🔍 Read the full analysis: How Our AI Horror-Comedy Took Shape In One Night on ThorstenMeyerAI.com
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TL;DR
Thorsten Meyer says his 97-second AI horror-comedy Hollow House was made between the evening of October 27 and about 1:30 a.m. the next day. The film took three versions: the first two missed the pace he wanted, while a final version generated in three segments became the cut he released. Meyer reports spending 2,220 Higgsfield credits, about $95 at his plan price.
Filmmaker Thorsten Meyer says he made Hollow House, a 97-second AI-generated horror-comedy, between the evening of October 27 and about 1:30 a.m. the next day, after revising it three times. His account, published October 28, describes how the final version changed from a sequence of polished but slow shots into a faster short about haunted-attraction staff treating a real ghost as a workplace problem.
Meyer says all characters, voices and sets were AI-generated. The premise places a ghost among the scare crew at an extreme haunted attraction. When guest Derek says the safe word “cotton candy” and the frightening continues, staff realise the tall figure is not one of their actors. Shift lead Ray responds by asking whether the newcomer signed a waiver; later, the popcorn worker is recruited for an exorcism.
The production went through three versions in one night. The first, built from 20 shots, ran 2 minutes 15 seconds. The second used 66 fast cuts and ran 2 minutes 21 seconds. Meyer says the final cut was assembled from three roughly 30-second segments generated with one model supplied with references for the full cast; it runs 1 minute 37 seconds. He describes the earlier version as visually successful but “terribly boring and amateurish.”
For the first version, Meyer generated character reference images and separate start frames before animating the shots with Veo 3.1. He says consistent-looking pictures did not solve the pacing problem: the first cut averaged 5.6 seconds per shot, compared with about 1.8 seconds per cut in the short that inspired it, based on his count. Across all three versions, he reports using 2,220 Higgsfield credits, roughly $95 at his plan price, and about 2,100 ElevenLabs characters for music and sound effects.
Why the Final Cut Needed Faster Rhythm
Meyer’s account points to a practical distinction in AI-assisted filmmaking: generating attractive images is not the same as making a short film work. He says the first version maintained faces, costumes and the haunted-house colour palette, but its longer shots and lack of musical score left the comedy without the pace he wanted. The change to a faster structure was an editorial decision, not simply a matter of producing more polished frames.
The production also illustrates the limits Meyer encountered with current video tools. He reports that the model misread shouted text, failed to produce a planned full head turn, and blocked one attempt to show a character lifted off the floor. Rephrasing the action or changing the starting image sometimes helped, while other planned movements had to be abandoned or represented through sound. Those examples are his experience with this project, not a general test of every model or workflow.
For readers following AI-generated media, the film offers a specific account of the labour and iteration behind a very short finished piece. The reported credit cost is one creator’s figure at his own subscription price; it does not establish a typical cost for making AI video. Meyer identifies human review, pacing choices and colour grading as decisive parts of his process.
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From Character Sheets to Three Cuts
Before generating video, Meyer says he created one full-length reference image for each of eight characters with Google’s Nano Banana 2 image model through the Higgsfield platform. He says each image cost two credits at 2K resolution and all eight were made in under two minutes. The references were then used to help keep character appearances consistent across frames and clips.
The initial workflow used a list of 20 shots: generate a still for each, then animate each still with Veo 3.1 in fast mode. Meyer says the service generated speech and sound with the video. He then reviewed the clips against the script using Whisper speech recognition. That comparison caught a line in which “HEY!” was spoken as the letters “H-E-Y,” as well as extra garbled syllables in another line that prompted a retake.
Meyer says the comedy premise was inspired by an AI horror-comedy short shared on X, while describing the script, characters and jokes as his own. In the published account, he also says the final short’s human decisions included rejecting the first cut, changing how the cast was referenced for the third version, and applying the final colour grade.
““terribly boring and amateurish””
— Thorsten Meyer, creator of Hollow House
What the Production Account Leaves Open
The article is Meyer’s own production account, and its timings, software use, shot counts and costs are reported by the creator; no independent production records or third-party cost assessment are provided. The roughly $95 estimate is tied to his plan price, and the account does not specify whether it includes any other production expenses or the value of his time.
Meyer says one model had references for the full cast in the final workflow, but the account does not identify that model by name in the supplied material or explain all settings used. It also does not provide audience figures, reviews, distribution results or evidence that the final structure will work similarly for other projects. The source says the finished video is available on YouTube, but does not give performance data.
The Finished Short Is Available
Meyer’s October 28 account points readers to the completed 1:37 Hollow House short on YouTube and presents a contact sheet and behind-the-scenes images from the process. No further production, release or distribution plans are specified in the account. The next public developments, if any, would include audience response or additional information from Meyer about the models and workflow used.
Key Questions
What is Hollow House?
Hollow House is a 97-second horror-comedy short about a ghost joining the staff of an extreme haunted attraction. Meyer says its characters, voices and sets were AI-generated.
How long did it take to make?
Meyer says work began in the early evening of October 27, 2026, and continued until about 1:30 a.m. the next day. He describes three versions made during that period.
Why were there three versions?
The first version used 20 shots and ran 2:15. Meyer says it looked good but felt too slow. A second version used 66 cuts but ran 2:21; the final 1:37 cut used three segments generated with one model supplied with references for the cast.
How much did the AI tools cost?
Meyer reports using 2,220 Higgsfield credits, which he estimates at roughly $95 at his plan price, plus about 2,100 ElevenLabs characters for music and sound effects. The figures are his project-specific estimates, not a general cost benchmark.
What remains unknown about the film?
The account does not give audience numbers, independent reviews, or a full breakdown of expenses and production time. It also does not specify the model used for the final three segments in the supplied material.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
