Why OpenMagic Isn’t the Tool It Promises to Be

In the fast-evolving world of digital advertising, FOOH ads have become a game-changer, blurring the lines between reality and virtual creativity. One tool that’s been impossible to ignore on social media lately is OpenMagic. With an aggressive marketing push and bold promises of revolutionizing CGI ad creation, it has positioned itself as the go-to platform for effortless, AI-powered video ads. By offering templates that users can quickly customize with their logo, message or 3D object, OpenMagic claims to eliminate the need for advanced 3D skills, costly production setups, or lengthy render times.

While its AI-powered automation and ready-to-use templates make AI FOOH ad creation more accessible, the question remains: How much AI is actually at play? Does it actually push the boundaries of CGI advertising, or does it box creators into a templated, one-size-fits-all approach?

If you’re considering OpenMagic for your next CGI campaign, this breakdown will help you determine whether it’s the right tool – or if investing in a more tailored approach is the better choice. For this article, we took a deep dive into OpenMagic’s capabilities, breaking down its features, strengths, and key drawbacks.

What Is OpenMagic?

OpenMagic is an AI-powered platform designed to simplify the creation of Fake Out Of Home Ads. It’s built for non-design savvy marketers, small business owners, and agencies who need a fast, accessible solution to produce engaging video content without the steep learning curve of traditional 3D tools.

The platform aims to remove barriers in content creation, making advanced 3D computer-generated imagery (CGI) and visual effects (VFX)accessible to users without prior editing experience.

What It Promises

Features of OpenMagic include:

• AI-enhanced workflows for seamless content creation.
• An intuitive user interface requiring minimal design skills.
• A library of pre-made CGI video templates where users can simply upload their message, logo, graphic or 3D object.
• Fast rendering and automated video generation, saving time compared to traditional CGI workflows.

Target Audience

The platform is clearly designed for:

• Marketing teams and project managers with little to no design skills.
• Small businesses with limited budgets looking for high-quality CGI ads.
• Agencies that need quick turnaround times for video content.

Technical Breakdown: What’s Under the Hood?

User Interface & Design

OpenMagic’s number one USP lies in its simplicity. The drag-and-drop functionality makes it easy for non-designers to generate content quickly. However, this simplicity comes at a cost – the very minimal creative freedom.

For professional artists, agencies and brands this is a major drawback. Unlike a real CGI pipeline where you can manipulate lighting, textures, object placement, and animations, OpenMagic confines users to its rigid template system. Though we expect OpenMagic to expand its template gallery in the future, the core issue remains – pre-designed templates inherently restrict customization. Even with a larger selection, users will still be working within preset structures, unable to fully adapt elements to match their unique creative vision.

Compositing & Real-World Integration

One of the biggest drawbacks of OpenMagic is its lack of true compositing capabilities. Traditional CGI workflows allow artists to adjust multiple render passes for seamless integration with real-world footage. OpenMagic, however, skips this process, leading to:

Lighting & Shadows Appear Artificial

One of the biggest giveaways of low-quality CGI is bad lighting. Since OpenMagic doesn’t allow custom lighting adjustments, inserted graphics and logos often look like flat stickers placed on top of the footage rather than realistically integrated objects. In high-end CGI workflows, artists control light direction, reflections, and shadows to match real-world conditions.

No Advanced Tracking

OpenMagic relies on pre-tracked scenes, meaning the camera motion is already baked into the template. If the initial tracking is inaccurate, the issue carries over to every user who selects that template, leading to results where CGI elements do not align properly with the scene.

Basic Compositing Limits Realism

Professional CGI tools like After Effects or Nuke use techniques such as alpha channel refinement, rotoscoping, and depth maps to seamlessly integrate CGI elements into live-action scenes. OpenMagic does not include these capabilities, meaning graphical elements are treated as simple overlays rather than deeply embedded parts of the environment.

In a professional compositing pipeline, CGI elements are adjusted for depth, shadow integration, and environmental interactions to ensure they feel like part of the real-world footage. OpenMagic lacks these refinements, leading to results where graphics look pasted onto the scene rather than integrated within it.

The best FOOH ads make people stop and question whether what they’re seeing is real. That moment of curiosity – where audiences genuinely wonder if a giant sculpture was actually installed in the middle of a city or if fabric is truly draped over a skyscraper – is what gives FOOH its viral potential.

