Sometimes it feels like a video generator is trying to be infuriating. I tried a clip of a London cabbie telling a nudity-related joke:
- The first go was fine except the joke was too long and the last words were cut off. I reworded it and tried again.
- Go 2 was fine except, for some weird reason the London cab was bouncing all the way through as if someone heavy was repeatedly getting into the back. Added an instruction to keep the cab still.
- Go 3 – saw the back door slide open and then partially shut. That made no sense so I added an instruction to keep the doors shut. It was distracting and the cabbie’s performance wasn’t great.
- Go 4 – the driver’s door opened at the start and the cabbie was (unlike the 1st 4) facing the wrong way. Stipulated which way the cabbie should look and tried again.
- Go 5 – the cab moved perfectly, no doors opened, the cabbie looked at the camera and spoke total gibberish. No idea what he said.
- Go 6 – the cab rocked a little too much but not as badly as 2. Also, the driver’s door opened slightly, but the cabbie’s vocal performance was perfect. I try really hard not to spend too many credits on a single clip so I’m calling it a day there.
I feel that video could easily have been perfect on attempt 2. I’m sure a lot of people think you just tell it what you want and you get a perfect result first time. As I’m trying for more precise output, it’s taking a lot more work (and credits) to get there.