N.

[J. M. Sultan @jmsltnv]

[The Erased Log]

We’re two weeks behind schedule with the release of episode 3, mainly because I spent almost a week writing and another week abroad on business.

But in the meantime, here’s a still from episode 3.

[J. M. Sultan @jmsltnv]

Thank you all for your comments. I’m really glad to have received nothing but positive feedback on this first episode.

Episode 2 is in the works and, in the meantime, if you haven’t seen the first one yet, there’s still time!

[J. M. Sultan @jmsltnv]

You can watch Episodes 1 & 2 in a less compressed version on YouTube:

https://t.co/F4Ju61Oehs

[N. @nanath26]

@jmsltnv Amazing!Each episode is a treasure of mystery and visual beauty and the third is already eagerly awaited. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
@twistlake @jmsltnv

[J. M. Sultan @jmsltnv]

The journey really begins.

Arthur and Carol land in a sweltering, restless Cairo. The revolution is still fresh, the British are no longer welcome, and every shadow seems to have eyes.

Old secrets are stirring… and someone already knows they’re here.

The Erased continues with Episode 2. If you enjoyed the first episode, this one turns the tension all the way up.

As a reminder, we work full-time on the series, and we’re releasing all the episodes no matter what. But if you’ve enjoyed the journey, don’t hesitate to share it!

[J. M. Sultan @jmsltnv]

[The Erased Log]

It’s true that we have limited options when it comes to color grading with AI films but, in this specific case, I went beyond minor adjustments as I needed a very dark scene, set in the middle of the night. The lighting was nice but still far too bright and it completely ruined the atmosphere I had in mind, especially with the thunder and lightning.

It’s possible to correct and darken the colors of the base frame. The problem is that doing so gives the model less detail to work with and results in a loss of quality.

This is from the opening scene of episode 2 and, in my view, it’s the most successful in terms of atmosphere.

[J. M. Sultan @jmsltnv]

[The Erased Log]

I’d say that 60% of the shots for Episode 2 are locked and we’ve just finished one of the most interesting scenes in this episode.

Now’s the perfect time to share a still from that scene, which is set in the souq in Cairo’s historic centre.

[J. M. Sultan @jmsltnv]

[The Erased Log]

I’m abroad for the week, but I still managed to spend about nine hours today making progress on episode 2.

Local models are incredible, but online platforms have their advantages too!

[Tom Sykora @storyveo]

This one is a bit different — in the most positive way!

Bit by bit, but AI cinema is finally becoming diverse with various styles and genres. More of that please!

[N. @nanath26]

@jmsltnv Excellent!!!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
The story is captivating from beginning to end, There’s a subtle sense of suspense that builds naturally, and you get carried along without losing interest for a single second.
I’m eagerly waiting for the second episode.@twistlake @jmsltnv

[J. M. Sultan @jmsltnv]

The series is also available in a less compressed version on YouTube: https://t.co/Rj7Q5Qu89p

[J. M. Sultan @jmsltnv]

In the shadows of the British Museum, an unknown carved stone surfaces.

Professor Arthur Holling has spent years trying to forget his father’s disappearance. Until the symbol return, identical to the ones his father obsessively drew before vanishing.

What begins as a quiet academic mission pulls him into something far larger: a journey from London to 1954 Egypt, where history, myth, and politics begin to blur, and forces long thought forgotten begin to resurface.

This is The Erased, a new archaeological mystery series inspired by films and stories like The Mummy, National Treasure, and Relic Hunter... stories that treat history as something alive, dangerous, and unfinished.

Episode 1 is now live.

This project, adapted from one of my earliest short stories, is especially meaningful to me as it has influenced both my cultural tastes and my professional life. We will be completing the full series regardless of its initial reach but if you enjoyed this first episode, we’d really appreciate you sharing it!

One last bit of advice: we recommend you watch every episode all the way to the end! 😉

[J. M. Sultan @jmsltnv]

So, X decided to shut down the communities. It’s true that most of them had been neglected and were filled with posts from bots.

