Behind the Lens: How Our Roots to Rise Video Used AI and Creativity to Elevate Hawaii Farming Stories

At Mysto Productions, we’re always evolving the way we tell stories — and our latest project with Roots to Rise, an organic regenerative farm in Waimanalo, Oahu, was the perfect opportunity to experiment with a fusion of tradition and technology.

Roots to Rise is more than just a farm — it’s a movement grounded in ancestral wisdom and regenerative agriculture. From the very beginning, we knew this video needed to feel intimate, elemental, and true to the land. But for this shoot, we added something a little different to our creative process: AI-powered tools to help us tell this story in a bold new way.

Concepting the Vision

Our shoot began with a simple idea — let nature and the land speak for itself. We built a script around the natural rhythm of the farm: hands in the soil, vegetables soaking up sunlight, wind brushing through native plants. Using ChatGPT, we developed a poetic and reflective voiceover script that honored the ethos of the farm while maintaining a cinematic feel. From there, we developed a macro-heavy shot list, designed to capture the textures of leaves, the vibrancy of produce, and the deep connection between farmer and earth — all while shooting from 1 PM into golden hour for that perfect Hawaii light.

A First for Mysto: New Gear + New Tech

This was also our first shoot using the DZO Arles Prime lenses, which gave us stunning depth and clarity. To elevate the project even further, we leaned into AI in post-production. We used Artlist.io’s AI voiceover tool to bring our script to life with a soft, human-like delivery that blended seamlessly with the tone of the visuals.

In Adobe Premiere Pro, we took advantage of AI generative fill plugins to clean up background distractions, polish transitions, and enhance the final polish of the piece without losing the organic feeling that was so essential to the story.

Artlist.IO plugin for premiere

Bringing It Together in Post

The final result was a piece that feels both grounded and elevated — deeply rooted in Waimanalo’s land and culture, yet forward-looking in its production techniques. Our use of AI wasn't about replacing creativity — it was about enhancing it. We still poured our hearts, our eyes, and our Hawaii-grown perspective into every frame.

This shoot reminded us why we do what we do. We’re not just a Hawaii video production company — we’re creative partners, storytellers, and innovators who embrace new tools to tell age-old stories in beautiful new ways.

Interested in creating something unique for your brand or farm? Mysto Productions specializes in Hawaii cinematic videos, Hawaii content creation, and professional videography in Hawaii. Whether you’re a regenerative farm, a local business, or a global brand looking to tap into the heart of Hawaii, we’d love to tell your story.