An impressive, cost-effective video without a single day of filming

Elomatic is a long-established Finnish company specializing in international shipbuilding, marine engineering and industrial design. The purpose of the video is to showcase Aura, Elomatic’s data-driven Asset Performance Management platform. A dry-docking project is one of the most intensive phases in a ship’s life cycle. The video shows how work permits and approvals move through a controlled process, how responsibilities and task statuses remain transparently visible at all times, and how teams on board and ashore rely on the same up-to-date information. The storytelling moves between real life, the world of software and a range of graphics.

“Our message in the video is strong. We are a Finnish company ready for the global market. The tool we’ve developed streamlines and simplifies shipbuilding. We wanted the video to be concrete and impressive — no fairy dust,” says Ilari Lemmetty, Business Development Manager at Elomatic.

During the concept and scriptwriting phases, there were several options on the table, and some of them would have taken the video in a more narrative direction. Elomatic, however, chose an approach that showcases Aura directly as a working system.

“From the initial script drafts, we chose the version that focused more on showcasing the system, even though there would have been plenty of scope for a more narrative approach too. Thanks to the versatility of the scripting phase, Keksi’s video expertise is just as well suited to any consumer-facing company,” says Emma-Julia Matikainen, Marketing Manager at Elomatic.

In demanding video productions, AI is one tool among many. For the Aura video, at least as much time went into concept development, planning and gaining a deep understanding of the subject as in any traditionally filmed video production. AI didn’t make the process easier — it made possible something that couldn’t otherwise have been done.

It did, however, have an impact on costs.

“By using AI, we achieved an impressive result very cost-effectively. We were able to save working hours and energy and still put together an impressive whole fairly quickly,” Ilari says.

“On top of that, the AI tools Aura uses and a video made with AI fit well together and support each other. The video suits our brand perfectly,” Emma-Julia adds.

For animator and director Riku Leino, the most challenging part of the project was keeping the whole thing believable.

“We had to condense a big topic into a compact package. We knew from the start that we couldn’t go very deep into Aura’s features here. We had to explain them at a high level, but in a way that gives the viewer a good grasp of the subject. We took great care to find the right way to tell the story.”

During the project, Riku thoroughly researched ships and dry docking — essential for a result that is convincing and believable.

“Visually, the biggest challenge was creating a cohesive whole where photorealistic AI imagery and stylized user interface graphics run naturally side by side,” Riku says.

Visuals weren’t the only thing we invested in. Sound design and music played a key role in the video’s impact.

“Sound has a huge impact on shaping the overall message and the impression it leaves. It also needs to work with our brand, even though our brand book doesn’t cover soundtracks. The video’s soundscape is truly impressive. I’m going to encourage everyone watching it to put on headphones, or I’ll make sure the meeting room’s sound system is up to it before I hit play. The sound Keksi produced is worth every penny,” Ilari says.

“The music adds so much value to the whole. The execution is truly excellent, right down to the smallest sound effects. I love film music, and Emil’s compositions were an instant, perfect match for the mood of the visuals,” Emma-Julia adds.

Composer and sound designer Emil Sana approached the project the same way he would a film score. The video had to create an epic atmosphere and tell a story while also conveying a lot of concrete technical information. Music and sound design help keep the storytelling in rhythm and the message clear.

“I composed music demos even before the footage was finished, and the client was immediately able to say what they felt worked and what didn’t. I quickly got a sense of what kind of mood and soundscape were worth focusing on, and I was able to build the final piece on that basis. In my view, the end result is cohesive: an informative sales video with a strong artistic backbone.”

The collaboration got going with a face-to-face meeting. Let’s not forget how much those matter in this busy era of remote meetings!

“That very first meeting in Turku laid a great foundation for our collaboration. Since then, everything has been really efficient. We’ve been on the same wavelength. It makes a huge difference to meet the team in person and ‘break the ice’ face to face before talking online,” Ilari says.

“It’s hard to think of anything to improve, because you listened so carefully to our wishes and moved through the entire project based on our choices,” Emma-Julia says.

“There wasn’t a single moment in this project where I thought, ‘Oh no, what now?’ I always knew where things stood and what was being worked on. The collaboration had a truly professional and fun atmosphere throughout the entire production,” Ilari continues.

The finished video will be used both in marketing and in-house.

“The video is going to get wow reactions — no doubt about it. Besides marketing, we’ll also use it for internal onboarding,” Ilari says.

Elomatic recommends Keksi especially to other companies in the technology sector and B2B industrial environments. But not just to them!

“I can recommend Keksi to companies like ours: in a way, we’re a startup within a large company. You’re clearly very familiar with the tech sector and the B2B industrial environment. The storytelling moved between real life, the world of software and a range of graphics, which makes the video convincing. My recommendation applies just as well to, say, the financial sector, insurance companies and health and social services,” Ilari says.