Fast Hours

Drew Brucker & Rory Flynn
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Fast Hours is a weekly generative AI podcast where Drew Brucker and Rory Flynn dig into the craft, taste, and business of making creative work with AI. Every week, they unpack what’s changing across AI image and video generation, creative workflows, models, platforms, culture, creative careers, and the business of creative work. What matters? What works? What’s overhyped? And where does leverage exist for creatives? Expect AI news, practical workflows, experiments, guest conversations, and strong opinions from two dudes actually using it in their professional work.

  1. 2 days ago

    AI Workflows Brands Actually Pay Five Figures For

    Brands pay five figures for AI workflows that turn repetitive creative work into reusable systems teams can run at scale.Drew Brucker and Rory Flynn speedrun their way into a useful business model while trying to explain node-based AI without melting anyone’s brain. The opportunity itself is practical. Find expensive, repetitive creative bottlenecks, turn them into reusable workflows, and make the complicated machinery simple enough that an entire team can actually use it.The boys break down Figma Weave, node-based AI workflows, system prompts, batch processing, arrays, Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Flux, Nano Banana, Gen Effect, and MCP. SharkNinja and BarkBox examples show how AI workflows support localization, product visualization, asset re-versioning, creative production, team handoff, and scalable content generation.The bigger idea here is that the value comes from encoding the process, creative logic, and standards into a system that can be reused across hundreds of assets without starting from zero.#AIWorkflows #CreativeAutomation #GenerativeAI #FigmaWeave #aiforbusiness ---⏱️ Fast Hour00:00 Cold opener07:22 Why a full Figma Weave episode09:53 How node workflows went mainstream in a year14:10 Why use a node-based AI tool at all?19:02 Inside the Figma Weave AI toolbox20:53 How to sell AI workflows to businesses23:24 Why brands pay five figures for AI workflows24:33 How SharkNinja localizes across 35 markets30:07 Why recurring tasks belong in workflows31:34 Live build: your first AI workflow39:09 What the Gen Effect node can do44:00 How to turn an image into a 3D asset48:46 Scale one fashion image into reusable assets55:18 How to build a batch-processing engine1:03:24 Prompt vs system prompt: what's the difference?1:05:38 Turn a node graph into a reusable tool1:12:17 Engineering an automated listicle video1:14:51 One-shot video vs modular AI production1:24:29 How BarkBox fixed one production bottleneck1:35:20 Where AI workflows create business ROI1:38:20 Why workflows survive every new AI model1:39:29 Paste your workflow into Claude to debug it1:42:57 Use AI workflows as callable functions1:44:28 Publish your workflows into Claude MCP1:46:09 Resources and wrap-up---FIGMA WEAVE 15% OFF: Use code FASTHOURS15 at checkout- 15% off the first purchase of a Figma Weave Starter, Pro, or Team subscription- One-time use per person- Applies to the first month (for monthly plans) OR first year (for annual plans)OUR FREE FIGMA WEAVE WORKFLOWS: Drew's Apparel Photoshoot: https://app.weavy.ai/flow/JV8vBtbkOl3vNeiJjAYwxNDrew's Product Social Images: https://app.weavy.ai/flow/la8iMD20eGX4eGF91qunVuRory's Listicle: https://app.weavy.ai/flow/SpLj0jsU8hThMmHWtfmT37Rory's SD2.5 Prompting: https://app.weavy.ai/flow/MdYt6UJi6ch0MkgxTaCe6rRory's GenEffects Collage: https://app.weavy.ai/flow/sX4dJgsrp9DIrOz5f9ojX1Rory's Batch Generator: https://app.weavy.ai/flow/f9OljOQLkPbJ9Q04iN8UouRory's El Camino Concept: https://app.weavy.ai/flow/BPfVXywHhoymEi3CFxOO3Q

  2. 14 Aug

    He Built an 8 Figure AI Business in One Year (feat. Rourke Sefton-Minns)