I think a karma system like Reddit’s would have been perfect for the communities, as it’s the same system. When you post in a subreddit, your post is immediately seen by hundreds or thousands of people, so you need a quick and effective way to filter out bad or irrelevant content. Some communities on X had over 100k members, and if such a system had been in place, quality content would have been highlighted whilst spam would have been quickly removed.

It’s a shame that this opportunity wasn’t taken.

[J. M. Sultan @jmsltnv]

[Twistlake Series Log]

It's almost time. Episode 1 is finished, edited, color-graded and the sound has been mastered. Before we present the first episode at the end of the week, here is the poster, which will at least give you a glimpse of the genre we’re exploring.

I’ve always thought that one of the major flaws in AI films is the pacing, which is far too fast, including in the Twistlake Stories, with the exception of the latest ones such as Better the Flames and The Cost of Servitude, which gain in realism and depth with a much more moderate and controlled pace.

Here, it’s the same approach, with a focus on realism and a tribute to films that have left a lasting impression on me (which I’ll discuss in a future post), setting the scene for the world, the characters, and the mysteries that will be unravelled in the coming episodes.

The Erased, S01E01. Coming very soon!

[N. @nanath26]

@jmsltnv A very beautiful poster that creates real anticipation to discover the first episode.
@twistlake @jmsltnv

[J. M. Sultan @jmsltnv]

“In his 1972 unpublished memoir, retired Colonel C. K. Harlan of the 430th Counter Intelligence Corps described the night he delivered $18,000 in unmarked bills to Renate Fischer at the Hotel Bristol, only to spend the night pressed against the partition wall recording her conversation with former Wehrmacht Major Hans-Jürgen Voss.”

[J. M. Sultan @jmsltnv]

I'm really grateful the algorithm showed me Victor’s post. This aesthetic hits something deep in me. I tried with BioShock instead of a series, exploring what I consider the greatest game ever made for its story, lore, and unforgettable aesthetic. The result turned out exactly as I imagined.

[J. M. Sultan @jmsltnv]

Just watched The First Omen (2024), Arkasha Stevenson’s prequel to the 1976 classic that I really enjoyed years ago.

I wasn’t expecting much, I’m not a big fan of modern horror films, which all seem a bit too similar for my liking.

So this one is set in Rome, mostly inside a secluded convent and the cinematography by Aaron Morton really surprised me. I appreciated just how effective it is. By ‘effective’, I mean that it perfectly captures the story and the character’s emotions, that feeling of being ‘suffocated’ in a confined, anxiety-inducing space, and the sense that something sinister is drawing near, whilst maintaining a truly beautiful aesthetic.

There are also a few compositions that feel like religious paintings with gorgeous symmetry.

[J. M. Sultan @jmsltnv]

Really good progress on the first Twistlake Original Series this week. Episode 1 will open in media res (basically, between episodes 4 and 5) and I’m thinking, to prevent viewers losing the thread, of combining episodes 1 and 2. The problem is that this will make for a long episode of at least 8 minutes, and I know that after 3 minutes, people’s attention spans tend to be pretty short.

It will be a series that’s really different from what’s currently being done in AI filmmaking. Not in terms of exceptional, priceless special effects, but in terms of atmosphere. A much slower pace, lots of dialogue, real historical and archaeological references, based on real locations. A bit like if National Treasure had been made in the 60s or 70s. The story is set in 1954.

More coming soon but, in the meantime, here's another still from the opening of episode 2.

[J. M. Sultan @jmsltnv]

Blackmagic Design has just released DaVinci Resolve 21 and the new features are absolutely amazing:

- A new Photo page! It's basically Lightroom in Resolve!
- Instantly search for people and content with AI
- Define the focal point of a shot with AI CineFocus
- Change an actor’s age with the AI Face Age
- Change facial features’ shape and position on a moving subject with AI Face Reshaper (you have no idea how much I wanted this!)
- Reduce the appearance of superficial skin imperfections with AI Blemish Removal
- A new way to sharpen your footage with AI UltraSharpen
- Remove common motion blur artifacts with AI Motion Deblur
- And dozens of other new features for editing, motion graphics, audio...