Blending Creativity and Technology: A Film Director's take on Berghs' AI for Design & Video Course

Hi Cristine! who are you and what do you do? 

Hi! My name is Cristine Molander Berglund, and I work as a commercial film director.

You recently took "AI for Design & Video ". What made you choose this course? 

The most recent commercial I directed was for a car brand, where we used AI instead of CGI to make flowers bloom across a meadow. I realized how little I actually understood about the process, so I signed up for the course to learn more.

What did you take away from the course?

I feel the course gave me a solid understanding of how AI in film works—its limitations, but also its advantages. We got hands-on experience with AI tools, learned about the creative process behind making AI films, and discussed what kinds of projects AI can be a suitable solution for.

What was it like having Michel Megherbi as your instructor?

Michel was very encouraging and deeply engaged. He always provided thorough feedback and was consistently available for support. We could always turn to him with questions, and he would give thoughtful and detailed answers.

What did you find the most fun or valuable during the course? 

The most valuable part for me was learning about AI’s current limitations—understanding when AI can be the right solution, when it’s better to shoot “for real,” and when a hybrid approach might be best.

Have you been able to apply what you learned? 

I actually finished the course just a week ago, so not quite yet—but I’m certain everything I’ve learned will come in handy very soon!

What would you say to someone considering taking this course?

I can truly recommend it if you want an introduction to AI in film—understanding both its strengths and its limitations, and how you can incorporate AI into your own work.

Cristine Berglund's Final Project Video from the course AI for Design & Video:

What does a typical day at work look like for you?

My job moves fast—from pre-production to shooting to post-production—and I love that pace. Pre-production is all about meetings and planning: working together with the agency, client, and crew to shape a shared vision. Shooting days are full throttle, with the whole team working toward a common goal. Then comes the calm of the editing room, where the film truly takes shape.

What’s the best part of your job?

There’s so much that I love about what I do—almost everything, really. But if I had to pick one thing, it’s probably sitting next to the editor during post-production and watching the whole film come to life.

And the challenges?

Sometimes it’s challenging when a client or agency doesn’t fully understand what’s actually possible to achieve with film. They might think anything can be done—and sure, almost everything can be, but it comes at a cost. For example, I once had a client who, during editing, thought the actor looked too old and wanted us to digitally remove her wrinkles. It wasn’t relevant to the story, and it definitely didn’t fit within the budget. So, the wrinkles stayed—but it was a good reminder of how important it is to set clear expectations from the start. And of course, unexpected challenges always pop up on set. On our latest shoot, our camera car got stuck in the mud on a field—twice! We had to call in a tractor to pull it out. It took ages and was quite an adventure.

Where do you find inspiration?

There are so many incredible commercial directors out there — that’s where I find most of my inspiration. Daniel de Viciola at Aspekt always blows my mind; every commercial he makes is visually stunning, and he seems to have one of those minds that naturally thinks outside the box. Another director I truly admire is Daniel Wårdh at Camp David. He has such a playful approach to his work — his films are full of movement, and he always manages to surprise.

Do you have a career tip you’d like to share?

Take every opportunity you can! I’ve done all sorts of things over the years behind the camera—filming reality TV in Aruba, live-streaming a cow release during COVID, and trying to direct people in Dutch (I don’t speak a word of Dutch, for context). It might not always be your dream job, but you always learn something.