AI Films
Short films made by the WedgewoodAI whānau with AI. Each one shows what AI can create, and how we’re getting better at directing it.
The Arrival
A craft arrives over the Kāpiti Coast and its emblem becomes the WedgewoodAI logo, welcoming a new era of AI into Aotearoa.
Made with: Directed by Risatisone (Richard) Lemana · Edited with Claude (Anthropic) · AI video and music generated with Abacus.AI · Voice by Richard
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Our AI film journey
We’re learning to make films with AI, one film at a time. Our first four were made with Abacus.AI alone: the clips were generated and joined together automatically. With The Arrival, Claude joined the team to plan each shot, check every clip and edit the film into one story. Here’s what each film taught us.
- 1
SilentWedgewoodAI Launch
Made with: Richard + Abacus.AI
- The video engine wrote the captions itself, so we couldn’t fix their wording or timing afterwards.
- It added things we never asked for, such as flags on the rocket.
- A countdown gave a simple story that holds a short film together.
- 2
SilentThe Arrival (first version)
Made with: Richard + Abacus.AI
- The AI invented its own map of New Zealand and its own islands; real places need a real photo to start from.
- Text drawn by the video engine came out garbled before it settled on the web address.
- Clips joined automatically don’t always connect: the craft’s angle and the light jump between shots.
- This film became the blueprint for the new Claude-assisted version.
- 3
SilentEnter the Archives
Made with: Richard + Abacus.AI
- Characters can multiply: one guard becomes two as the doors open.
- A single continuous shot holds together better than several clips joined.
- 4
SilentThe Pharaoh’s Ascension
Made with: Richard + Abacus.AI
- AI can carry a real person’s likeness into a story and create something personal and moving.
- Faces and costumes can shift slightly between clips.
- 5
First Claude-assisted filmThe Arrival
Made with: Directed by Risatisone (Richard) Lemana · Edited with Claude (Anthropic) · AI video and music generated with Abacus.AI · Voice by Richard
- Planning one shot at a time, and starting each shot from a set image, keeps the craft, light and island consistent.
- Checking every clip before ordering the next one saves credits and catches mistakes early: the wrong map, footprints before landing, a mismatched beach.
- All text goes on in the edit, so it’s always spelled right.
- A real voice, music and sound effects turn clips into a film.