Is This AI or Netflix?

01 · breaking news · ▶ on the show at 4:10

Seedance arrives in Runway (launch film)

By Jeff Synthesized

The first news of the show: Runway had fully built Seedance into its platform, part of a wider rollout bringing the model to providers everywhere, including creators in America who had struggled to get hold of it. To mark the launch, a short, funny film did the rounds, built around one repeated demand: more. Chris believed it was made by Jeff Synthesized, almost certainly in partnership with Runway, and simply enjoyed the premise. News items don't go to the poll.

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02 · breaking news · ▶ on the show at 8:16

Los Angeles AI Film Festival announcement

Spotted on Chris's feed that morning in a post on X from Hardeep. The young team behind the Mumbai AI Film Festival, which made national headlines in India, is taking the idea to Los Angeles and then Japan, working with the government of Shibuya. Their pitch film promises Apple WWDC meets Cannes Film Festival: a red carpet at LA's Orpheum Theatre in its 100th year, produced by the team behind the Oscars, with backers including NVIDIA, Invideo and Morphic. Chris asked the chat who is behind it.

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03 · breaking news · ▶ on the show at 13:19

HeyGen Avatar 5 lip sync comparison

By HeyGen

HeyGen's Avatar 5 update claims to have solved character consistency forever. We played the side-by-side comparison from HeyGen's own landing page, with Avatar 5 and rival models including Kling, OmniHuman and Veo 3.1 all delivering the same line. Chris was upfront that we hadn't used the tool much and that showcase videos are cherry-picked, so he handed the question to the chat: is it the best lip sync model, and was the comparison a fair one?

HeyGen

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04 · ▶ on the show at 19:07

Runway Big Ad Contest Winner

By László Gaál

László Gaál, a regular on the show, won the Runway Big Ad Contest, and somehow we had never played his winning entry. Entrants picked one of six everyday products or invented their own. László chose AA batteries and set the spot in Japan, going for a grainy 16mm, early 2000s commercial look, battery mascots and all. It was the debut of our new live poll, and the votes came in overwhelmingly 1s, with a single 2.

“László Gaál always hits the spot.”Chris Branch · ▶ 21:15

Runway

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05 · ▶ on the show at 24:53

Runway Big Ad Contest, 3rd Place

By Nick Tasker

Meet Greg, who will do literally anything for a Fizz soda, set to a song built around that very line. Nick Tasker came third in the Runway Big Ad Contest only weeks into working with AI, but he comes from a big ad land background, and Chris, who had a long chat with him that day, said that experience shows in the ideation, the pacing and the music choice. The chat loved the sumo carrying a sumo, laughed at the big wasps, and filled the poll with 1s.

“You just can't fake big ad experience.”Chris Branch · ▶ 28:14

Runway

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06 · ▶ on the show at 29:38

Luma Moth Trap Ad

By Philip Lee

One of the 25 Luma Dream Brief finalists being flown to Cannes Lions, with a million dollar prize in play for anyone who wins a Lion. Philip Lee built a universe inside the threads of a coat: a story about ambition and what we're willing to leave behind for a better life, told in a poetic voiceover with an epic payoff. A viewer pointed out that entries had to be made with Luma Agents. Only 1s came in, and the poll closed at 100% awesome.

“That is in fact probably the first piece today where only ones have come in.”Chris Branch · ▶ 33:52

Luma Agents

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07 · ▶ on the show at 36:08

Luma Taxi Ad

By Andrew Miller

Andrew Miller's Dream Brief entry, officially being submitted to Cannes Lions, takes a completely different road: a black and white Wild West town where the horses quit, all of them, on a Tuesday, and everyone switches to Luma taxis. Modern cars among cowboys, riders on mechanical bulls, a duel and a funeral, all narrated by a dry storyteller. Chris said the voiceover is what lifts it, because a voiceover that's slightly off is the thing most likely to pull him out of a piece.

“I agree, the voiceover really helps. In fact, this is the biggest thing to pull me out, I've noticed recently.”Chris Branch · ▶ 38:40

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08 · ▶ on the show at 40:56

Luma Burger Ad

By Ben Abergel

A third Dream Brief finalist, and the most upbeat of the three: an anthropomorphic cow in a dress and lipstick goes to order a burger, which seems sacrilegious until the plant-based reveal. Chris admitted the talking-animal premise has been done before, including the world's longest vegan restaurant on an earlier episode, but he liked this version, especially a song that sounded made for the piece. Plenty of 1s came through, and the chat joked she was on a date with her ex.

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09 · ▶ on the show at 44:04

GCDS SS26 Fashion Show Launch

By Misha Fedoseev

Into real AI ads: the official SS26 teaser for Italian luxury streetwear brand GCDS, delivered for Milan by Misha Fedoseev, an independent AI creative director working solo on Higgsfield. It's a trippy loop through the GCDS world, with Alice in Wonderland vibes, a red door in the middle of nowhere and smooth transitions between shots. The poll suggested it wasn't for most of the room, and Chris reminded everyone that with client work, the test is whether it lands with the brand's target market, not with us.