    Rourke Sefton-Minns scaled his AI creator business from zero to eight figures in one year by turning audience, education, and creative AI into a business system.Drew and Rory invited Rourke Sefton-Minns on to discuss AI and somehow ended up reverse-engineering a business built on sleep streaming, 420 straight days of posting, multiple failed creator experiments, hitting zero in the bank, and an apparently unhealthy refusal to quit. Rourke breaks down how Gen HQ grew, why brand partnerships now drive hundreds of thousands in monthly revenue, why learning AI tools is often the least important part of getting paid, and why the best move for aspiring AI creatives may be finding the client before figuring out every last detail.Rourke Sefton-Minns explains Gen HQ, AI creator businesses, brand partnerships, LinkedIn client acquisition, spec work, creative partner programs, Meta advertising, Adobe Photoshop Generative Fill, CapCut, Google Gemini, node-based workflows, narrative-loop content, creator burnout, AI careers, and generative AI-powered fandom. He also shares a practical three-month playbook for landing paid AI creative work and his mission to create 100,000 jobs for creatives through AI.---⏱️ Fast Hour00:00 Rourke Sefton-Minns, Gen HQ and 100K jobs02:55 Five social pages before the one that worked05:03 The sleep-streaming business that changed everything09:03 Making $10K a month at 21, then burning out13:04 Betting everything on a six-month ski channel17:11 The persistence lesson behind hitting zero20:50 420 days of posting before the AI pivot28:40 Why Gen Z sees generative AI as the enemy33:01 Why great AI content starts with communication35:10 Inside his vibe-coded content idea system39:19 How long a viral AI video takes to make43:20 Why AI creators burn out46:14 Outsourcing creativity made burnout worse47:27 Why changing formats brought the fun back50:25 How narrative-loop videos create retention52:44 How his 8-figure AI business makes money56:10 Why $40K a month in Meta ads is not enough57:12 The business skills AI creatives overlook01:00:51 The 100,000-jobs North Star01:03:29 How to land your first paying AI client01:07:51 What major AI brands actually want01:12:30 Why boring products can win spec-work clients01:14:09 The four-post strategy for winning brands01:17:47 AI fan content as a new growth engine

  3. 9 Aug

    How to Build an AI Universe That Compounds (feat. BLVCKL!GHT)

    Build an AI universe by compounding recognizable characters, consistent worlds, recurring stories, and creative assets instead of starting from zero. ⁨ BLVCKL!GHT has spent thousands of hours doing the thing most AI creators accidentally avoid: sticking with one weird idea long enough for it to become an actual universe. Route 47 now spans 28 interconnected shows and characters, four seasons, recurring locations, expanding lore, and even a game in development. characters → worlds → stories → audience → distribution → monetization Drew and Rory dig into: + how creative consistency becomes leverage + why cult audiences can beat virality + and why every finished asset can make the next one easier to create. BLVCKL!GHT breaks down AI world-building, Route 47, original AI IP, character development, consistent AI art styles, audience compounding, and FAST TV distribution. Krea, Magnific, MiniMax H3, Seedance 2.5, Flux 3, Runway, RunComfy, Comfy Cloud, Higgsfield, and Luma Dream Machine frame the AI image and video workflow discussion. AI agents, creator economics, model costs, synthetic media, and creative ownership shape the broader conversation. --- ⏱️ Fast Hour 00:00 Who is Blvckl!ght? 04:15 Why did Blvckl!ght change his mind on AI? 09:06 Why does Gen Z hate AI but love his work? 12:15 What shaped Blvckl!ght's visual style? 16:19 What is Route 47? 19:04 How do you build an AI universe? 22:31 How do you stay creatively consistent? 24:35 Which AI tools does Blvckl!ght use? 26:42 Can AI agents make creatives slower? 29:14 Why can a cult audience beat virality? 30:15 How can AI creators monetize on FAST TV? 32:44 How does AI content reach mainstream media? 34:34 How do AI film projects get financed? 38:14 What is “Hi-Fi Slop” and why does it fail? 40:00 How do shorts become a real series? 46:52 Why can obvious AI feel more authentic? 47:57 What is AI's real creative opportunity? 50:14 MiniMax H3 vs Seedance 2.5 53:38 Local AI video vs cloud generation 54:39 How fast can one AI creator produce? 55:55 What is Flux 3? 56:57 How do you control AI generation costs? 59:06 How do unlimited AI generations work? 01:00:29 Brand equity vs capability in AI tools 01:03:26 Why do creators stay loyal to AI tools? 01:10:13 Where should AI creators draw the line? 01:18:26 Should AI make personal decisions? 01:27:01 Where should you start with Route 47? 01:28:45 How can AI check story consistency?

