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Marketing Against the Grain

233M Views in 3 Days: The David Beckham AI Workflow

40 min episode · 2 min read
·
Pj Ace

Episode

40 min

Read time

2 min

Topics

Artificial Intelligence, Product & Tech Trends

AI-Generated Summary

Key Takeaways

  • Two-by-Two Grid Workflow: Generate images in four-shot sequences using a two-by-two grid format to maintain consistent lighting, characters, and locations across all frames. Crop individual shots from the grid, upscale them, then animate each frame separately in sequence. This technique eliminates the challenge of matching lighting and visual continuity between disconnected shots.
  • Five-Role Production Structure: Split AI video production into writer, director, cinematographer, animator, and editor roles mirroring traditional animation pipelines. This team approach scales beyond solo creators and allows preexisting filmmakers to collaborate effectively. The IMA David Beckham ad used this structure with multiple cinematographers and animators working from director-provided reference images and shot specifications.
  • Image-to-Video Over Text-to-Video: Upload reference images to video generation tools rather than relying on text prompts alone. Use the last frame of one clip as the first frame of the next for smooth transitions. Upload reference images to ChatGPT to extract visual language prompts that can recreate similar aesthetics without legal issues from using copyrighted movie stills.
  • Cost and Timeline Transformation: AI video production costs one-tenth of traditional commercials, bringing million-dollar quality down to six-figure budgets or lower. Entry-level AI filmmaking agencies charge between ten thousand and thirty thousand dollars per ad. Production timelines compress from four to twelve weeks down to days, with the Kalshi NBA Finals ad completed in two days.
  • Kling 2.6 Motion Control Technique: Record a driving performance video of an actor, generate a single reference image of the desired character or setting, then upload both to Kling 2.6 motion control. The tool retrofits the actor's facial performance and movements onto the generated character, enabling one actor to play multiple roles with different voices using Eleven Labs voice cloning.

What It Covers

PJ Ace reveals his complete AI video production workflow that generated 233 million views for a David Beckham ad in three days. He demonstrates the five-role team structure, specific tools like Ideogram and Kling 2.6, and the two-by-two grid technique for maintaining visual consistency across scenes in AI-generated commercials.

Key Questions Answered

  • Two-by-Two Grid Workflow: Generate images in four-shot sequences using a two-by-two grid format to maintain consistent lighting, characters, and locations across all frames. Crop individual shots from the grid, upscale them, then animate each frame separately in sequence. This technique eliminates the challenge of matching lighting and visual continuity between disconnected shots.
  • Five-Role Production Structure: Split AI video production into writer, director, cinematographer, animator, and editor roles mirroring traditional animation pipelines. This team approach scales beyond solo creators and allows preexisting filmmakers to collaborate effectively. The IMA David Beckham ad used this structure with multiple cinematographers and animators working from director-provided reference images and shot specifications.
  • Image-to-Video Over Text-to-Video: Upload reference images to video generation tools rather than relying on text prompts alone. Use the last frame of one clip as the first frame of the next for smooth transitions. Upload reference images to ChatGPT to extract visual language prompts that can recreate similar aesthetics without legal issues from using copyrighted movie stills.
  • Cost and Timeline Transformation: AI video production costs one-tenth of traditional commercials, bringing million-dollar quality down to six-figure budgets or lower. Entry-level AI filmmaking agencies charge between ten thousand and thirty thousand dollars per ad. Production timelines compress from four to twelve weeks down to days, with the Kalshi NBA Finals ad completed in two days.
  • Kling 2.6 Motion Control Technique: Record a driving performance video of an actor, generate a single reference image of the desired character or setting, then upload both to Kling 2.6 motion control. The tool retrofits the actor's facial performance and movements onto the generated character, enabling one actor to play multiple roles with different voices using Eleven Labs voice cloning.

Notable Moment

PJ reveals that in the Legend of Zelda fan trailer that went viral, Princess Zelda's voice is actually his own voice transformed through Eleven Labs into a British female voice. He demonstrates how voice actors will become more valuable than traditional actors because range and performance skill matter more than physical appearance in AI-driven productions.

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Episode Transcript

Today, you're gonna learn how to make an amazing AI video ad from the Don Draper of AI Ads himself, PJ Ace. You've probably seen this David Beckham product video go viral on Instagram, watched by hundreds of millions of people. He is gonna show us what the future of AI video holds, but more importantly, he's gonna show you how to make remarkable ads and videos for your business using AI tools today. Let's get to today's show. Alright, everybody. We're having a fun show today. We're talking all about AI video, ads, trailers with who I think is the Don Draper of the AI era. PJ. PJ Ace, you're here. I really do think you are like the Don Draper, the modern day madman of building creative with AI, and I think you deserve the title. Yeah. I'm super excited to be here. You got the name for it. We just talked about this. PGA's. And, yeah, you have, like, this Hollywood name. You're making some cool stuff, but you're here today, and you're gonna demystify the AI video magic and show us, like, what goes into it, the process, how people can actually really do this, that they don't have to just be you to do it. You obviously have a lot more experience in reps, but anybody can kinda pick it up. Yeah. I made a number of these videos in, like, two days in my underwear, which is the same that I'm wearing right now. I love it. Okay. So before anything else, for folks who don't know who you are, I think we should show one of the videos so they get a baseline for it. I know probably the video you're most known for is an ad you did for the NBA finals for the prediction market Kalshi. Maybe kick us off there. Great. Indiana gonna win, baby. We're in Florida asking people what they put their money on. I'm all in on OKC. Indiana got that dog in them. Will egg go up this month? I think we'll hit $20. How many hurricanes do you think we'll have this year? So good. Oh, gee. She let legally trade on anything anywhere in The US. OKC. Indeed. OKC. It's so good. How many people, PJ, did that take? And then, like, in the old world, how many people would have put that together? Because you've been in this world prior to AI. And then how many did it take to do that one? Yeah. My business partner and all our staff and stuff tell us, dude, stop telling people this took you two days in your underwear. The problem is it did. It's also one of my best ads. So, like because now our our ads, like, and we work with, like, now very, very big Fortune 500 companies, and, like, the reason now they take over a month and whatnot is it's, like, the approvals process. It's like the script writing, but, …

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Books, tools, and gear mentioned in this episode

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Tools

  • IdeogramRecommended
    He demonstrates the five-role team structure, specific tools like Ideogram and Kling 2.6, and the two-by-two grid technique for maintaining visual consistency across scenes in AI-generated commercials.
  • Eleven LabsRecommended
    then upload both to Kling 2.6 motion control. The tool retrofits the actor's facial performance and movements onto the generated character, enabling one actor to play multiple roles with different voices using Eleven Labs voice cloning.
  • Upload reference images to ChatGPT to extract visual language prompts that can recreate similar aesthetics without legal issues from using copyrighted movie stills.
  • Kling 2.6Recommended
    He demonstrates the five-role team structure, specific tools like Ideogram and Kling 2.6, and the two-by-two grid technique for maintaining visual consistency across scenes in AI-generated commercials.

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