Real clothes, AI models: making a Kowloon fashion film

We dressed fictional Kowloon residents in Dries Van Noten and gave them ordinary things to do. The agents produced 24 five-second video candidates; Egor cut selected moments with archival Hong Kong footage into a 47-second film. The arcade model gets less than a second in the final edit.

The video-generation estimate came to US$23.76. Agents handled reference files, scene versions, generation jobs and downloads. We directed the people and gestures, reviewed the results and finished the film in Final Cut Pro. Below, you can compare the real clothes with what the models made of them.

Final edit by Egor Lyfar · 46.6 seconds · Generated fashion scenes, archival Hong Kong footage and an edited soundtrack. Independent studio study.

An independent Lyfar Studio fashion study. The Dries Van Noten title and referenced clothes are part of the creative concept; this is not a commissioned or affiliated brand campaign. The figures below cover video generation, with the full exclusions beside the cost table.

Why Dries

We chose the Dries Van Noten AW26 collection because we think it’s a masterpiece. The colours, the layering, the way several patterns work in one outfit. We wanted to see those clothes in this film.

The technical justification is good, too. This collection gives an agent plenty to keep track of: embroidery, checks, floral prints, marbled velvet, different textures and awkward little details. The green checks need to stay green checks when someone turns a shoulder. The orange ribbing needs to stay attached to the right jacket. A convincing face won’t rescue a coat the model has redesigned.

That made Dries a useful stress test for the whole workflow: finding the right references, combining them into a look, generating a first frame, then trying to keep the clothes consistent through movement. We wanted to see where the detail survived and where it wandered off.

The first version of our Fidget Book experiment also used Dries references (choose V1 in the demo). We keep coming back to Dries. They’re cool.

Give the models something to do

We wanted contemporary fashion inside a historical Kowloon Walled City setting: strange haircuts, expensive shoes, people getting on with their day. One carries a stack of red stools. Another weighs dried peel behind a shop counter. Two watch a small television.

Carrying three stools gives you weight, a grip and a reason to move through a room. It also gives the video model several opportunities to get the hands wrong. That’s something you can inspect and direct.

We set the art department around 1989 and mixed in 2026 clothes, plus early digital cameras and keypad phones. The collision was deliberate. The invented shops and characters aren’t a historical reconstruction.

The cast grew to 12 fictional Asian adults, all specified as 19. We asked for freckles, uneven features, visible skin texture, mildly prominent ears and haircuts with character. Red, platinum, blue, cropped green. Each identity had a description and reference frame, so changing a coat wouldn’t mean casting a new face.

Start with clothes you can point to

We downloaded official product photographs and recorded their product links, then mixed pieces into 19 looks, including Adidas shoes and Miu Miu mules. A product photograph lets you specify the collar, pockets, hem and colour relationships. “Expensive fashion” leaves those decisions to the image model.

For the stool scene, we combined a plum embroidered bomber , wool skirt trousers and Miu Miu leather mules .

In the herbal shop, we layered a red marbled velvet dress over a teal printed silk blouse . For the arcade, we combined a checked seersucker bomber , a floral wrap skirt and low ballerina sneakers.

You can recognise the styling in the generated frames, but the model redraws the garments. Fine prints drift. A silver trainer can come back off-white. We keep the product images beside the results so you can see those changes for yourself.

Make the first frame before you buy movement

We used the GPT image-generation tool available inside the agent session for the stills. The tool didn’t expose a model version, so we can’t give you an honest version number. We saved 34 frame versions across 30 scenes.

Each image in a reference pack had a job: a face for identity, product photographs for clothes, an architectural reference for surfaces and room density. We told the model which job belonged to which image. That included spelling out that the catalogue model’s face wasn’t part of the wardrobe reference.

The image tool accepted at most five references in this session. We chose that short ingredient list before asking the model to combine it.

We asked for clean 4:3 frames with room around the hands and feet. You need to see whether a hand holds the scoop before you ask it to pour. Tape noise and camera shake make that inspection harder, so we left the analogue treatment for the edit.

