Podcast Summary:

Reshaping Workflows with Dell Pro Max and NVIDIA RTX PRO GPUs
Episode: Pushing Creative Limits with Adobe, Dell & AI ft. A.J. Bleyer
Host: Logan Lawler (with Cindy, Adobe expert)
Guest: A.J. Bleyer, Director
Date: October 9, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the evolving world of media production workflows, focusing on how the collaboration between Dell Pro Max workstations and NVIDIA RTX PRO GPUs is empowering creative professionals. Host Logan Lawler and Adobe expert Cindy are joined by action commercial director A.J. Bleyer, who shares his firsthand experiences leveraging cutting-edge hardware and Adobe’s AI-powered tools to push the boundaries of his craft. The conversation covers everything from scaling productions and overcoming technical bottlenecks to the transformative potential of AI in creative software.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. A.J. Bleyer’s Creative Journey

• Background & Path to Filmmaking

  • A.J. openly shares his unconventional journey—from a high school hobbyist making skate and car videos to a full-time filmmaker after a stint in retail.
  • [02:37]

    “I just dove in unapologetically to my hobby and spent so much time doing that that I ended up getting kind of decent at it.” —A.J. Bleyer

• Transition from Editing to Directing

  • Early experience in editing led him to shooting and eventually directing, staying closely tied to Adobe tools (Premiere, Photoshop, Lightroom).
  • [00:52]

    “I’ve become attached at the hip with Adobe’s workflow... I love it.” —A.J.

2. Scaling Productions: The Hardware Challenge

• Growing Demands of Modern Video Production

  • As projects scaled up (bigger crews, larger file sizes, higher frame rates), hardware and workflow bottlenecks quickly surfaced.
  • [04:59]

    “Suddenly I’m talking terabytes, suddenly I need machines specked out to the absolute max... as a true professional necessity.” —A.J.

• Professional Necessity of Workstation Hardware

  • Shift from consumer-grade gear to high-performance workstations and RAID arrays.
  • The technical burden of media management (“time saved” becomes a decisive ROI).

3. The Importance of Dedicated GPUs and Dell Pro Max/NVIDIA RTX PRO

• Processing Heavy Codecs and Formats

  • Discusses challenges with 4K 4:2:2 10-bit footage, which is very CPU-intensive.
  • With older systems, transcoding and proxies were necessary, slowing creative flow.
  • [07:48]

    “It’s really annoying... to be bound to wait almost to take the paint out of the paint tube or to almost paint your painting at reduced resolution...” —A.J.

• Native 4:2:2 Codec Support on NVIDIA GPUs

  • New NVIDIA RTX Pro cards now directly accelerate 4:2:2 codec processing—removing former bottlenecks found in other OEM solutions.
  • [10:02]

    “Now with Blackwell that is completely solved... huge advantage... if you’re using Photoshop, Premiere Pro... it’s a huge advantage.” —Logan Lawler

• Pro-Grade Hardware for Pro-Grade Users

  • A.J. stresses that, though not the mass-market user, having tailored high-end hardware is essential for real creative work.
  • [11:11]

    “It isn’t really as I’ve said before, a professional necessity... It sucks if you don’t have hardware that’s optimized for super-intensive graphics processing...” —A.J.

4. The Role and Impact of AI in Creative Workflows

• Early Adopter Mindset

  • A.J. encourages creatives to dive into AI-driven solutions, drawing parallels to the advent of digital photography.
  • [15:23]

    “I want to shake every person that’s not exploring AI in either hardware or software by the shoulders... respectfully to just kind of wake up.” —A.J.

