Never Split Up
- AI
- Music
- Sound Design
For Kaufland’s Never Split Up, Ambassadors Berlin took another step in Hybrid AI filmmaking, combining carefully planned visual references and live-action performances with a range of AI techniques to create the film's horror worlds.
“We’re in constant development. We take what we’ve learned from previous projects into each new one, but we get to approach every project as if it’s our first. In many ways, it is.”
“With Kaufland, we had the opportunity to redefine hybrid AI filmmaking and explore a range of creative ways to make shots. That’s what makes it exciting.”
Bas Moonen, VFX Supervisor and founder of Ambassadors Berlin
the visual direction
The actors were filmed during a single studio day, with the footage used to drive AI on their performances and acting styles. From there, the Berlin team worked across a spectrum of techniques, with some shots recreating the initial camera angles and performances, while others opened up the space for more creative interpretation.
The look of each horror world was established early on, with characters, locations, and props designed and approved before the animation process began.
the edit
After the shoot, director Annegret and the editor selected the perfect performances for each shot. Using these as a starting point, the team generated hundreds of shots and sequences, exploring alternative camera angles, different compositions and entirely new AI-generated shots. Each variation was developed within the approved visual direction, giving the team a wider selection of material to work with in the edit.
The generated material was then brought back to the editor to build the first full cut. This became the foundation for the rest of post-production, with further refinements and new shots integrated as the film progressed.
the final film
An AI artist herself, Annegret worked closely with Ambassadors Berlin on designing the different horror worlds. The agency la red and Kaufland supported this approach, while Streetsmart made sure everyone understood how the process would work and what could still change during post-production.
A small team completed the AI animation in approximately three weeks, followed by another week of compositing and revisions.
With music and sound from Ambassadors Amsterdam, the finished 90-second film moves between faithful recreations and shots that could never have been captured by a studio camera. What connects them is the acting, and the careful decisions about how far each scene could be taken beyond the original shoot.
More of our work here.
