Set the Scene. To the Max.

We create high-end visual assets for creators, brands, and businesses using human creative direction, and advanced AI tools without the cost of traditional production.

Now Booking October

Our Story

The $250K Photoshoot that Never Happened

Payton DeMore

scemax, founder

In 2025, one of my largest clients handed me a $250,000 budget to produce a national campaign with more than 50 products.

I did what I’d spent the last seven years doing: figuring out how to give my client everything they wanted without wasting their time or money.

As I priced photographers, models, locations, stylists, travel, permits, licensing, props and everything else in-between for a production this size, I watched a quarter-million-dollar budget disappear really fast.

I thought: there has to be a better way.

Instead of scaling back the creative vision, I began exploring how far advanced AI tools could go when paired with human creative direction, design, storytelling and attention to detail.

I assembled a talented creative team and the result was an award winning campaign that kept the original creative ambition while dramatically cutting production costs. Saving money for both the client and my small studio.

This experience launched scemax.

A creative studio built to make the scene bigger, not the idea smaller.

Set the scene. To the max.

Why chose scemax

There’s more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking. Just not when it comes to your brand. Whether you sell pizza, jewelry, beauty services, cocktails, skincare, haute couture, or real estate, you want people to stop, notice, remember, and buy. You need to look good. Really good. But producing great visuals for your business shouldn’t have to become a second full-time job. Traditional production means endless emails, schedules, location scouting, casting, travel, studios, props, permits, crews, and unexpected expenses, all before the first shot is even finished. With scemax, you get one creative team handling the process from concept to final delivery. We build the scenes, develop the creative, make the revisions, and take care of the details. Less headache. Less time. Less money spent. More ridiculously good-looking.

Strategy

Creative Direction

Production

Compositing

Research

Imaging

Our Process, Explained

Here's how it Works

1

Connect

Tell us what you need, what you already have, and what you want the final visuals to accomplish. This can be anything from improving a few existing photos to building an entire campaign from scratch. We’ll talk through your goals, budget, timeline, and the best way to approach the project.

1

Connect

1

Connect

2

Send it over

Share whatever assets you already have, photos, logos, menus, packaging files, brand guidelines, references, or inspiration. Don’t have any? We can build your brand or simply help coordinate a physical shoot at your location without turning it into a full-scale production.

2

Send it over

3

We build it

Our team develops the creative, builds the scenes, enhances or creates the visuals, and brings everything together through design and post-production. You’ll review the work, request any agreed revisions, and receive polished, ready-to-use assets for your website, social media, advertising, menus, campaigns, or wherever your needs to look its best.

3

We build it

small businesses
restaurants
hotels
real estate
fashion
jewlery
food & beverage
weddings

Maximum Creative.

Minimum Overhead.

Made a scene for

Making a Scene in any Industry

Whatever you do, it should look good. From food trucks and local salons to hotels, photographers, product brands, and real estate, we help businesses of every size create visuals that look polished, professional, and worth noticing.

YouTube Documentary
Professional storytelling edit designed to maximize viewer retention and engagement.
Short-Form Content
Engaging social media clips optimized for maximum reach, higher shares, stronger engagement.
Commercial Advertisement
High-converting promotional video crafted to attract customers and drive action.
Podcast Video Editing
Clean, professional podcast edits optimized for audience retention and viewer engagement.

YouTube Documentary

Professional storytelling edit designed to maximize viewer retention and engagement.

Short-Form Content

Engaging social media clips optimized for maximum reach, higher shares, stronger engagement.

Commercial Advertisement

High-converting promotional video crafted to attract customers and drive action.

Podcast Video Editing

Clean, professional podcast edits optimized for audience retention and viewer engagement.

