Hey there, it’s been a minute since I last updated this blog! Life moves fast, and so do I. Not too long ago, I was knee-deep in sketch comedy, whipping up hilarious skits and creating some outrageously satirical characters. Man, did I have a blast doing that! But you know what they say – change is the spice of life. Who said that? I don’t know. Today, I’m diving headfirst into the mesmerizing world of Generative AI art videos. Yeah! I’m shaking things up, challenging myself, and taking my creativity to a whole new level. Buckle up, ’cause this is gonna be one wild and exciting ride!
Introducing: Streetopia – Get Out Of Reet (Ep.1 – 30+ Second Runtime).
This is an initial installment of an evolving tale brought to life by Generative AI. Its captivating narrative has emerged from numerous poorman experiments and showcases the potential for an ongoing series of bite-sized episodes, each lasting under a minute.
What’s the story about? In the quest to escape Reet, everyone yearns for freedom. Ricardo, however, carries a hint of cynicism. He finds pleasure in the disorder and may seem reluctant to lend a hand. Nevertheless, the encounters with diverse characters along his odyssey will ignite a transformation within him, although not without challenges. Gradually, he will come to realize the profound truth: “Helping others is away is a way of helping ourselves.”
How did I do it? Head over to this Twitter thread for all the deets. Future blog posts will include my future workflows. So make sure to subscribe! Let me copy and paste:
1. All 3-4 shots of me are on green screen.
2. Backgrounds were created in a photo editor using stock pictures. Mostly stitched. Different aspect ratios.
3. I downloaded static 3D models & Animated models (greenscreen/alpha) and played with them in my motion graphics editor. Filled in some storefront windows with more videos.
4. Did some masking magic, digital camera movement, and played with layers and depth… for example, I masked the sky to add a storm and t-rex!
6. Exported favorite renders (in 4k) and sent them to my video editor for choppin’, sound design (poppin’), and voiceover (in 4k).
Here are some production and post-production screenshots.
Here are some production and post-production screenshots.
Challenges:
I wish I had a treadmill to actually look like I’m walking.
I was lucky with frame consistency. Except for the wide shot that fuzzed my face (me on the couch). I re-did the shot on Kaiber in a close-up and manually key-framed my face on that wide shot.
I couldn’t do much about the buggy eyes in the last clip.
No butterflies were harmed in this video.
How long did it take?
A day and a half with tons of happy accidents • How long will it take you? Probably much longer if you don’t know how to shoot, edit, design, composite, edit sound, or know where to look for assets. But it’s not impossible!
What’s the plan? To continue the story while still learning and experimenting along the way. This is a much longer process. Very tiring. Might try doing it weekly or bi-weekly.
It’s not magic, friends. But it is pretty magical how I am able to create my own animation all by myself (using all the experiences I’ve acquired through my filmmaking years).
Raw Footage (second video): This is what blows my mind. The poorman input and the animated output.
Hope you learned a few things. In my next post, I’ll be sharing even more exciting ways for you to dive into the realm of AI Art. So get ready to unleash your creativity and stay tuned for the next installment (and episode to Streetopia). Keep rocking, my friends!
Help me by reposting my work, commenting, and subscribing to my new YouTube Channel. 🙂