This week’s cover is inspired by a short film produced by one of China’s top movie directors, Jia Zhangke, using ByteDance’s Seedance 2.0. It’s a five-minute video that is almost impossible to tell is AI (Spoiler alert: he purposefully made a few bits look like AI, because they “play AI in the movie”).
Jia Zhangke is considered one of the greatest living directors… not some AI hack. He’s worth Googling.
I’m overwhelmed by both the critical acclaim he has, and his brazen “look at me make an AI video” flex. I’ll put more about the video in the newsletter itself, as it is the top story.
For this week’s cover images, I took an AI summary of Jia’s aesthetics and combined it with an article about the Chinese Year of the Fire Horse, because this week also celebrated the Chinese New Year. I ran the two through my Claude Python script preparer, and man, did it nail it. At times, the presence of a drab Jia-inspired horse is pretty hilarious.
It did so well, that I’m creating a page with all of the category images and the prompts.
The script did a great job keeping the priority on Jia’s style, followed by a simple interpretation of the category, the inclusion of the horse, and then the bold title text, which is amazingly translated into Chinese. I spot-checked at least half of the images, and everything seems accurate in Chinese!
For Safe Supercomputing Inc, it swapped the horse with a person wearing a horse mask trying to sneak into the line…
I made 55 cover images in less than 5 minutes using a Python script that operated without me at the computer. And even though it’s slop, the results are effective as category covers, and to be honest, I think they are really creative.
Wide interior shot of a Chinese factory worker in blue coveralls standing among disassembled humanoid robot parts on metal workbenches, muted gray-blue light from grimy industrial windows, silhouette of a horse passing outside the window, desaturated color palette, observational realism, documentary stillness, large white text overlay reading FIGURE in sans-serif font positioned like a Chinese cinema poster title, Jia Zhangke aesthetic, human-scale composition, transitional industrial spaceWide observational shot of a concrete courtyard outside a Chinese semiconductor factory, overcast flat daylight, workers on break in plain clothes, massive industrial ventilation units, a chestnut fire horse tethered near loading dock, muted desaturated palette, river-gray and rust tones, documentary realism, large white NVIDIA text overlay positioned like Chinese cinema poster title across upper third, Jia Zhangke aesthetic, patient composition, quietly surreal everyday momentWide-angle observational documentary shot of a modest community tech workshop in transitional China, concrete floor and peeling walls, folding tables with laptops and open-source ML printouts, ordinary people collaborating quietly, through open garage door a fire horse stands calmly in the alley, overcast daylight, muted desaturated palette of concrete-gray and washed blue, large white text overlay reading HUGGINGFACE positioned like Chinese cinema poster title, Jia Zhangke compositional rigor and patient stillness, human-scale intimacy, decelerated time, plainspoken directness with one quiet surreal note.Wide static shot of a sparse decommissioned server room in muted gray concrete, half-empty equipment racks casting geometric shadows, a rust-colored horse standing naturally among obsolete hardware under flat fluorescent light, weathered walls, desaturated teal and beige tones, observational realism, large white Chinese poster-style text overlay reading DEEPSEEK, documentary stillness, Jia Zhangke compositional patience, postindustrial decay, human-scale framing.Wide shot of weathered Chinese textile workshop, two workers at industrial loom weaving fabric with visible text patterns and language symbols in threads, muted overcast daylight through dirty windows, concrete floors, rust-colored horse standing near doorway, desaturated river-gray and faded teal palette, observational realism, documentary stillness, large white text overlay reading COHERE positioned like Chinese cinema poster titleWide static shot of a real llama tethered in a crumbling concrete courtyard of a half-demolished Chinese electronics factory, scattered circuit boards and open-source hardware schematics on weathered walls, overcast flat daylight, muted grays and washed blues, observational realism, decelerated time, large white text overlay reading LLAMA positioned like Chinese cinema poster title, documentary stillness, human-scale intimacy, postindustrial decay, digital-poetic texture not glossy.Jia Zhangke style observational realism photograph of a concrete bus shelter in transitional Beijing neighborhood with weathered