  4. 2 Aug

    How to Build AI Workflows That Never Start From Zero

    A good AI workflow remembers what worked last time, so you don’t have to rebuild the same process from scratch.Drew Brucker and Rory Flynn attempt to explain how advanced AI workflows actually work, then accidentally expose the mildly concerning machinery behind their own. The useful version of AI goes far beyond isolated prompts. It remembers prior decisions, pulls from real conversations, reuses approved skills, evaluates its own output, and saves the human from rebuilding the same process every Tuesday like a highly caffeinated goldfish.The episode breaks down context files, AI agents, evaluation loops, prompt amplifiers, reusable skills, call transcripts, sales data, and personal knowledge systems. Drew and Rory also examine Seedance 2.5, Midjourney V8.2, emerging AI-assisted 3D workflows, synthetic video detection from NVIDIA, LinkedIn’s AI slop button, and the growing gap between generating faster and building systems that improve with use.---⏱️ Fast Hour00:00 What is next for Fast Hours?05:39 Why criticize AI while using it?08:56 How can AI recover old creative work?10:46 Why did 90s sports design feel better?19:07 What is LinkedIn's AI slop button?22:37 Why did LinkedIn reward lower effort?29:10 How are creators gaming account reach?32:43 Why do large platforms ship so slowly?33:48 What changed in Seedance 2.5?39:57 What is new in Midjourney V8.2?43:48 How does texture improve AI prompting?49:25 Why is Midjourney regaining momentum?50:04 Why is AI entering its 3D moment?58:12 Can people still detect synthetic video?01:01:21 How does NVIDIA detect fake video?01:07:10 Why does speed devalue AI creative work?01:11:13 How do eval loops prevent AI slop?01:13:00 How can calls create original content?01:16:20 Why can't AI automate your opinion?01:21:54 What should AI content systems ingest?01:25:27 How can AI improve sales calls?01:29:41 Why should prompts stop starting at zero?01:31:08 How should AI skills be customized?01:33:29 When should AI workflows be deleted?01:35:12 How do you build an AI skill vault?01:38:23 What is Fast Hours' next milestone?

  5. 26 Jul

    How to Make AI Images That Don’t Scream “I Used AI”

    AI images stop looking generic when creators steer models with real expertise, original references, hand-built assets, and selective craft. Finn McKenty joins Drew Brucker and Rory Flynn to explain why the fastest route to better AI work may involve drawing by hand, reading the manual, and making fewer things. The three alleged efficiency experts also wander into AI burnout, fake UGC, Higgsfield trust problems, Midjourney’s long game, and the deeply inconvenient possibility that one great image may beat the 1,000 they can generate before lunch. Topics and tools covered:Midjourney, Weavy, ComfyUI, Claude, Gemini 2.5, GPT Image, Nano Banana, Flux, Krea, Figma, Adobe Photoshop, and Higgsfield anchor the practical discussion. Sketch references, image references, style references, out-of-distribution inputs, material-specific prompting, systems thinking, AI adoption, fake UGC, creator trust, and durable AI-assisted SEO define the core concepts. --- ⏱️ Fast Hour 00:00Who is Finn McKenty? 03:13 Why did Finn quit YouTube? 05:30 Do creators need a large audience? 12:05 Which existing skills create an AI edge? 14:26 Does expertise accelerate AI mastery? 16:27 Are creatives too attached to process? 18:17 Why do companies fail to adopt AI? 20:17 Why does advanced AI work cause burnout? 27:33 Where should creators invest brainpower? 29:31 How do creators steer probabilistic AI? 31:27 What made Midjourney click for Finn? 34:00 How did AI produce 10x SEO traffic? 37:44 Why reject polished AI perfection? 38:41 Why does handmade design feel better? 41:06 How should AI and manual craft combine? 46:24 Why does making more have zero value? 50:57 How does material knowledge improve prompts? 55:03 Why choose Weavy over ComfyUI? 55:44 How do sketches improve AI images? 58:33 How should creators divide work with AI? 01:02:12 What does out-of-distribution mean? 01:05:56 How do original references beat AI slop? 01:07:03 Why does fake AI UGC destroy trust? 01:11:31 What went wrong with Higgsfield? 01:22:33 Why did Midjourney acquire Co-Star? 01:24:09 Has Midjourney had the right vision? 01:27:30 Why are creators returning to Midjourney? 01:29:10 Why does bootstrapping protect creativity? 01:34:01 Why does AI creative work need fun again? 01:35:04 Does direct attribution kill creativity? #Midjourney #AICreativity #AIDesign #GenerativeAI #FastHours