• AI-Powered Tools in Adobe Creative Suite

  • Describes practical adoption: text-based editing in Premiere Pro, generative AI in Photoshop, and other workflow enhancements.
  • AI enables users to be “30–40% more efficient and creative… it’s just getting very, very exciting.” —A.J. [16:47]

• Workflow Benefits:

  • Text-based clip search, asset organization, advanced visual effects and clean-up tasks now handled in seconds rather than hours.
  • Generative AI in Photoshop and (increasingly) Premiere Pro allows for instantly transforming images and even scenes—opening up new creative possibilities.
  • [29:02]

    “Without question, the first time I experienced generative AI in Photoshop… the clouds opened up and I suddenly was like, oh my god.” —A.J.

Notable Example

• [29:40] A.J. describes shooting a scene on Santa Monica beach, then using generative AI in Photoshop to instantly transform the background into epic desert dunes—saving what would have been an entire day’s location shoot:

  “I circled everything, replaced it with a prompt—‘view of distant desert sand dunes’… It not only created that for me, but the way it blends and matches lighting… suddenly it looked like I was in the Sahara Desert... I just did it for free in a public location with my own camera and a tripod.”

5. Democratization of Creativity & The Creative’s Mindset

• On Widespread Access and Mobile Content Creation

  • A.J. celebrates the fact that advanced tools are more accessible than ever, from GoPros to iPhones—enabling new forms and formats (vertical, short-form, etc.).
  • [23:07]

    “The best kind of content out there is stuff that you actually get out and make and stuff that people are watching... it would be silly for me to really poo-poo new age, short-form, vertical content...” —A.J.

• Hardware is the Silent Partner

  • The best hardware becomes “invisible”—empowering, not obstructive to creativity.

• Storytelling vs. Tools

  • Advanced tools don’t replace the artist’s vision, but they greatly expand what is possible for those bold enough to embrace them.

Most Memorable Quotes

• [15:23] A.J. Bleyer:

  “I want to shake every person that’s not exploring AI… by the shoulders and really tell them respectfully to just kind of wake up.”

• [29:02] A.J. Bleyer:

  “Without question, the first time I experienced generative AI in Photoshop… the clouds opened up and I suddenly was like, oh my god.”

• [32:28] A.J. Bleyer:

  “I think with AI, both in hardware and software, we’re living in a really special moment in time where more opportunities are available to me as a digital artist than ever before.”

• [07:48] On professional tools:

  “Sometimes, really, the most valuable asset of technologically advancing is just time saved.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• A.J. Bleyer's Journey & Directing Style: 00:52 – 04:37
• Scaling Production & Hardware Demands: 04:59 – 07:32
• The Role of Dedicated GPUs (Dell/NVIDIA): 07:48 – 11:11
• The Pro User vs. Consumer Tools: 11:11 – 13:05
• Reflections on AI in Creative Work: 15:23 – 19:45
• Revisiting Past Work with Modern Tools: 19:45 – 22:42
• On Vertical Format, Mobile Filmmaking: 22:42 – 28:24
• Game-Changing Feature: Generative AI: 29:02 – 32:10
• Episode Takeaway & Closing: 32:28 – 33:40

Key Takeaways

• Always Embrace New Technology:
  Lean into AI and hardware innovation—they’re transforming what’s possible in creative industries, saving time, raising quality, and unlocking new forms of storytelling.

• Hardware and Software Should Disappear Into the Workflow:
  When working optimally, the tools become a seamless extension of the creative process, not a bottleneck.

• Creative Democratization:
  Advanced and accessible tools, paired with AI and GPU acceleration, mean anyone’s vision can come to life—regardless of budget or formal training.

• Keep your curiosity stoked:
  The pace of change is only accelerating. Those who stay curious and adaptive will thrive in the next generation of digital artistry.

Where to Find A.J. Bleyer

• Website: ajbleyere.com
• Instagram: @ajbleyere

Final Words

“Great artists are more excited about the opportunities to create than they are about losing whatever kind of footing they have.”
—A.J. Bleyer [32:28]

Note: To hear more stories from industry experts shaping the future of creative workflows, subscribe to Reshaping Workflows with Dell Pro Max and NVIDIA RTX GPUs.