Higgsfield

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10 · ▶ on the show at 47:32

PPG Above & Beyond

By Havas Lemz

A full campaign film from Havas Lemz for PPG's Above & Beyond platform, built with AI and real people. The agency generated the environments through its own AI pipelines, with full control over space, colour and cinematography, while real actors carried the film, so a hybrid production like this is less likely to draw backlash. Chris and Paul weren't sure what was being sold until the end (it's paint), and the votes were mixed. Chris's verdict: a good sign for agencies, but corporately safe.

“It maybe could have had some more story to it. Essentially, it was a little bit corporately safe.”Chris Branch · ▶ 49:49

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11 · ▶ on the show at 50:47

Google Maps x Coachella

By Julien Vallée, Jordan Daniel Chesney

Directed by Julien Vallée, with music by Blackpaw and Julien and Jordan Daniel Chesney as the AI artists, alongside a long list of motion, VFX and sound credits. It flicks through rapid-fire worlds from a Google Maps prompt box: a game world, a creepy flashlight sequence, a cactus character, lightning off a baseball bat, all cut to a crazy beat. Chris got Dor Brothers vibes from the prompt box. Lots of 1s and a few 2s, with one comment saying it ran a bit too long.

“I loved the crazy beat it was edited to, as well.”Chris Branch · ▶ 53:27

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12 · ▶ on the show at 57:27

One8 x Virat Kohli

By Naveen Kumar

Naveen Kumar's black and white film for One8 x Virat Kohli came with a golden rule for AI video: never hold an AI-generated shot for more than 1 second if you can help it. His reasoning is that the visual quality is incredible but the temporal consistency is still garbage, so fast cuts hide the seams. Chris agreed that even 15-second generations get less accurate with every second. Some 1s and some 2s came in, and the chat backed the rule: most AI shots run too long.

“One of the ways to get round this is to essentially do this incredibly fast edit pace.”Chris Branch · ▶ 59:07

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13 · ▶ on the show at 1:00:12

Knight Watch Spec Ad

By @minhsmind

A spec ad Runway shared, saying it was created by a single creative in just one afternoon, without naming who. Chris asked the chat, and a viewer suggested the artist, though Chris wasn't sure how to pronounce the name. The chat spotted the 1-second rule at work here too, apart from a slowed-down ending for effect. 1s across the board, plus one last-minute 3. Chris also flagged the trend behind it: AI platforms hiring in-house creators to make regular showcase pieces like this.

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14 · ▶ on the show at 1:04:10

Adidas x Gucci x Issey Miyake Spec Ad

By Mark Isle

Mark Isle smashes three fashion worlds together, Adidas, Gucci and Issey Miyake, bringing characters from the world he built to life with Seedance 2.0 prompts in Runway. Chris admitted he's exactly the target market, and loved the colours, the image quality and the character consistency, none of which was possible six months earlier. Mark contributes a lot to Grok's creator community, and Chris's pro tip was to follow him for Grok Imagine prompts. Votes came in as a mix of 1s and 2s.

“Even 6 months ago, you just wouldn't be able to throw together stuff like this.”Chris Branch · ▶ 1:06:40

Seedance 2.0Runway

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15 · ▶ on the show at 1:08:03

KitKat Robbery

By Igor Karasev, Alyona Vinogradova

Submitted to the show. After 12 tons of KitKat chocolate, and the truck carrying it, were stolen in transit, Igor Karasev and Alyona Vinogradova imagined what happened before the robbery and why the gang will inevitably be caught. Alyona wrote it, and Igor generated and edited it with Nano Banana 2 and Kling 3.0 on Freepik. Chris loved the song choice, the edit and the twist, though the boxes could have looked more like KitKat. Lots of 1s, with Goodfellas and Baby Driver comparisons in the chat.

“Hilarious twist at the end of that one using KitKat's own strapline for taking a break.”Chris Branch · ▶ 1:10:50

Nano Banana 2Kling 3.0Freepik

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16 · ▶ on the show at 1:13:13

There's Only One Santa

By Jimmy Woolley

Jimmy Woolley of 404 Films, a legend of the show, made the cut again with a spec ad for Twinnin, which lets you prove you're the original and get paid when your likeness is used. Santa, with a brilliant accent, is fed up with shopping centres and hot tub adverts using his face without asking. Made with Seedance 2.0, Kling 3.0, Midjourney V7 and Nano Banana 2. Short, snappy and well edited, it poured in 1s, and Chris wouldn't change a thing about the tool stack.

“I wouldn't suggest any changes in terms of the tools you're using. Just keep pushing the boat.”Chris Branch · ▶ 1:15:19

Seedance 2.0Kling 3.0MidjourneyNano Banana 2

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17 · ▶ on the show at 1:19:08

Under The Skin

By Artur Monteiro

Artur Monteiro submitted this a while ago, and after a long backlog it finally made the show. It's a satirical framing study: skiers, a clinic, and the kind of enhancement procedures nobody talks about publicly, with the Winter Olympic Committee still looking into it. Chris found the audio unnerving and loved how every scene felt like one continuous world, consistent in colour and characters, which he read as a sign of what Luma's agents can do. It ignored the 1-second rule, and the chat was a tougher jury.