  6. 19 Jul

    How AI Is Making Human Creativity More Valuable

    AI is making creative production faster while increasing the value of human craft, imperfection, and hands-on creative control.Drew and Rory start with Netflix’s 300 AI-assisted programs and somehow end up defending Blockbuster, boxy cars, greasy roommates, and the radical act of making creative work harder on purpose. Between the usual intellectual potholes, they uncover why invisible AI succeeds, why perfect outputs are becoming exhausting, and why human-made work may become the premium signal.Covered in this episode:Netflix generative AI workflows span concept development, pre-visualization, visual effects, post-production, and release. Suno, Udio, Strudel, Foley artistry, AI music licensing, Runway visual storytelling, Claude, ChatGPT, Figma shaders, Photoshop retouching, creative consistency, nostalgic design, imperfect aesthetics, and hybrid human-AI production define the broader creative shift.---⏱️ Fast Hour00:00 Why are guests returning to Fast Hours?03:45 Why does summer trigger nostalgia?10:49 How is Netflix using generative AI?20:39 Could Blockbuster have become Netflix?24:04 What AI tools has Netflix open-sourced?28:36 What did the Suno breach reveal?32:21 Should AI be used to make music?43:31 Breaking down Runway's lamp film—hy does it work?51:43 How many movie story arcs exist?53:32 Does AI increase the value of human craft?57:53 Why are creators rejecting AI perfection?01:06:16 Why is nostalgic design returning?01:17:09 Why do simple stories feel better?01:23:09 How do AI projects maintain consistency?01:25:43 Who should Fast Hours interview next?#GenerativeAI #AIFilmmaking #AIMusic #CreativeProcess #FastHours

  7. 12 Jul

    She Cracked AI Advertising Before Brands Were Ready

    In Episode 73, Salma Aboukarr joins the show. A creative director and founder, she explains how she moved from painstaking CGI workflows in Blender and 3Ds Max to AI-native campaigns for brands including Coca-Cola, Panasonic, and Google Labs. She breaks down her viral IKEA exploding-room video that helped brands see the commercial potential of generative AI video, the detailed JSON prompting method behind it, and the modern AI creative stack she uses across Claude, Midjourney, Nano Banana, Seedance, FAL.ai, Z-Image Turbo, Qwen, style LoRAs, and custom AI agents.The conversation goes deep on AI advertising, product fidelity, photorealistic skin, color correction, video upscaling, automated client workflows, and why high-end AI work still depends on original concepts, trained taste, and obsessive finishing. They debate whether AI can truly be original, why technical teams struggle to manufacture taste, how creators survive a feed flooded with AI content, and why the next creative moat may come from the experiences, references, and strange little details nobody else can copy.---⏱️ Fast Hour00:00 Meet Salma Aboukarr02:17 From CGI agency to AI-first studio04:44 Product fidelity before AI got good07:34 The duct-taped road to photorealism11:10 Art direction beyond basic prompting14:28 Salma’s current AI creative stack16:08 How she stress-tests every new model20:20 Why color correction still matters22:25 The IKEA video that changed everything27:13 Going viral and handling AI backlash30:38 Originality as the next creative moat33:05 Can AI actually be original?38:52 Inside an AI-native creative agency39:55 Z-Image Turbo and aesthetic base models43:06 From client brief to automated pipeline47:54 Style LoRAs for brand consistency49:11 Claude, MCP, FAL, and leaving ComfyUI51:07 The model that cut a day to 15 minutes55:13 Why AI content stopped feeling special01:00:57 The value trapped in AI archives01:02:06 Create for yourself or the audience?01:04:31 Can engineers manufacture taste?01:08:38 Finding inspiration outside the feed01:11:57 Jackie Chan and thumbnail fuel01:15:29 Final lessons from a creative trailblazer#AICreative #AIAdvertising #GenerativeAI #AIVideo #CreativeDirection #Midjourney #ClaudeAI #NanoBanana #SeedanceAI #AIWorkflow #AIAgency #AIContentCreation #BrandMarketing #CreativeTechnology #ProductPhotography #AIBranding #FutureOfAdvertising #FastHours

