Straight answers.
Everything brands ask before the first email: cost, speed, ownership, and whether any of this actually holds up.
General
What does Studio Default actually do?
We produce product and campaign imagery for ecommerce and DTC brands using AI production, directed by a working photographer. You send product references; you get packshots, campaign frames, ad creative, UGC and video, without booking a studio, a model or a location.
How much does it cost?
Plans start at R5,000 per month for a single product. Core is R8,500 per month for 25 to 35 finished assets, Growth is R14,000 and Studio starts at R24,000. Starter is month to month, and Core, Growth and Studio are retainers with a 3-month minimum. A once-off Sprint for a single product is R4,500. Pricing is fixed monthly, not per image.
How fast is it?
First delivery lands in 3 to 5 working days. Core clients get a 3-day turnaround, and Growth and Studio clients get weekly delivery. A traditional shoot of comparable scope takes four to six weeks from brief to delivered files.
Is the imagery actually AI-generated?
Yes, and we say so plainly. Transparency is part of the positioning, not something we manage around. What you're paying for is direction: eight years of photography deciding the light, the lens, the casting and the grade, which is the reason the output doesn't look like everyone else's AI images.
Will my product look like my actual product?
Yes. Your real product references are locked into every generation, so labels, proportions, materials and finishes stay consistent across the entire set. Product fidelity is the specific problem this studio exists to solve.
Who owns the images?
You do. Full commercial rights, delivered outright, with no usage window, no renewal and no per-placement licensing.
Do you work with brands outside South Africa?
Yes. The studio is based in Johannesburg and works with brands anywhere. The entire process runs remotely, and there is no shoot to travel to. Pricing is quoted in Rand, which tends to work in an international brand's favour.
Do you still shoot real photography?
Yes. Eight years of it, and some briefs still need a camera. If yours is one of them, we'll say so rather than sell you the wrong thing.
What if I don't like the output?
Every plan includes two rounds of changes per batch, plus unlimited copy edits. Direction is approved before production starts, so disagreements happen at the cheap stage, not after forty assets exist. Because the ads are built in layers, a price, headline or language change takes minutes.
Product Photography
What do you need from me to start?
Product photos, even phone shots on a kitchen counter work. Multiple angles help. If you have brand guidelines, a colour palette or reference imagery you like, send those too. If you don't, we'll build them.
Will the product actually look like my product?
Yes. That's the entire discipline. Your real product references are locked into every generation, so labels, proportions, materials and finishes carry across the set. This is the specific thing generic AI services get wrong.
Can you match imagery I've already shot?
Yes. Send the existing set and new frames will be graded and lit to sit alongside it, so your feed doesn't visibly split into 'before' and 'after'.
Do I have to disclose that the imagery is AI-generated?
Requirements vary by platform and market, and they're changing. We're transparent about the process and will flag anything that looks like a compliance issue in your category, but the final call on disclosure is yours, and worth checking with your own advisor for regulated categories like skincare or supplements.
Campaign & Editorial Imagery
How many frames do I need for a campaign?
Six is the working minimum: a hero, two supporting, a detail, a wide and a portrait. That covers a homepage, a paid social set, an email and a lookbook without repeating an image.
Can you work from a moodboard we already have?
Yes, and it helps a lot. Send the moodboard, the references you keep coming back to, and any campaign you wish you'd made. Those get analysed into a concrete direction, not copied.
Do you shoot real photography too?
Yes. Eight years of it, and it's still the right answer for some briefs. If a job genuinely needs a camera, we'll tell you.
Performance Ad Creative
Do you write the copy as well?
Yes. Headlines, claims and hooks written in your brand voice, in variations built to test against each other. If you have claims that need legal sign-off, you approve those before anything ships.
Can you match a competitor's ad format?
We analyse the structure: layout, hierarchy, hook type. Then we rebuild it with your product and your brand. Structure isn't ownable; the execution is yours.
How many creatives do I need per month?
If you're spending seriously on Meta, plan for 10 to 20 fresh assets a month minimum. Creative fatigue is the most common reason a working campaign stops working.
UGC & Creator-Style Content
Can you do talking-head video with audio?
Yes, script, voice and lip-sync. You approve the script before anything is produced.
How many different creators can you produce?
As many as you want. Each one is cast as a distinct person and reusable, so you can build a recurring cast rather than starting from zero every month.
Will Meta flag AI-generated content?
Meta labels AI-generated content it detects, and that labelling isn't a penalty in itself. What gets accounts in trouble is misleading claims, which is a copy problem, not a production problem. We keep claims to what you can substantiate.
Meta Ads Management
Do you need access to my ad account?
Yes. You keep ownership of the account and the Page. We are added as a partner with the access we need, and you can remove it at any time.
Will you spend my budget without asking?
No. New campaigns and ads are built paused and reviewed with you first. Nothing starts spending until you have approved it.
Does my ad budget go through you?
No. Ad spend is billed by Meta directly to your account. Our fee is R3,500 a month as an add-on to Core or Growth, and it is included in Studio. It is separate from your budget.
Can I use this without the creative plans?
It is built to run alongside our creative plans, since the same team makes the ads. If you have your own creative, talk to us and we will tell you whether we can add value.
Do you guarantee results?
No. Results depend on the product, the offer, the budget and the market. What we guarantee is the process: a weekly read, fresh creative made from what works, and a monthly report.
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