Petrushka Dreams

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  Petrushka Dreams_cover

Inspiration

The spark for Petrushka Dreams came during a performance of Stravinsky’s Petrushka in Amsterdam’s Concert Hall. The first notes instantly brought back childhood memories of Maslenitsa – the winter festival of bonfires, folk costumes, blinis, and playful contests. We wanted to merge those nostalgic traditions with the theatrical world of the original ballet and see how far our imagination could go when paired with modern creative tools.

What it does

This project reimagines a cultural celebration through the lens of AI-driven cinema. With no dialogue and no narration – purely emotion, movement, and music – the film becomes a mini-performance on screen, following one boy’s bold climb for love against the backdrop of a joyful winter festival.

How we built it

We wrote the screenplay first, shaping visuals, rhythm, and character arcs to Stravinsky’s music. Then we researched the visual language: Alexandre Benois’ 1911 staging, Art Nouveau illustrations, Slavic patterns, winter dusk textures. Using AI tools such as Whisk Labs for concept images, Kling for wide and dynamic crowd shots, and Veo for close-angle character moments, we iterated until the world felt alive. Finally, everything came together in Final Cut Pro: Stravinsky’s score, sequences, color, and choreography aligned into one cinematic piece.

Challenges we ran into

Children in AI tools: Maslenitsa is full of kids, and many models restrict or distort children in generative video. Maintaining consistency required switching tools and style-matching across shots. Crowds in fantastical settings: We began with a more animated aesthetic, then pivoted to a stylized realism while keeping the exaggerated theatrical magic in the background. Time: We welcomed our newborn right after finishing the script. Most of the production happened during late-night baby shifts and tight deadlines.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re independent creators with no filmmaking background, yet we built a visual world inspired by ballet, folk traditions, and personal memories. We proved that AI enables people outside the film industry to bring ambitious storytelling to life, on their own, from home and have fun directing along the way.

What we learned

AI doesn’t replace creativity – it expands what’s possible. The clearer your artistic vision, the better AI can help. We learned to prototype theatrical ideas with cinematic energy, and discovered that even without a cast or a stage, storytelling remains deeply human.

What's next for Petrushka Dreams

We’d love to refine motion further, extend the story into a fuller narrative, and explore interactive or animated adaptations. And of course, continue directing (with ai actors who hopefully listen to instructions on the first take!). AI filmmaking is evolving fast and we’re excited to keep exploring where imagination and new technology can meet.

Built With

• fcpx
• google
• kling
• openart
• recraft
• suno
• veo
• whisk