🤯 Pika releases “Scene Ingredients”

PLUS: Adobe releases “Remove Reflections,” Grok releases “Aurora,” and more.

Author

Steven Van
December 16, 2024 • Reading Time: 9 minutes

This week’s new tools, tutorials, and resources 👇️

  • beehiiv: The best newsletter tool on the internet (we use them).*

  • BLENDERGPT: Create 3D objects from text or image prompts in ~20 seconds (Free tool).

  • Image to N64: Convert any image into a Nintendo 64-style graphic.

  • Supahero: A free curated collection of hero section design inspiration.

  • Capcut: The best free video editing tool for beginners.*

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TOP STORY
🤯 Pika releases “Scene Ingredients”

This week, Pika Labs launched Pika 2.0, a significant upgrade to its AI video generation platform, just a week after the release of OpenAI’s “Sora” model.

This new version includes a new innovative "Scene Ingredients" feature that allows users to upload images of characters, objects, and scenes to be integrated into AI-generated videos.

  • You can build a shot from the exact character, object, wardrobe, and setting you want.

  • Upload as few or as many reference images as you like, and add a prompt.

  • The model’s advanced image recognition intuits the role of each image and combines them seamlessly into one scene.

This advancement addresses one of the most challenging aspects of AI video models: accurately rendering motion.

Here are some examples of what Pika 2.0 can create 👇️

Using image references in a video (đź“ą @AngryTomtweets)

Combining ingredients to make a scene

Swap any ingredient

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PHOTOGRAPHY
📸 Adobe releases “Remove Reflections”

This week, Adobe announced a new feature called “Reflection Removal,” which is now available as a “Technology Preview” in Adobe Camera Raw.

The feature eliminates distracting reflections from glass windows, a common challenge for photographers capturing images through plate glass.

  • “Reflection Removal” is powered by advanced AI but notably avoids generative techniques — it focuses on isolating and removing reflections without altering the original content of the image.

  • Currently available in Photoshop (Beta) and will be coming to Lightroom.

  • It only works with RAW photos (support for JPEG files is coming soon).

Settings > Technology Previews > New AI Features and Settings Panel

“Technology Preview” is a label for features in development that users can try out before they are fully production-ready.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
🆓 Grok releases “Aurora”

Grok, developed by xAI and integrated into X (formerly known as Twitter), is expanding its capabilities to include free image generation through a new model named “Aurora.”

  • Grok is now free for all users on X, a change from its previous requirement of a premium subscription.

  • Free users can engage with Grok by sending up to 10 messages or prompts every 2 hours, including image generation.

  • Free users can create up to four images per day.

Grok can now create high-quality images in areas where other AI image makers often struggle. It excels at rendering detailed pictures of real-world objects, text, logos, and realistic human portraits.

Plus, Grok can now use other images as a starting point, giving you more creative control and flexibility.

Here are some examples of images generated with Grok 👇️ 

Prompt: “Jackie Chan in Donald Trump’s hairstyle.”

Prompt: “Crude crayon drawing of a Tesla driving through a fiery meadow.”

Prompt: “A superposition of a cat in a hyperbolic time chamber in the style of Van Gogh.”

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📰 Other news you might’ve missed:

  • Webflow released new product strategy and pricing updates.

  • Adobe Fresco is now free as they celeberate their 5 year anniversary.

  • Adobe Lightroom was named the “Mac App of the Year.”

  • Midjourney released a new experimental multiplayer worldbuilding tool called “Patchwork.”

  • Captions released “Ad Studio,” a way to create ads at scale.

  • Descript added new “Placeholder” layers, the perfect way to map out your layouts and projects until they’re ready to be swapped in your final content.

  • Gamma added a new Calendy integration allowing anyone to book calls with you directly from any website or presentation you create.

  • Rive added visionOS and tvOS support to its Apple runtime.

  • Krea “Editor,” a new editing tool, is now available in open beta.

  • Runway launched a student ambassador program.

  • Framer announced that sorting in the CMS (and directly on a canvas) will be available soon.

  • HeyGen mobile app now lets you create custom AI avatars using text prompts or your selfies.

  • LottieLab 1.0 is launching soon after months in public beta.

  • HeyGen now allows you to chat directly with a new ineractive Santa Avatar.

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