bilingual signage, a chestnut horse standing naturally inside the shelter, one person in work clothes reading a phone, overcast flat daylight, desaturated grays and faded teals, half-demolished buildings in background, large white Chinese text overlay reading 智谱AI, documentary stillness, muted postindustrial palette, patient composition.Wide static shot of a vast concrete factory interior with peeling paint and rusted machinery, workers in plain clothes assembling rocket components in the background, a red-brown horse standing calmly in the middle distance watching them, overcast natural light through dirty skylights, muted desaturated colors, observational realism, large white text overlay reading MOONSHOT positioned like Chinese cinema poster title, documentary stillness, decelerated time, postindustrial decay, human-scale intimacyWide static shot of a muted European-Chinese industrial port with stacked shipping containers, rusted cranes, concrete slabs, and patchy grass, a solitary worker in drab clothing stands near railings while a chestnut fire horse grazes naturally in the middle ground, overcast flat daylight, desaturated river-gray and faded teal tones, observational realism like Jia Zhangke, large white text overlay reading MISTRAL in sans-serif positioned top-left like a Chinese cinema poster title, documentary stillness, human-scale composition, postindustrial decay, quietly surreal everyday rupture.Wide-angle interior of abandoned Chinese classroom with peeling concrete walls, dusty overcast light through dirty windows, scattered desks and faded textbooks, a single red-brown horse standing calmly at blackboard covered in half-erased equations, muted desaturated colors, observational realism, documentary stillness, large white text overlay reading AGI positioned like Chinese cinema poster title, Jia Zhangke aesthetic, decelerated time, quietly surreal, human-scale compositionWide static shot of a generic Microsoft office campus in contemporary China, overcast flat daylight, desaturated concrete gray and washed teal tones, middle-aged office worker in business casual standing near brutalist planter holding briefcase, rust-colored fire horse grazing calmly on corporate lawn in middle distance, half-empty parking lot and glass buildings in background, patient observational composition, documentary realism aesthetic, large white text overlay reading MICROSOFT in sans-serif positioned upper third like Chinese cinema poster titleImage prompt: Wide static shot of a red horse standing in a half-demolished Chinese industrial yard with concrete rubble and stacked rebar, an empty autonomous delivery van parked nearby, overcast flat lighting, desaturated muted colors, observational documentary realism, large white Chinese poster-style text overlay reading AUTONOMOUS in top third, Jia Zhangke aesthetic, 35mm film texture, patient composition, human-scale framingJia Zhangke style observational long-take frame of a shabby Chinese internet cafe interior, rows of people at old desktop computers with blue screen glow, overcast daylight through dirty windows revealing a red-orange fire horse standing naturally in an empty parking lot outside, desaturated color palette of concrete gray and nicotine beige, large white text overlay reading TWITTER in bold sans-serif positioned like Chinese cinema poster title, documentary realism, patient camera, decelerated time, muted industrial atmosphereImage prompt: Observational realist photograph of an abandoned Chinese cinema projection booth viewed through its small window, dusty 35mm projector aimed at torn screen, fire horse standing in rubble-filled auditorium below lit by shaft of overcast daylight through collapsed wall, muted gray-blue palette, desaturated colors, flat natural lighting, decelerated stillness, word VIDEO in bold white Chinese poster typography across lower third, Jia Zhangke documentary aesthetic, postindustrial decay, weathered concrete and rustWide-angle interior of a muted, desaturated Chinese semiconductor fabrication plant with workers in white cleanroom suits amid processing machinery under flat fluorescent light, visible through industrial windows a fire horse stands calmly in an adjacent concrete courtyard with construction barriers, observational realism composition with large white Chinese cinema poster text reading CHIPS overlaid, documentary stillness, postindustrial palette of concrete gray and washed teal, patient long-take framingObservational long-take frame of a small roadside recording booth along a Chinese provincial highway, muted grays and faded teals, fluorescent interior light spilling through grimy window showing person at worn microphone, chestnut horse tethered outside to weathered post in overcast daylight, desaturated documentary