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Create Hollywood-Style CGI Effects Using Just 2 AI Tools (No 3D Software!)

Author

Radu Lis
March 12, 2025

Hey there, creative human! 🌟 

Ever wished you could create stunning CGI effects without learning complex 3D software? Well, the time has come! This week, I'm breaking down a surprisingly simple two-tool approach that lets you create professional CGI just by using AI tools.

🌍 Latest AI Power Moves

But first, we kick things off with the biggest AI updates every creator should know:

  • 📊 Andreessen Horowitz drops Top 100 Gen AI Consumer Apps: The ranking categorizes generative AI websites and mobile apps by usage and traction. It's a hidden gem to discover new tools as well as to understand the emerging consumer tech behaviors.

  • 🧠 Nvidia's Gen3C transforms 2D to 3D: New videos showcase this groundbreaking AI model turning flat images into fully-realized 3D objects. Early demos have creators buzzing about the potential of the model.

  • 🖌️ Adobe launches on-the-fly stock image editing: The new "Customize" feature in Adobe Stock enables quick, easy adjustments to images, including AI-generated image variations without ever leaving the platform or opening Photoshop.

  • 🎬 Krea AI rolls out Pika Labs video features: Now you can change video regions, add AI elements, interpolate frames, mix images, and more.

DEEP DIVE

🔮 How to Create CGI Effects Using AI – No 3D Software, Just Two Simple Tools

Freepik recently showcased a clever technique for creating CGI effects using just two accessible tools — an AI image generator combined with an AI video generation tool.

Here's the simple two-step process:

Step 1.
Generate a static image using this prompt in Freepik or any AI image generator: 

A surreal and cinematic static shot capturing a giant, hyper-realistic hand holding an oversized pot, pouring melted cheese in a thick, golden stream over the top of a skyscraper. The perspective emphasizes the scale, with the hand and pot towering above the cityscape, while the cheese flows naturally, creating dramatic, glossy textures as it cascades down the building. The urban background features a clear sky with soft natural lighting, highlighting the contrast between the colossal hand and the regular-sized city below. The overall vibe is playful yet visually striking, blending realism with fantasy.

Step 2.
Transform your static image into motion (I covered this technique in a previous newsletter). Insert this prompt along with your reference image into any AI video generation tool: 

A dynamic, surreal video shot, aerial view, capturing a giant hand pouring melted cheese from an oversized pot onto a skyscraper. The camera mimics handheld movements, swaying slightly as if filmed with a phone, adding a raw, immersive quality. The cheese flows in a mesmerizing, slow-motion cascade, glistening under natural sunlight, while the surrounding city reflects the warm golden hues. As the cheese lands on the building, it spreads and drips down in a rich, realistic texture.

Voilà! You've created a professional-looking shot of cheese flowing over NYC skyscrapers without touching a single 3D program.

The tutorial also includes prompts for creating:

INSPIRED BY AI

🎨 Creative of the Week

"Flow" won the Oscar for best animated feature, giving Latvia 🇱🇻 its first Academy Award ever. The remarkable aspect is that the film was created entirely in a free software (Blender) by a tiny team of animators for just $3.4 million, competing against productions with budgets in the hundreds of millions.

How far are we from the first AI-generated movie being awarded at the Oscars?

Catch you next week! 🎬

— Radu