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  Dancers in Suminagashi

Project Story

Dancers in Suminagashi

About the Project

Dancers in Suminagashi is an experimental short film blending ballet and the ancient Japanese art of Suminagashi marbling. The idea was to explore how both dance and marbling embody flow, precision, and surrender. I collaborated with composer Ken Weissman, who created an original orchestral score that drives the motion of the ink and dancers.

What Inspired Me

I was inspired by the unpredictable beauty of Suminagashi, how ink swirls on water beyond the artist's control. It felt like a metaphor for AI filmmaking, a balance between direction and surrender. I’ve learned to pivot and adapt to AI, much like a seasoned dancer in a live performance who leans into her strengths while gracefully navigating missteps.

What I Learned

This project deepened my understanding of AI video tools and their limitations. I learned how to fine-tune motion, sync visuals tightly with audio, and make subtle aesthetic choices that give the illusion of Suminagashi.

How I Built It

I generated the dancer silhouettes with AI, then hand-painted frames using frame-by-frame cleanup techniques to remove artifacts and enhance beauty. The movement was carefully aligned to the beat and mood of the original score. Color grading and finishing were done in DaVinci Resolve. The black ink was animated to react to the dancer’s movement like it was part of their body.

Challenges I Faced

The biggest challenge was controlling the unpredictable nature of AI output while maintaining artistic vision and quality. Matching timing with the score required obsessive frame-level work. I also had to invent visual techniques to make ink feel alive without overpowering the dancer’s presence. Rendering smooth ink motion without flicker or banding was a technical hurdle I overcame with patience and post-production finesse.

Built With

• dreammachine
• higgsfield
• kling
• minimax
• runwayml