realism, large white text overlay reading PODCASTS/YOUTUBE positioned like Chinese cinema poster title, human-scale composition, decelerated moment, postindustrial quiet.Wide static shot of young Chinese woman at cluttered desk with multiple computer screens showing social media feeds in cramped fluorescent office, fire horse visible through dirty window in concrete courtyard behind her, Jia Zhangke observational realism style, desaturated gray-blue palette, flat natural light, large white Chinese cinema poster text overlay reading ByteDance, documentary stillness, postindustrial decay, human-scale intimacyImage prompt: A weathered Chinese photographer with vintage film camera on tripod photographing people against a half-demolished concrete wall, dusty transitional neighborhood setting, fire horse standing naturally near rubble in background, scattered Polaroids on folding table in foreground, overcast flat daylight, muted desaturated colors, observational realism composition, large white text overlay reading IMAGES in Chinese cinema poster style, river-gray and concrete tones, documentary stillness, human-scale intimacyWide static shot of a modest Chinese university lab, muted gray-blue palette, researcher in worn white coat at cluttered workbench with beakers and notebooks in foreground, through window a red-brown horse stands in overgrown courtyard between half-demolished concrete buildings, overcast flat daylight, desaturated documentary realism, large white Chinese cinema poster title text overlay reading SCIENCE in top third, Jia Zhangke observational composition, decelerated stillness, weathered surfaces, transitional postindustrial settingWide-angle interior of a decaying Chinese industrial warehouse with concrete pillars and fluorescent lighting, workers in plain clothes sorting paper documents on metal tables, a red-brown horse standing calmly at the far end of the room, muted desaturated colors, overcast natural light through dirty windows, observational realism, large white text overlay reading GOOGLE in poster style, documentary film still aestheticMuted documentary photograph of a small concrete translation booth beside a gray industrial river in contemporary China, interior shows worker facing multiple old monitors displaying text, images, and audio waveforms, a red-brown horse stands in shallow water visible through back window, overcast flat daylight, desaturated teal and concrete-gray palette, observational realism, large white text overlay reading MULTIMODALITY in upper frame, Jia Zhangke cinematic composition, decelerated stillness, postindustrial riverbank setting.Wide observational shot of a Chinese robotics factory floor with scattered robotic arms, metal scaffolding, concrete floors, muted gray-blue lighting, a real reddish-brown horse standing naturally among the machinery in middle distance, workers in background, flat overcast industrial light, desaturated palette, large white Chinese-style text overlay reading ROBOTS, documentary realism, Jia Zhangke aesthetic, patient composition.Image prompt: A scratched VR headset sits on weathered concrete in a foggy Chinese demolition yard, power cable coiled in dust, muted grays and faded teals, a brown horse stands distant among rubble in soft focus, overcast natural light, observational realism, decelerated stillness, large white text overlay reading AR/VR in bold sans-serif, Jia Zhangke aesthetic, desaturated documentary texture, human-scale framing, quietly surreal everyday rupture.Image prompt: Wide static shot of a half-empty Chinese logistics warehouse with concrete floors and metal shelving, a fire horse standing naturally near an open loading bay door with overcast daylight streaming in, a solitary warehouse worker in orange vest walking past with tablet, desaturated colors with river-gray and rust tones, large white Chinese-style text overlay reading ALIBABA, observational realism, documentary stillness, Jia Zhangke aesthetic.Image prompt: Wide static shot of a worn communal stable in a concrete Chinese courtyard, half-open door revealing ordinary people of various ages collaboratively grooming a red-brown fire horse, desaturated palette of river-gray and rust, reclaimed wood and metal construction with handwritten technical notes pinned to walls, overcast natural light, documentary realism, large white text overlay reading OPEN SOURCE positioned like Chinese cinema poster title, Jia Zhangke observational style, patient composition, decelerated moment of shared labor.Wide observational shot of a weathered Chinese internet café storefront on a half-demolished street, muted grays and faded teals, overcast daylight, a few people visible through smudged windows at desktop computers, a red fire horse casually tethered to a rusted bike