Pricing

Fixed Price, Zero Limits

Monthly

Custom

starting at

$99

/mo

Book Free Discovery Call

What's included

Weekly tailored design requests

Multiple visual options to choose from

Fast turnaround

Multiple revisions included

All of your size/format needs

Full personal and commercial use

No contract. Cancel anytime

Monthly

Custom

starting at

$99

/mo

Book Free Discovery Call

What's included

Weekly tailored design requests

Multiple visual options to choose from

Fast turnaround

Multiple revisions included

All of your size/format needs

Full personal and commercial use

No contract. Cancel anytime

Monthly

Custom

starting at

$99

/mo

Book Free Discovery Call

What's included

Weekly tailored design requests

Multiple visual options to choose from

Fast turnaround

Multiple revisions included

All of your size/format needs

Full personal and commercial use

No contract. Cancel anytime

FAQ

Your Questions, Answered

Not sure where to start?

Book a free discovery call and tell us what you’re working on.

No sales pitch. No pressure. Just a quick conversation about your project, what you need, and whether scemax is the right fit to help bring it to life.

Not sure where to start?

Book a free discovery call and tell us what you’re working on.

No sales pitch. No pressure. Just a quick conversation about your project, what you need, and whether scemax is the right fit to help bring it to life.

Book a Discovery Call

Or, email me at hello@scemax.com

What does scemax do?

The short answer? A lot.

We create and transform visual assets for brands, businesses and individuals. From product campaigns, lifestyle imagery, social content and advertisements to portraits, wedding photos, pet portraits and one-off creative projects.

Whether it's an existing image that needs work, a product that needs an entire campaign, or simply an idea you haven't figured out how to make yet, we can help.

Do I need professional photos before we start?

Nope.

Send us whatever you have.

That can be professional photography, phone photos, existing website images, packaging artwork, CAD or 3D files, reference images or even the physical product itself.

If you don't have imagery at all, that's okay too. We can help build the visuals from scratch, or arrange for one of our photographers to capture the raw photos on location.

For physical products, you can also ship them directly to us. We'll photograph what we need and use those images to build the final assets.

Is everything just AI-generated?

No. And that's an important distinction.

We use advanced AI tools as part of our production process, but they are exactly that: tools.

The final work can involve creative direction, photography, design, compositing, retouching, image generation, color work and plenty of very human decision-making.

AI can generate a thousand images.

Knowing which one is right, what's wrong with it, how to fix it and whether it actually feels like your brand is a completely different job.

That's where we come in.

Will my images look obviously AI?

That's something we're pretty obsessive about avoiding.

Skin should look like skin. Products should look like products. Lighting needs to make sense. Hands need the correct number of fingers. Labels shouldn't suddenly invent new letters.

We combine AI production with traditional design, compositing and retouching to push the final image as close to polished, professional photography as the project allows.

And we're transparent about limitations. AI isn't magic, and there are situations where another production method makes more sense. If we don't think we're the right solution for what you're trying to create, we'll tell you.

Can you keep my product, face or pet accurate?

Yes. When accuracy matters, “close enough” isn't the goal.

For products, that means maintaining things like packaging, labels, logos, proportions, colors and recognizable product details.

For people and pets, that means preserving the features that actually make them look like them.

Depending on the project, we may combine multiple techniques including original photography, compositing and manual retouching.

How much does it cost?

Our ongoing design packages start at $99/month, which includes one tailored design request per week, fast turnaround, limited revisions and multiple formats based on your needs.

There are no long-term obligations, and you can cancel anytime.

Anything beyond that is quoted specifically for the project.

A single portrait, a product launch and a 50-product national campaign are three very different jobs, so we don't believe in squeezing every client into the same package.

Tell us what you're trying to create and we'll build the scope around what you actually need.

How fast can you get it done?

Most smaller projects are completed within 1–3 days.

Larger projects, campaigns and projects involving multiple products or assets will have a timeline based on the scope of work.

Need it yesterday?

Rush projects are accepted when our schedule allows for an additional fee.

How do revisions work?

Every project includes a clearly defined revision structure, outlined in your proposal before we begin.

Revisions are intended to refine the agreed-upon direction, such as adjusting details, colors, placement, styling, or other elements of the existing concept.

Changing the entire environment, concept or creative direction after production has begun isn't considered a revision. That's a new direction and may need to be treated as a new project or additional scope.

We like surprises in the creative.

Not on the invoice.

Who owns the final images?

You do!

