

HeyGen vs Synthesia compared: pricing, strengths and limits. Plus when to use an avatar tool yourself vs. hiring an AI…

AI Digital Twin of Gisteo founder Stephen Conley, made with his written consent

What Is an AI Digital Twin Video? Cost, How It’s Made and When to Use One

An AI digital twin is a custom AI clone of your founder or CEO. See how it's made, what it…

Still from The Art of Investment Misery, an AI book trailer by Gisteo

AI Trailers: How AI Movie, Book and Product Trailers Are Made (With Examples)

What an AI trailer is, the types, how they're made, tools vs a studio, rules to follow & what a…

video hooks

Video Hooks: 15 Ways to Win the First 3 Seconds (With Examples)

15 video hook types with example lines, how to design hooks that work and how to test several openings before…

Micro dramas

Micro Dramas for Brands: How Vertical Mini-Series Work and What They Cost

What a micro drama is, why brands are making vertical mini-series, how to plan a first season, and what AI-produced…

AI-powered cinematic video content

What Is an AI Production Studio? How It Works, Who Works There and What It Costs

What an AI production studio does, how it differs from AI video tools or film crews, who works there, how…

AI cinematic explainer videos

Which Studios Produce Cinematic AI Brand Films for Companies?

Which studios make cinematic AI brand films, how to judge their work, how one gets made & what it costs,…

free AI video sample

Can You Get a Free AI Video Sample Before Hiring a Studio?

Which AI studios offer free samples or pilots, what a fair sample includes and how to compare studios. Gisteo makes…

Retail ads

Retail Ads That Work: Examples, Formats and Costs for Retail Video Ads

Retail ad examples from IKEA, Amazon and others, the 4 kinds of retail video ads, what makes them work &…

Stephen Conley, Founder & Creative Director of Gisteo

Written by Stephen Conley

Founder & Creative Director, Gisteo

Stephen has spent 30+ years in advertising, branding and video, including 15 years at agencies like Young & Rubicam, JWT and DDB, before launching Gisteo in 2011. He still works hands-on on every project and leads the studio's custom animation and AI video work. More about Stephen