rack outside, large white text overlay reading LOCAL positioned like a Chinese cinema poster title, documentary realism, patient framing, transitional urban decayWide shot of solitary young Chinese person at cluttered desk with old monitors in dim internet café, weathered concrete walls, flat fluorescent light, muted desaturated colors, fire horse visible through dusty window in background courtyard, observational realism style, large white Chinese cinema poster text reading QWEN overlaid on upper portion, documentary stillness, Jia Zhangke aesthetic, river-gray and concrete tonesWide static shot of a sparse Chinese municipal office interior, desaturated gray-blue palette, a young woman clerk in plain clothes sitting at a metal desk covered in papers and ledgers, fluorescent light overhead, through the dirty window behind her a chestnut horse stands in a concrete courtyard, overcast daylight, documentary realism, muted tones, white text overlay reading PERPLEXITY in bold sans-serif across the top third of frame, Jia Zhangke compositional styleWide-angle Jia Zhangke style documentary still of abandoned border checkpoint at dawn, muted gray-blue palette, half-demolished concrete booths with peeling paint and rusted barriers, dirt road fading into humid haze, one calm chestnut horse standing naturally between structures in middle distance, lone guard in worn civilian jacket watching from doorway, overcast flat natural light, desaturated colors, observational realism, large white text overlay reading INTERNATIONAL in Chinese cinema poster style, 35mm digital texture, decelerated stillness, transitional atmosphereImage prompt: A weathered Chinese internet cafe storefront on a dusty demolition-edge street, grimy windows revealing rows of old monitors glowing pale blue inside absorbed patrons, a real fire horse tethered calmly at a post outside, muted grays and washed teals, overcast flat daylight, observational realism composition, large white Chinese cinema poster text reading INTERNET overlaid, Jia Zhangke documentary aesthetic, decelerated transitional moment, postindustrial decay, human-scale intimacy, quietly surreal everyday rupture.Image prompt: Wide-angle observational composition of a worn concrete security checkpoint at an industrial zone edge, rusty metal gate half-open, faded Chinese warning signs, single uniformed guard on plastic stool smoking, a real fire horse standing calmly beside the barrier in middle distance, overcast flat daylight, desaturated palette of concrete gray and rust, documentary realism style, large white Chinese-style text overlay reading SECURITY, patient Jia Zhangke long-take aestheticWide-angle observational shot of elderly Chinese man at folding table reviewing handwritten documents in concrete courtyard of half-demolished hutong, chestnut fire horse tethered calmly in background, overcast natural light, desaturated muted tones, weathered concrete and brick, patient documentary composition, white Chinese cinema poster title text reading ANTHROPIC overlaid at top, Jia Zhangke long-take aesthetic, decelerated realism, transitional urban China atmosphereWide shot of a sparse rural Chinese classroom with fluorescent lighting, worn wooden desks, chalkboard with AI neural network sketches and Chinese characters, students in plain uniforms mid-lesson, large window revealing a fire horse standing calmly in concrete schoolyard outside, muted desaturated colors, documentary realism, overcast daylight, white text overlay reading EDUCATION in top third, Jia Zhangke observational styleImage prompt: Wide observational shot of a Chinese worker in faded jacket standing beside a chestnut horse at a concrete industrial canal edge, both facing the same direction, half-demolished buildings and overcast sky in background, muted desaturated colors, documentary realism, flat natural light, large red text overlay reading ALIGNMENT positioned like a Chinese cinema poster title, Jia Zhangke aesthetic, patient composition, human-scale intimacy, weathered surfaces.Image prompt: Muted documentary-style photograph of a cramped Chinese print shop interior, elderly worker beside vintage offset press surrounded by stacks of paper and metal type cases, fire horse standing naturally in background near doorway, grimy windows showing half-demolished buildings outside, overcast daylight filtering through dust, desaturated gray-green-beige palette, flat natural lighting, observational realism composition, large white Chinese cinema-style text overlay reading PUBLISHING, 35mm film aestheticWide shot of a drab Chinese municipal waiting room with worn plastic chairs and peeling walls, one person sitting alone, fluorescent light, through the window a chestnut horse stands in a concrete courtyard, faded Chinese administrative