A one-person ad and video production company in Beijing.
Run a video studio alone with AI: ACE Studio, 60–80% more income than with seven staff
AI lets an experienced professional keep a studio's output without a studio's payroll, and content becomes a second income.
Figures as reported by CNA (self-reported by the founder) · source
From CNA · Oct 2026
The Short Version
How Zhang Pengtao (ACE Studio) did it with OpenAI Codex: He told CNA a job that took three days now takes about three hours, his productivity has roughly tripled and his client count has doubled.
- What: Zhang Pengtao, 37, ran a seven-person advertising and video studio for years; he now runs ACE Studio with no staff.
- Result: He told CNA a job that took three days now takes about three hours, his productivity has roughly tripled and his client count has doubled.
- Made with: OpenAI Codex
| Who | Zhang Pengtao (ACE Studio) |
|---|---|
| Tool | OpenAI Codex |
| Money | Not disclosed |
| Timeframe | Oct 2026 |
| Source | CNA |
| Self-reported | Yes |
The workflow
Made With
OpenAI CodexUse · OpenAI's coding agent for ChatGPT, your editor and the terminalTry OpenAI Codex AIMore CasesWhere & With What
What They Did
- 1The moveZhang Pengtao, 37, ran a seven-person advertising and video studio for years; he now runs ACE Studio with no staff.
- 2Step 2Build simple internal tools with a coding agent
- 3Step 3Use AI for pitches and visuals
- 4ResultHe told CNA a job that took three days now takes about three hours, his productivity has roughly tripled and his client count has doubled.
Quick Answers
What tools do you need?
OpenAI Codex (openai's coding agent for chatgpt, your editor and the terminal).
How much does it cost?
OpenAI Codex is paid or trial-based. Check each tool's site for current prices.
Is it allowed?
Follow the platform rules and disclose ads.
Watch out: Self-reported. His AI and tool costs are high (about US$3,000 a month), and he said AI alone was not responsible for the results.
Try It Yourself
(Our template, not the creator's prompt.) Turn this client brief into a pitch presentation outline: concept in one line, 6 slides with a headline and image prompt each, and a production timeline.
Starter tools
Your first step
Open OpenAI Codex, paste the prompt above and swap the [brackets] for your own niche.
Full write-up & sources
More detail: With no coding background he used OpenAI's Codex to build his own project and bookkeeping tools. For client work he feeds a creative concept into Codex, which builds an online presentation and creates the images. This year he also started making content for individual viewers and runs paid offline AI training.
Results: Over the past year he earned close to US$30,000 from brand deals, charges about US$750 to US$1,500 per training session and estimates his annual income is 60 to 80 percent higher than with the seven-person studio, after about US$3,000 a month in AI and software costs (CNA, Oct 2026).
Source: CNA · Oct 2026. Summarised in our own words; figures as reported by CNA (self-reported by the founder). Updated .