The first-frame brief describes the person, clothes, starting pose and camera position. A roof-walking shot needs somewhere to walk; leave room for the next action before generating the image.

Give the agent a scene record

Codex coordinated the research, file handling and generation calls. We used scene IDs, cast IDs, wardrobe records and a source register. The project ended up with 33 scene records and 56 registered references. Some scenes stayed at the brief or still stage.

The herbal shop is S31. Its first image is v001; its first motion take is m001. Each take points back to the exact frame it used. We saved the prompt, input references, model identifier when available, parameters and output receipt together.

01Find garment and place references
02Write the scene and cast brief
03Generate a clean first frame
04Inspect the face, clothes and grip
05Save the frame version
06Submit and track the motion job
07Download, check and catalogue
08Select and edit in Final Cut

Revisions got new filenames. We kept the earlier image and its original brief, so we could compare a new look with the previous version without reconstructing a conversation.

The agents could research clothing while Egor reviewed scenes, and prepare more stills while video jobs ran. A private gallery brought the references, frames and clips together for review, including from a phone. It read the scene records, which saved us maintaining a second handwritten shot list.

For video, the agent uploaded the first frame, submitted the job and saved its prediction ID. It checked that same ID until the job finished, then downloaded the output. After an uncertain response, the next step was to reconcile the job state before creating another job. Otherwise, you risk paying twice for the same request.

We kept failed attempts in the records to explain missing clips and avoid repeating work.

Direct one action across five seconds

We used Replicate for the motion jobs. Wan 3 produced 22 of the 24 completed clips. We also completed one Runway Gen-4.5 test and one Seedance 2.5 test.

The still already contained the face, clothes and room. The motion prompt concentrated on the change over five seconds, with instructions to preserve those details and hold one continuous shot.

For the herbal shop, the saved direction included this passage:

Starting from the exact scoop position in the image, the woman moves the scoop a short distance to camera-left until it is above the ingredient pan. She gently tips a few small pieces of dried peel onto the existing pile, then holds the empty scoop above that pan.

“Starting from the exact scoop position” mattered. The generated still had placed the scoop higher than the original brief described. We directed from the image we had.

We kept the actions small: two steps with the stools, a glance at a screen, a short pour. Our first motion pilot showed hanging clothes. We wanted people, and that pilot told us nothing about faces or hand movement. We changed the test. Start with the gesture your film depends on before generating a large batch.

The references and generated scenes

The gallery includes all 30 garment and shoe references and all 34 generated frame versions across 30 scenes. The source photographs sit beside the generated images, with links back to the original product pages. We kept the revisions so you can compare the attempts as well as the finished-looking ones. The generated clothes are interpretations; the photographs show what we asked for.

Each row shows the references for the styled look, followed by its generated frame and motion take where one exists. Some clothes sit outside the crop. We also reused earlier generated frames for identity and wardrobe continuity; these strips are not a list of images attached to every generation call.

S01 · Laundry above the city

01 · Real garment references

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Jacquard duffel coat — Dries Van Noten · Jacquard duffel coat

Official product photograph: Adidas · Tokyo — Adidas · Tokyo

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten, Adidas. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Seated low beside a galvanized basin, wet shirt held in both hands; freckles, low braids and cigarette clear, one silver Tokyo shoe fully visible. — Rust floral jacquard and silver trainers on a fictional rooftop. The coat's toggles and print are generated approximations.

Compare the earlier generated version

Full figure beside the laundry; shirt raised, both Tokyo shoes visible, dense aerials and roof layers behind. — Earlier casting and rooftop composition, before the laundry action revision.

S02 · Last bundle

01 · Real garment references

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Backless cotton flannel top — Dries Van Noten · Backless cotton flannel top

Official product photograph: Adidas · Taekwondo Mei — Adidas · Taekwondo Mei

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten, Adidas. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Seated at the workbench, hands above a shallow tray; freckled youthful adult face, short low pigtails and both ballet sneakers with bare ankles visible. — The checked wrap top becomes a working outfit at a noodle table. The revised frame removes the patterned socks from the first attempt.

Compare the earlier generated version

Seated at the workbench, hands above a shallow tray; close-cropped face and both low ballet sneakers visible. — Earlier casting, with unrequested patterned socks carried over from the catalogue styling.

S03 · One tile

01 · Real garment references

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Hooded floral peacoat — Dries Van Noten · Hooded floral peacoat

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · High buckled leather boots — Dries Van Noten · High buckled leather boots

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Freckled adult hero with two thin braids on far corner of green table; floral coat and knit clear, cigarette and tile hands separate, three adult players cropped at edges. — Floral tapestry, knit and buckled boots around a mahjong table. The crop does not show the boots' full height.

Compare the earlier generated version

Hero on the far corner of a close green table; floral coat, knit and face clear, three adult players cropped at the edges. — Earlier casting. A poster from the architectural reference carried into this frame; the next version removes it.

S04 · Fringe between customers

01 · Real garment references

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Patchwork wool cardigan — Dries Van Noten · Patchwork wool cardigan

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Slim leg cotton flannel pants — Dries Van Noten · Slim leg cotton flannel pants

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Embroidered cotton poplin shirt — Dries Van Noten · Embroidered cotton poplin shirt

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten, Adidas. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Two adult faces in a compact barber shop: seated Mei in long tartan/floral knit and checked trousers, buzzcut Kai beside her in an embroidered white shirt, comb and closed scissors kept separate from the face. — Patchwork knit and an embroidered white shirt in a fictional barber shop. The generated frame changes which hand holds each tool.

03 · Five-second motion take · m001

The comb gesture grows larger than directed. Wan 3.

S07 · Clothes without their owners

01 · Real garment references

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Long slitted floral dress — Dries Van Noten · Long slitted floral dress

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Suede workwear mules — Dries Van Noten · Suede workwear mules

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten, Adidas. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Rust jacquard duffel on a wire hanger, checked wrap top and long tiny-floral dress on adjacent hangers; repeated pipes, window cages and a sliver of daylight. No people. — Three looks hanging without their owners. The model interprets the folds, pattern placement and room.

03 · Five-second motion take · m001

The hanging-clothes pilot. It tests fabric movement without testing faces or hands. Seedance 2.5.

S08 · Two faces in the mirror

01 · Real garment references

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Fitted denim blazer — Dries Van Noten · Fitted denim blazer

Official product photograph: Adidas · Japan — Adidas · Japan

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten, Adidas. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Red-haired Yan in fitted denim and white-haired Bo in floral peacoat share one close mirror reflection; compact camera below eye level, both unusual faces unobscured. — A denim blazer and floral coat in a two-person mirror scene. The digital camera is a deliberate later-period prop.

S09 · Let it dry

01 · Real garment references

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

White-haired Bo supports one blue-haired Sui finger and holds a polish brush with her other hand. Two separate pairs of hands, small bottle, crowded domestic room, sleeves and floral surfaces readable. — A manicure pairs the large floral coat with the smaller floral dress. Both people and their room are generated.

03 · Five-second motion take · m003

The model inserts an unwanted cut around 2.79 seconds and exaggerates the brush gesture. Runway Gen-4.5.

S10 · The next stack

01 · Real garment references

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten, Adidas. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Red-haired Yan behind a compact cream/grey machine, coral-red historical HK$100 notes in its upper hopper and lower tray. Hands remain separate from the rollers; phone and modern payment screens absent. — The denim look at a cash counter. The cash palette comes from references; the people and counter scene are invented.

03 · Five-second motion take · m002

The cash release and glance read clearly; the counting continues longer than directed. Wan 3.

S11 · Not asleep yet

01 · Real garment references

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Blue hair on a plain pillow; heavy-lidded face, keypad phone and white earphone cables visible. Floral dress and plaid shirt cover the body; mules sit below the bed. Lamp lights the hands, room recedes behind. — Small florals, a checked shirt and suede mules in a bedroom scene. In this revision the phone faces the person reading it.

Compare the earlier generated version

S12 · Left by the door

01 · Real garment references

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten, Adidas. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Low close still life: oxblood Dries boots upright beside a small scuffed wooden stool, black ballet-shaped Adidas shoes with white ankle ties resting on the stool, washed-denim blazer draped behind. No people. — Footwear beside a doorway: buckled boots, wrap-tie shoes and trainers. Shapes and surface details remain approximations.

S13 · Late through the passage

01 · Real garment references

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten, Adidas. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Full-length Bo in floral coat and dark trousers is beginning a running stride; red-haired Yan follows one pace behind in fitted denim, pixel-floral midi skirt and low trainers. Both faces and all feet visible. — Denim and floral layers during a passage run. The dark trousers are our styling choice, rather than a verified product reference.

03 · Five-second motion take · m001

Check textile and footwear continuity as the pair moves through the passage. Wan 3.

S14 · Yan above the rooms

01 · Real garment references

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten, Adidas. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Full-length red-haired Yan in fitted denim and pixel-floral midi skirt, one trainer planted ahead, with layered historical roofs behind and room to walk. — The fitted denim look on a fictional rooftop. Compare the collar and skirt pattern with the catalogue photograph.

03 · Five-second motion take · m001

A solo rooftop walk from the saved first frame. Wan 3.

S15 · Three across the roofs

01 · Real garment references

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten, Adidas. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Three distinct full-length adults, platinum, red and ink-blue hair, separated across a broad roof path; their outfits and footwear are individually readable. — Three looks across the roofs. A wider group frame gives the model more faces, fabrics and shoes to keep consistent.

03 · Five-second motion take · m001

Three figures crossing the roof; compare textile and shoe details through the movement. Wan 3.

S16 · Between customers

01 · Real garment references

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Ink-blue-haired Sui seated inside a cramped shop, one burgundy mule planted forward, elbow on knee and cigarette held low beside an enamel ashtray. — The floral dress and suede mules in a shop interior. The generated heels are higher than the source product.

03 · Five-second motion take · m001

A small seated movement from the shop frame. Wan 3.

S18 · You coming?

01 · Real garment references

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten, Adidas. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Qiao waits at frame left on the upper landing; red-haired Yan stands two treads below at right, both faces readable in separate planes and both bodies clearly separated. — Floral outerwear and denim meet in a narrow stairwell. The setting and encounter are invented.

03 · Five-second motion take · m001

The take adds small smiles and reframes upward. Wan 3.

S19 · Two bowls, no conversation

01 · Real garment references

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten, Adidas. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Two adult models close together at a narrow noodle counter: Mei on the left holding chopsticks low above her bowl; blue-haired Sui on the right with cheek resting in her left palm. — The checked wrap top and small-floral dress at a noodle counter. Catalogue styling supplies layers beyond the individually verified pieces.

03 · Five-second motion take · m001

The glance goes the other way, and the noodles rise higher than directed. Wan 3.

S20 · Listening through the wall

01 · Real garment references

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten, Adidas. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Close head-and-shoulders portrait of platinum-haired Bo beside a chipped open casement; white wired earbuds, dark floral collar and the neighbouring wall visible. — Floral outerwear by an open window, with wired earbuds. The close crop shows only part of the styled look.

03 · Five-second motion take · m001

A quiet eye-contact study at the window. Wan 3.

S21 · Strong tea, no hurry

01 · Real garment references

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Boxy wool sweater — Dries Van Noten · Boxy wool sweater

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Wool skirt pants — Dries Van Noten · Wool skirt pants

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten, Adidas. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Three-quarter-length buzzcut portrait behind a narrow tea counter, jug poised close above a cup, vivid red knit and taupe skirt-trousers visible. — Red jacquard knit over skirt-trousers. The generated shoes read paler than the silver reference.

03 · Five-second motion take · m001

The milk-tea scene as a five-second candidate. Wan 3.

S22 · One more fishball

01 · Real garment references

Official product photograph: Miu Miu · dark-brown leather blouson — Miu Miu · dark-brown leather blouson

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Draped gingham dress — Dries Van Noten · Draped gingham dress

Official product photograph: Miu Miu · coffee leather mules — Miu Miu · coffee leather mules

Product photographs: Miu Miu, Dries Van Noten. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Full seated figure framed by an open doorway; asymmetric hime cut, open chocolate leather blouson, draped checks, coffee mules and paper bowl. — A Miu Miu leather blouson over a Dries draped check dress, with coffee-coloured mules. This is our cross-brand pairing.

03 · Five-second motion take · m001

The doorway gesture as a five-second candidate. Wan 3.

S23 · Five centimetres of cloth

01 · Real garment references

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten, Adidas. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Three-quarter view of a curly-haired adult at a compact sewing table; long patchwork cardigan, tartan trousers, fabric and both hands readable. — Patchwork cardigan and tartan trousers at a sewing table. The plain underlayer is an invented styling addition.

03 · Five-second motion take · m001

A short cloth-feeding action at the sewing machine. Wan 3.

S24 · Hold the line

01 · Real garment references

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Jersey track jacket — Dries Van Noten · Jersey track jacket

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Heeled leather loafers — Dries Van Noten · Heeled leather loafers

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Platinum-haired Bo in piped black jersey and a tulip scarf skirt beside a wall shelf with a black rotary phone, handset already at left ear. — A piped track jacket, catalogue scarf-skirt styling and block-heeled loafers beside a rotary phone.

03 · Five-second motion take · m001

The phone action follows the handset position in the generated still. Wan 3.

S25 · Through the lightwell

01 · Real garment references

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Oversized checked coat — Dries Van Noten · Oversized checked coat

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten, Adidas. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Full-body Lin in chartreuse tartan coat, uneven braids and silver trainers, bag in right hand, both feet grounded in the opening stance. — The chartreuse tartan coat in a lightwell. Dark trousers and silver trainers complete our proposed look.

03 · Five-second motion take · m001

The model adds a smile late in the take. Wan 3.

S26 · Last shop open

01 · Real garment references

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Embroidered wool bomber — Dries Van Noten · Embroidered wool bomber

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten, Adidas. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Two full adult figures outside a small shop: blue-haired Sui with both hands on shutter bottom bar and red-haired Yan leaning on the right jamb, plum bomber and embroidered white shirt. — The plum bomber and white embroidered shirt at a shop shutter. Footwear details differ from the references.

03 · Five-second motion take · m001

The shutter stops around hip height. Wan 3.

S27 · Three stools home

01 · Real garment references

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten and Miu Miu. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Click a garment name for the original product page.

Full-body hime-cut Tung in plum bomber and layered taupe skirt-trousers, holding a compact nested stack of three red stools below chest height. — The plum body, striped ribbing, skirt-over-trouser shape and low mules remain recognisable. The generated crest, fine checks and sole details are approximations. Catalogue faces belong only to the source photographs.

03 · Five-second motion take

Two grounded steps with the three stools held as a single stack. The final cut uses about 1.29 seconds, at 00:11.83.

Read the saved motion direction

The woman takes two short grounded steps toward camera-right along the passage, carrying the compact nested stack of three red stools at the same central waist position shown in the image. Both hands maintain their original grips.

Excerpt from the submitted prompt. Wan 3, requested 1080p, five seconds. First frame v001; motion take m001.

S28 · Air from the next room

01 · Real garment references

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Close seated adult portrait with Yuet's uneven curly mullet and freckles, embroidered white shirt, one supporting hand and a cream metal fan at the edge. — An embroidered white shirt and layered taupe checks by a fan. The portrait crop cannot verify the intended shoes.

03 · Five-second motion take · m001

The fan oscillates during the take. Wan 3.

S29 · The small screen

01 · Real garment references

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten, Adidas, Miu Miu. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Two adult red/platinum-haired models in a cramped sitting room, red jacquard knit beside chocolate leather and dark draped checks, small CRT off to one side. — Red jacquard and leather-over-gingham beside a small television. The frame changes some hair and footwear details.

03 · Five-second motion take · m001

The hand releases the television knob during the action. Wan 3.

S30 · One more credit

01 · Real garment references

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Seersucker bomber — Dries Van Noten · Seersucker bomber

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Wrap scarf-skirt — Dries Van Noten · Wrap scarf-skirt

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Leather ballerina sneakers — Dries Van Noten · Leather ballerina sneakers

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Click a garment name for the original product page.

Full three-quarter adult figure with a black-and-white bob at an old CRT arcade cabinet, green/orange bomber and huge red-flower wrap skirt, both hands and low shoes visible. — The green checks, orange ribbing and large red flower guide the look. Print placement and skirt drape change in the generated frame. The black low-profile shoes are a separate Dries reference.

03 · Five-second motion take

A glance back to the CRT, one joystick nudge and a button tap. The final cut uses about 0.92 seconds, at 00:19.38.

Read the saved motion direction

The woman slowly turns her eyes and head from the doorway back toward the arcade screen. Her joystick hand nudges the red ball joystick once, while her other hand taps one button without changing its wrist position.

Excerpt from the submitted prompt. Wan 3, requested 1080p, five seconds. First frame v001; motion take m001.

S31 · Paper packet

01 · Real garment references

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Long velvet dress — Dries Van Noten · Long velvet dress

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Drawstring silk blouse — Dries Van Noten · Drawstring silk blouse

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Click a garment name for the original product page.

Acid-green cropped adult model in a red marbled velvet dress over a teal printed blouse, standing beside a narrow herbal-shop counter with jars, drawers, a brass balance and plain paper. — Two separately photographed garments become a layered look. The AI preserves the red/teal contrast while redrawing the marbled patterns. The shop and person are fictional.

03 · Five-second motion take

The scoop pours more peel than requested. The final cut uses about 1.17 seconds, at 00:20.29.

Read the saved motion direction

Starting from the exact scoop position in the image, the woman moves the scoop a short distance to camera-left until it is above the ingredient pan. She gently tips a few small pieces of dried peel onto the existing pile, then holds the empty scoop above that pan.

Excerpt from the submitted prompt. Wan 3, requested 1080p, five seconds. First frame v001; motion take m001.

S32 · Before the lantern closes

01 · Real garment references

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Cropped velvet blazer — Dries Van Noten · Cropped velvet blazer

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Wide leg jacquard pants — Dries Van Noten · Wide leg jacquard pants

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten, Adidas. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Dusty-pink pixie and twin thin braids, cobalt marbled cropped jacket and mustard floral trousers, sitting low with two clear hands beside a partly papered bamboo lantern. — Blue marbled velvet with mustard floral jacquard. The jacket print and shoe wraps are approximations.

03 · Five-second motion take · m001

The paper strip goes onto the bench instead of attaching to the lantern. Wan 3.

S33 · Your serve

01 · Real garment references

Official product photograph: Dries Van Noten · Striped wool polo — Dries Van Noten · Striped wool polo

Product photographs: Dries Van Noten, Adidas. Individual photographers not listed on the source pages. Garment names link to the original product pages.

Two distinct adult models at opposite ends of a small worn table on a broad roof: Mei in striped dark polo and yellow floral trousers, Kai in red jacquard and taupe skirt-trousers. — A striped polo and gold floral trousers at a rooftop table-tennis game, alongside the red-knit look. The trainers read paler than the references.

03 · Five-second motion take · m001

A generated table-tennis exchange; the ball's bounces need close inspection. Wan 3.

Notes on the catalogue references

We built the wardrobe from the AW26 collection pages and the linked product photographs. The boxy red sweater and striped polo appeared in that collection, while their product descriptions named Spring–Summer 2026. The embroidered white shirt’s title and description also disagreed on the fabric. We used the visible garments and kept those metadata conflicts in the source records. Some shirts, ties and skirts follow styling visible in a catalogue photograph without a separately verified product page.

What the video generation cost

These are published-rate estimates checked on 22 October 2026, calculated from the saved project jobs. We haven’t reconciled them against an invoice.

Video model	Completed clips	Settings and listed rate	Estimate per 5-second clip	Subtotal
Wan 3	22	1080p, US$0.20/second	US$1.00	US$22.00
Runway Gen-4.5	1	US$0.12/second	US$0.60	US$0.60
Seedance 2.5	1	720p, non-video input, US$0.2312/second	US$1.156	US$1.156
Total	24	120 seconds of requested candidate footage		US$23.756, rounded to US$23.76

Our Wan setup cost an estimated US$1 per five-second candidate. A usable shot can cost more if you need several attempts.

Six failed video predictions also appear in the ledger. We assigned those zero in the estimate under Replicate’s failed-run billing policy . We counted unique prediction IDs, so an original MP4 and its silent editing copy didn’t become two paid generations.

The image tool exposed no per-image charge or subscription allocation. Image generation, agent and tool subscriptions, our time and editing are outside this figure. Taxes, discounts and credits aren’t reconciled either. US$23.76 covers the estimated video generation. Making the whole film involved the rest of that work, too.

Inspect the motion

We checked the downloaded files with ffprobe, decoded them with ffmpeg and reviewed six sampled frames per clip. Those checks caught technical failures and visible changes; they don’t prove that every moment moves well. You still need playback and an edit decision.

The Runway manicure test inserted a cut around 2.79 seconds into a shot that should have held. In the lantern study, the model lowered a paper strip onto the bench instead of attaching it to the lantern. Egor kept a short part of that take in the film, using the gesture the model produced. The full clip still fails the original direction.

Lantern study, S32. The brief asked for paper pressed along a bamboo rib. The generated action lowers it onto the bench. The edit uses a 1.29-second excerpt of this take.

We preserved the provider originals and made silent editing copies without re-encoding the video.

Cut the moments in Final Cut Pro

The saved Final Cut project references 22 of the 24 generated takes, alongside three archival footage sources. Egor cut in a 1080p, 24fps project and exported the 46.625-second film at 720p.

These three wardrobe examples each started as a five-second generation:

Scene	Starts in the film	Length used
Carrying the red stools	11.83 seconds	1.29 seconds
Arcade	19.38 seconds	0.92 seconds
Herbal shop	20.29 seconds	1.17 seconds

The arcade model’s face, clothes and hand on the controls needed to read for 22 frames. The longer source take gave us room to choose that moment in the timeline.

Egor kept the finishing in Final Cut. The project has a Dehancer Pro v7 adjustment layer across the film, Pro Zoom on the money-counter shot, and shake and glitch effects on selected passages. Keeping those treatments in the timeline let him tune them against the archive footage after choosing the cuts.

The archive inserts, music and street ambience belong to this editing stage. The automated generation supplied candidate footage; Egor chose how it sat beside the existing Hong Kong images and where to cut.

Footage and sound

These are the source files referenced by the saved project:

Archive: Life in Kowloon Walled City , Kowloon Walled City: “And the Walls Came Tumbling Down” (1984) , and Chika Asamoto in Hong Kong, 1988: STRAY .
Music: “Pump That Shit Up” by Jammin The House Gerald .
Street ambience: Walking in Hong Kong Causeway Bay: Immersive Street Sounds Walk , matching the named ambience file in the project.

Start with one garment photograph, one character and one action. Save the sources and brief together. Generate a still, inspect the face and grip, then freeze that version and animate five seconds. Watch it in a timeline before commissioning the next batch.

Bring that first scene to an AI workshop . We can build the reference and generation workflow around a shot you want to use.