“This all felt like a continual world.”Chris Branch · ▶ 1:21:50

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18 · ▶ on the show at 1:24:54

Kamalu: Legend of Amadioha

By Jeff Obianuo

Billed as the first AI-generated series rooted in African mythology: Igbo cosmology, told by Africans. Amadioha, the god of thunder, has been reborn, and not everyone is happy about it. Jeff Obianuo made it with Nano Banana, Kling 3.0 and 2.5, and Seedream 5.0 and 4.5, and it had 35K views on YouTube. Chris called it a standout of the week: AI used for lightning effects that would cost a fortune in traditional VFX, and five minutes that kept him watching. The poll closed at 93% awesome, 7% okay.

“That was a 5-minute long piece that really kept me watching the entire time.”Chris Branch · ▶ 1:31:41

Nano BananaKling 3.0Kling 2.5Seedream 5.0Seedream 4.5

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19 · ▶ on the show at 1:34:16

Chompy vs The World

By Karsten Winegeart

Karsten Winegeart set out to prove Seedance 2.0 can do narrative, not just action, and made Chompy vs The World with OpenArt: an ant's-eye adventure with a kid pouring water down the hole, a magnifying glass and a Pringle used as an awning. Chris got A Bug's Life meets Toy Story, the chat added Antz, and Jimmy Woolley said that piece would have been hard even with Seedance 2.0 before. Lots of 1s straight away, and praise for the editing and character development.

“If they hadn't have told us that Seedance was used here, we'd have all guessed that Seedance was used.”Chris Branch · ▶ 1:36:44

Seedance 2.0Nano Banana 2OpenArtAdobe Premiere Pro

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20 · ▶ on the show at 1:39:38

In Another Breath

By Frame Workers, Asi Oren

First prize in Curious Refuge's feel-good AI film competition, written and directed by Asi Oren of Frame Workers. A sneeze on a crowded tram opens up a soft, felt micro universe, before a final cut that rips it all away, which Chris compared to the Sopranos cut to black. He loved the switch into the textured world and the piano and violin score. The chat called it warm, cuddly and plush, a Moon and Me vibe for UK parents, and the poll filled with 1s.

“Audio just can make or break a piece.”Chris Branch · ▶ 1:43:40

Kling 3.0Nano Banana Pro

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21 · ▶ on the show at 1:46:39

The Failure

By Jesús Terrada Gómez

Jesús Terrada Gómez, a creative strategist at Freepik on the show for at least the second time, calls this his most personal project: a claymation short about failure, built around audio from Rosalía and made with Seedance 2.0 on Freepik. Straight after In Another Breath's felt, it made for a big week of textures, two of Chris's favourite styles. The subtitled pacing worked even in another language, and lots of 1s came in, just as Andrew dropped into the chat from a train.

“We're covering all the cool textures this week, aren't we? We just had felt and now we've got claymation.”Chris Branch · ▶ 1:48:04

Seedance 2.0Freepik

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22 · ▶ on the show at 1:50:33

THE CLEAN3R (Part 3)

By Dave Clark

The third instalment of Dave Clark's trailer series for THE CLEAN3R, made with Seedance 2.0 inside Runway, upscaled with Magnific and scored with his own Suno track, an opera trap meets dubstep hybrid Chris couldn't stop listening to. When Dave was on the show, viewers picked holes in the gun physics, and his answer was that story comes first because the models will improve. Now the fight scenes look like real fighting, not warping. Not to everyone's taste, but proof of how far things have come.

“The characters do look like they're actually fighting. They don't look like they're warping. It's incredible. We are finally here.”Chris Branch · ▶ 1:53:14

Seedance 2.0RunwayMagnificSuno

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23 · ▶ on the show at 1:55:13

Finn & The Funk

By Dale Williams

Dale Williams, a director at Promise, made this TV pilot on his own: an adult animated comedy about an undercover cop who also happens to be his dog, sent into a club to find a dog named Yuri. Chris called it one of the most impressive pieces of the year for consistent world building, with a tight, script-driven story and voices that fit every character. The chat called it genuinely insane. It's the piece behind this episode's question: is this AI, or Netflix?

“It's almost like you just got dropped into a show.”Chris Branch · ▶ 2:00:03

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24 · ▶ on the show at 2:01:42

Short Clip for GRAiL

By Aashay Singh

The last clip of the night: Aashay Singh marking a year with the GRAiL collective, made with Seedance 2.0 through Dreamina and upscaled with Topaz Labs' Starlight model. Chris rated the beat one of his favourites of the week, though we're still confirming what made the music, and was glad we saved it till last. Lots and lots of 1s came in, a fitting close to what he called the most stylistically diverse week the show had ever had.

“This week has just been the best stylistic week I think we've ever had in terms of diversity of styles.”Chris Branch · ▶ 2:03:00

Seedance 2.0DreaminaTopaz Labs

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