poster on wall reading ‘intelligent services’, overcast daylight, muted grays and greens, observational realism, large white text overlay reading ‘OpenAI’ positioned like Chinese cinema poster title, documentary stillness, decelerated time, human-scale compositionWide-angle observational realism shot of a muted gray concrete courtyard with half-demolished industrial buildings, a large rectangular reflecting pool in foreground showing perfect mirror reflection of a chestnut fire horse standing at water’s edge, overcast flat daylight, desaturated teal and concrete gray palette, workers in background observing quietly, symmetrical composition, documentary stillness, large white Chinese cinema poster text overlay reading META in top third of frame, Jia Zhangke aesthetic with patient framing and one surreal ruptureImage prompt: Wide static shot of three businesspeople in faded suits seated at a scratched conference table inside a partially demolished concrete office building, exposed rebar and missing walls, overcast natural light, a live horse standing in the rubble courtyard visible through the broken wall behind them, desaturated palette of concrete gray and rust brown, documentary realism, large white text overlay reading BUSINESS in sans-serif font across top, Jia Zhangke compositional style, patient observational framing, muted colors, everyday surrealismWide static shot of a muted Chinese electronics factory interior, workers assembling circuit boards at cluttered workbenches, natural overcast light through grimy windows, a chestnut horse standing naturally among the assembly line workers, desaturated concrete and metal surfaces, documentary realism, bold white text overlay reading TECH in poster style, Jia Zhangke observational composition, flat industrial lighting, human-scale intimacy.Image prompt: Wide static shot of a surveyor with measuring tape between numbered concrete pillars in a half-demolished Chinese industrial yard, desaturated gray-blue palette, a chestnut horse standing calmly among construction debris in middle distance, overcast flat daylight, observational realism, white text overlay reading BENCHMARKS in upper third, Jia Zhangke documentary stillness, weathered surfaces, decelerated moment.Image prompt: Wide-angle observational frame of elderly Chinese woman in faded blue jacket sitting on wooden stool at edge of half-demolished concrete apartment block, holding brass balance scales in lap, overcast daylight, muted desaturated colors, chestnut horse standing calmly in rubble-strewn courtyard background, exposed rebar and weathered walls, documentary realism, Jia Zhangke cinematography, large white Chinese cinema poster text overlay reading ETHICS in upper right corner, river-gray atmosphere, decelerated moment, human-scale intimacy, postindustrial decay.Image prompt: Wide observational frame of a weathered Chinese provincial courthouse with cracked concrete steps and peeling paint, small group of lawyers and plaintiffs in plain clothes waiting in patient stillness, fire horse tethered calmly to rusted bike rack at frame edge, overcast flat daylight, muted gray-blue palette, large white title text overlay reading AI INN OF COURT positioned like Chinese cinema poster, documentary realism, decelerated time, transitional architecture.Wide static shot of weathered concrete courthouse steps in provincial Chinese city, overcast flat daylight, desaturated palette of concrete gray and faded teal, a red-brown fire horse tethered at bottom waiting patiently, scattered ordinary people in plain clothes sitting on steps holding legal documents, documentary realism, Jia Zhangke composition, large white text overlay reading LAW in Chinese cinema poster style.Image prompt: Wide shot of a cramped Chinese karaoke booth with peeling walls and fluorescent lighting, a lone person holding a microphone, their shadow on the wall morphing into a rearing fire horse silhouette, vintage speakers and tangled audio cables visible, desaturated river-gray and nicotine beige tones, observational realism, white text overlay reading AUDIO in bold sans-serif, Jia Zhangke compositional style with patient documentary framing and one quiet surreal rupture.Image prompt: Wide-angle observational realism shot of a Chinese delivery worker on electric scooter stopped at dusty intersection of old hutongs and demolition site, checking phone screen in flat overcast light, rust-colored horse standing calmly in background near rubble pile, muted desaturated palette of concrete gray and faded teal, patient documentary framing, large white Chinese poster title text overlay reading AGENTS in top third of frame, Jia Zhangke aesthetic with decelerated stillness and one quiet surreal note
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