AI-Powered Features

Despite its marketing claims, OpenMagic lacks significant AI-driven innovation. While it automates repetitive tasks, it does not yet have any notable AI features like image-to-3D conversion, physics simulations, or intelligent rendering optimizations.

In our assessment, future updates may bring such capabilities, but for now, the “AI” branding feels more like a buzzword than a true differentiator. Current AI-based CGI tools from NVIDIA and Adobe already showcase advanced features such as neural rendering and AI-assisted rotoscoping – something OpenMagic is far from achieving.

File Compatibility & Workflow Limitations

For professionals accustomed to industry-standard CGI and video editing software, OpenMagic’s file compatibility poses significant restrictions:

• No Editability Post-Export: Once the video is generated, there is no access to individual elements for tweaking in post-production, which significantly reduces creative control.
• Only .MP4 Output: Unlike tools that allow multi-layered EXR or TIFF sequences for advanced compositing, OpenMagic outputs only .MP4 files, limiting post-production flexibility.
• No Integration with 3D Pipelines: OpenMagic does not support interchange formats like FBX, OBJ, or Alembic, making it incompatible with Blender, Cinema 4D, or Unreal Engine.

Limited Creativity

It might not come as a surprise that one of OpenMagic’s biggest limitations is its heavy reliance on pre-designed templates, which inevitably restricts creative freedom. While this approach makes CGI ad creation faster and more accessible, it also introduces several drawbacks that affect brand differentiation, scalability, and customization.

Because users must work within fixed templates, creating truly unique, brand-specific content becomes a challenge. This lack of flexibility makes it difficult for brands to establish a distinct visual identity, especially when competitors may be using the same designs. When multiple companies rely on identical templates, FOOH campaigns risk losing their exclusivity and impact, making them feel repetitive rather than innovative. The narrow set of visual tools may result in campaigns that don’t stand out – especially when compared to bespoke FOOH executions that leverage custom. In fact, FOOH ads that diverge from these templated effects tend to command more attention and leave a lasting impression.

For inspiration, check out over 700 unique examples in our FOOH Library.

While the platform excels in speed and ease of use, it ultimately falls short when compared to full-scale CGI workflows that allow for true creative experimentation and cinematic-quality production.

OpenMagic vs. Professional FOOH

When comparing OpenMagic to Fake Out of Home (FOOH) video productions crafted by professional 3D artists and studios, the most significant difference lies in creative control and variety. OpenMagic relies entirely on pre-made templates, making it easy to use but severely limiting originality. In contrast, working with a professional studio or artist ensures that each project remains unique, innovative, and tailored to a brand’s identity.

Working with an experienced 3D studio or artist ensures that every project carries a signature creative touch, reflecting the unique style and vision of both the brand and the creators behind it. From the early concept phase, a professional CGI team can experiment with bold ideas, tailor-made environments, and custom assets – pushing creative boundaries far beyond what template-based platforms allow. During production, there’s room to refine every detail, while in post-production, the possibilities are endless, allowing for cinematic effects, advanced compositing, and dynamic storytelling that truly sets a campaign apart.

Curious about what goes into a successful FOOH production? Check out Part I of our Tools Behind FOOH blog series: Ideation & Concept Development

Finally, Is OpenMagic Worth It?

Ultimately, whether OpenMagic is the right tool depends on your goals. If you need a quick, templated CGI ad without investing time or budget into custom production, OpenMagic offers a fast and accessible solution. However, for brands seeking originality, creative freedom, and high-quality FOOH visuals, professional 3D artists and studios remain the superior choice.

While OpenMagic is easy to use, this simplicity comes at the cost of flexibility and creative freedom. The trade-off is clear: While OpenMagic provides convenience, it cannot match the level of customization and originality that a “real” FOOH production process allows.

That being said, the existence of tools like OpenMagic is a positive step forward for the industry. By making CGI more accessible, it pushes the FOOH market toward greater creativity and innovation.

As such templated executions become more common, simpler concepts like balloons with banners or fabric rolling off buildings will start to feel even more repetitive than they already do – encouraging brands and creators to push for more ambitious, dynamic, and visually striking campaigns with the help of 3D artists that really know their craft.

For great Fake Out Of Home inspiration, check out our FOOH Library with over 1000 examples: