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Reference Lab Creative references

Show uswhat you like.

Upload an ad, a reel or a product shoot you admire. Studio Noir reads how it works, not what it shows, and builds those qualities into a campaign that is entirely yours.

8characteristics read from every reference

Open Reference Lab Our principles

01 —The reading

How it works,not what it shows.

Every reference is broken down into the decisions behind it. You see each one, and choose which to carry into your campaign.

ReferenceReel · 0:15

  1. 01

    Hook

    How the first seconds earn attention

    Opens mid-motion on a close detail. The product is implied before it is shown.

    • In medias res
    • Macro open
  2. 02

    Pacing

    Speed and rhythm of the edit

    Fourteen cuts in fifteen seconds, easing into a two-second hold at the end.

    • Fast
    • Final hold
  3. 03

    Camera language

    Movement, lenses, framing

    Slow push-ins at product height, with one overhead for scale.

    • Push-in
    • Low angle
  4. 04

    Composition

    How frames are built

    Subject on the right third, negative space left for type.

    • Rule of thirds
    • Negative space
  5. 05

    Lighting

    Quality, direction and colour of light

    A single hard key from the side; deep, clean shadows.

    • Low key
    • Hard light
  6. 06

    Visual rhythm

    Repetition, contrast, cut patterns

    Alternates wide and macro on every other cut.

    • Wide / macro
    • Alternating
  7. 07

    Product integration

    When and how the product appears

    The product arrives at nine seconds and owns the last three.

    • Late reveal
  8. 08

    Emotional tone

    What it makes you feel

    Quiet confidence. Nothing shouts.

    • Calm
    • Assured
Illustration of a Reference Lab reading. Findings are examples.

02 —How it works

Upload. Read.Apply.

  1. Upload

    An ad, a reel, a screenshot, a product video or a still. Tag what it is so the reading knows what to look for.

    • Ad
    • Reel
    • Commercial
    • Product shoot
    • UGC
    • Brand film

  2. Read

    Studio Noir breaks it into 8 characteristics, from the hook to the emotional tone. A reading costs 3 credits.

    • Hook
    • Pacing
    • Camera language
    • Composition

  3. Apply

    Choose the traits you want and apply them to a campaign. They shape its direction; your product, brand and brief stay at the centre.

    • Pacing
    • Lighting
    • Product integration

03 —Principles

Characteristics,not content.

A reference is a mood board, not a template. Use it the way a director would: for the feeling, the rhythm, the light.

  1. Structure, not content.

    Reference Lab reads how a piece works: its hook, pacing, camera, light and rhythm. It never reproduces what the piece shows.

  2. No copies.

    Studio Noir does not recreate another brand’s campaign. No footage, frames, characters, music or copy are carried over. Every asset is made for your product.

  3. Private to your workspace.

    The references you upload, and what is read from them, are visible only to people in your workspace.

What we read

  • Hook
  • Pacing
  • Camera language
  • Composition
  • Lighting
  • Visual rhythm
  • Product integration
  • Emotional tone

What we never take

  • Footage, frames or stills
  • Logos, names or packaging
  • People, faces or voices
  • Music, voiceover or copy
  • A campaign’s script or storyline

Upload only what you are comfortable sharing with your team. The details are in our terms.

Reference Lab

Start froma feeling.

Bring the work that moves you. Leave with a campaign that is yours.

Open Reference LabHow it works