Once the project has been completed and payment has been fulfilled, the final delivered assets are 100% yours.

Use them across your website, social media, advertising, print, marketing materials or wherever else your project calls for them. You can also sell them, license them or use them as part of your own products and services.

They're yours to print, share, frame, gift, publish or make your phone background until everyone gets tired of seeing them.

Is my project too small or too big for scemax?

Probably not.

We built scemax to be flexible.

You might be a national brand that needs an entire visual campaign without the traditional production headache.

You might be a small business that needs better content every week.

You might have one product that deserves to look much more expensive than your current photography makes it look.

Or you might just want an incredible portrait of your dog.

We're interested in good ideas and visual problems that need solving, not just the size of the invoice.

If you can picture it, show us. If you can't picture it yet, tell us about it. We'll help set the scene.

What does scemax do?

The short answer? A lot.

Whether it's an existing image that needs work, a product that needs an entire campaign, or simply an idea you haven't figured out how to make yet, we can help.

Do I need professional photos before we start?

Nope.

Send us whatever you have.

That can be professional photography, phone photos, existing website images, packaging artwork, CAD or 3D files, reference images or even the physical product itself.

If you don't have imagery at all, that's okay too. We can help build the visuals from scratch, or arrange for one of our photographers to capture the raw photos on location.

For physical products, you can also ship them directly to us. We'll photograph what we need and use those images to build the final assets.

Is everything just AI-generated?

No. And that's an important distinction.

We use advanced AI tools as part of our production process, but they are exactly that: tools.

The final work can involve creative direction, photography, design, compositing, retouching, image generation, color work and plenty of very human decision-making.

AI can generate a thousand images.

Knowing which one is right, what's wrong with it, how to fix it and whether it actually feels like your brand is a completely different job.

That's where we come in.

Will my images look obviously AI?

That's something we're pretty obsessive about avoiding.

Skin should look like skin. Products should look like products. Lighting needs to make sense. Hands need the correct number of fingers. Labels shouldn't suddenly invent new letters.

We combine AI production with traditional design, compositing and retouching to push the final image as close to polished, professional photography as the project allows.

Can you keep my product, face or pet accurate?

Yes. When accuracy matters, “close enough” isn't the goal.

For products, that means maintaining things like packaging, labels, logos, proportions, colors and recognizable product details.

For people and pets, that means preserving the features that actually make them look like them.

Depending on the project, we may combine multiple techniques including original photography, compositing and manual retouching.

How much does it cost?

Our ongoing design packages start at $99/month, which includes one tailored design request per week, fast turnaround, limited revisions and multiple formats based on your needs.

There are no long-term obligations, and you can cancel anytime.

Anything beyond that is quoted specifically for the project.

A single portrait, a product launch and a 50-product national campaign are three very different jobs, so we don't believe in squeezing every client into the same package.

Tell us what you're trying to create and we'll build the scope around what you actually need.

How fast can you get it done?

Most smaller projects are completed within 1–3 days.

Larger projects, campaigns and projects involving multiple products or assets will have a timeline based on the scope of work.

Need it yesterday?

Rush projects are accepted when our schedule allows for an additional fee.

How do revisions work?

Every project includes a clearly defined revision structure, outlined in your proposal before we begin.

Revisions are intended to refine the agreed-upon direction, such as adjusting details, colors, placement, styling, or other elements of the existing concept.

We like surprises in the creative.

Not on the invoice.

Who owns the final images?

You do!

Once the project has been completed and payment has been fulfilled, the final delivered assets are 100% yours.

They're yours to print, share, frame, gift, publish or make your phone background until everyone gets tired of seeing them.

Is my project too small or too big for scemax?

Probably not.

We built scemax to be flexible.

You might be a national brand that needs an entire visual campaign without the traditional production headache.

You might be a small business that needs better content every week.

You might have one product that deserves to look much more expensive than your current photography makes it look.

Or you might just want an incredible portrait of your dog.

We're interested in good ideas and visual problems that need solving, not just the size of the invoice.

If you can picture it, show us. If you can't picture it yet, tell us about it. We'll help set the scene.