  8. 4 Jul

    Taste Isn't the AI Moat You Think It Is

    The boys are back with episode 72, where Rory Flynn and Drew Brucker attempt to discuss AI like serious adults. Yeah, that didn't work. They immediately detour into Figma Config, Waymo trust issues, Invisalign lisp watch, and the quiet horror of paying for AI models that may or may not be getting nerfed behind the curtain. This one gets into the big question creative teams keep circling: is taste still a moat in the AI era? Drew and Rory break down why “taste as a moat” is getting shakier, what types of taste are actually durable, and why timing, novelty, cultural awareness, editorial judgment, brand systems, and compounding context may matter more than ever. They also dig into Claude Fable, government access to stronger AI models, the widening gap between public and private model capability, Figma’s new AI workflows, Weavy integration, Adobe Firefly Foundry, Disney’s custom AI model deal, and Midjourney’s V8.2 preview, texture upgrades, editing roadmap, and secret search tricks. ---⏱️ Fast Hour00:00 The boys are back00:11 Rory recaps Figma Config03:13 Rory tries Waymo for the first time08:52 The algorithm ding09:59 Invisalign enters the chat10:41 Claude Fable returns nerfed13:32 AI regulation gets messy18:44 AI tools and IP risk22:33 Taste as a moat gets challenged25:02 Breaking down types of taste27:40 Timing, novelty, and AI trends29:53 Trend cycles hit warp speed31:12 AI slop can damage brands34:45 Vintage aesthetics and timing38:37 Taste needs systems now40:14 Evolving visual taste43:19 South Park and imperfect taste45:55 Figma updates and custom tools52:39 Shaders, motion, and Weavy56:01 Retention beats acquisition01:00:59 Adobe Firefly Foundry01:02:25 Disney enters custom AI models01:03:34 The custom model problem01:07:09 Midjourney preview mode01:08:18 Midjourney V8.2 texture and skin detail01:16:13 Midjourney V9 training and web redesign01:16:43 Midjourney editing roadmap01:21:34 Secret search tip01:23:03 Broken toes and podcast lore01:25:14 Listener shoutouts01:27:13 Subscribe, hype, tell a mechanic#FastHours #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #AICreative #GenerativeAI #AIArt #Midjourney #ClaudeAI #AdobeFirefly #Figma #Weavy #AITools #BrandStrategy #CreativeAI #AIWorkflow

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About

Fast Hours is a weekly generative AI podcast where Drew Brucker and Rory Flynn dig into the craft, taste, and business of making creative work with AI. Every week, they unpack what’s changing across AI image and video generation, creative workflows, models, platforms, culture, creative careers, and the business of creative work. What matters? What works? What’s overhyped? And where does leverage exist for creatives? Expect AI news, practical workflows, experiments, guest conversations, and strong opinions from two dudes actually using it in their professional work.

Information

  • Creator
    Drew Brucker & Rory Flynn
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    79
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Drew Brucker & Rory Flynn
  • Show Website
    Fast Hours

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