Just in time for Halloween, Sora is getting spooky. Well, it was already creepy, only in a different way, creepy and based on artificial intelligence.
OpenAI's latest update to its AI-powered video generation platform. introduces character cameos and launches the feature with a seasonal twist. If you have Sora social media app downloadedYou can now add classic Halloween icons like Dracula, Frankenstein and more to your videos.
Here's how you can create your own nightmare character cameo.
Read also: OpenAI's Sora Gets Another Wave of New Features, Including Video Editing
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Halloween collection
To get you started, Sora offers a collection of ready-made classic Halloween characters:
- Frankenstein (@franklyfrankenstein)
- Dracula (@soradracula)
- Jack O'Lantern (@sorajackolantern)
- Witch (@sorawitch)
- Ghost (@ghostlyghost)
In the app, you can start typing one of the above markers in the prompt box, and the app will automatically insert the symbol into your clip.
How to Create Your Own Halloween Cameo
The update allows users to create, tag, and reuse characters across projects. You can upload a video or create one directly in Sora, then convert it into a reusable “character” with a name, nickname, and privacy settings.
Each character can appear in multiple videos and can be shared with followers, made private, or made public on Sora.
Since I don't consider myself a fan of AI videos, I started with one of the pre-made Sora characters. I chose Frankenstein's monster as my first victim because Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is one of my favorite novels (I reread it every October) and I'm really excited to see the latest adaptation of Guillermo del Toro's classic.
I opened the Sora app and clicked the “+” button located in the middle of the navigation bar at the bottom. In the text box, I typed: “Can I make a video of @franklyfrankenstein doing the iconic dance from the TV show Wednesday?” I also want Frankenstein’s monster to wear a fun outfit.”
I clicked the Create button and within minutes the following video appeared in my drafts.
I'm not entirely sure what Frankenstein's monster dances, but it's nice to imagine this iconic creature dancing at a high school prom. I doubt this will be in del Toro's film.
I also wanted to see if I could add two or more characters to the video.
I typed, “I'd like to see @sorajackolantern, @sorawitch, and @ghostlyghost dress up in Halloween costumes and have a nice neighborhood party.”
Although you can't see the costumes or the character's facial expressions, the end result is good enough for my hands-on experiment on a day from good old All Hallows' Eve.
(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET's parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April, alleging that it violated Ziff Davis' copyrights in the training and operation of its artificial intelligence systems.)
