Edit decision list
Build Logs
One real build a week: the idea, the problems, the failures, the fix. Newest first.
| Evt | Title |
|---|---|
| 002 |  Building this website: a split-brain hero, a face scan and a ghost made of lightTwo days, 88 commits and a lot of Blender. How a VFX supervisor built his own site with Claude Code, from a draggable craft-to-code brain to a light-painted self-portrait that took about forty tries. |
| 001 |  Why I built my own content engine instead of paying for six SaaS toolsI'm not a developer. Over one summer I built my own AI content-operations console with Claude Code. Here's what it does, what it costs to run, and everything that broke on the way. |
Do it yourself
Playbooks
How I actually work with Claude Code and other models, step by step, so you can build your own. Start at 01.
- 01Getting started with Claude Code (for creatives, not developers)Install it, point it at a folder, and have it build something real in your first hour. The setup I wish I'd had on day one.Beginner · 45 min
- 02Directing AI like a VFX supervisor: briefs, notes and referencesThe difference between "make it better" and a fix you can see. How to brief, how to give notes, and how to turn a reference into numbers a model can hit.Beginner · 25 min
- 03Build your first real tool, from idea to working appHow I went from "six subscriptions duct-taped together" to my own content console. Scoping, the first vertical slice, adding AI features, and not getting lost.Intermediate · 2–3 hrs
- 04Keep costs under control and pick the right model (Claude, local models, and when to use which)The research run I estimated at $1 that really cost $5, and the guardrails I built so it can't happen again. Plus when to use a big model, a small one, or one running free on your own machine.Intermediate · 30 min
- 05Skills, hooks and automation: make Claude run your pipelineTurn the things you ask for every week into one-word commands, trigger them automatically when a session ends, and use a panel of AI "experts" to sort material. How my content pipeline works.Advanced · 45 min
- 063D and visuals with code: Blender scripts, scans and WebGLHow the brain on my home page and the light-painted portrait on my CV were made, by describing them to Claude and having it drive Blender and the browser. The workflow, and where it breaks.Advanced · 1 hr+
Render queue · Job 001● Weekly
Bren Builds
What I built with AI this week, what broke, and what I learned. One email, weekly.