Viggle AI: Behind the Scenes with Ike Wagh’s Creative Magic

September 23, 2024, by Viggle Team

Creativity takes on a whole new level when talented, non-AI native creators like Ike Wagh get their hands on innovative tools like Viggle AI. In this exclusive interview, we sat down with Ike to chat about his creative journey with Viggle in producing Loose Ends 2, a film made solely by AI. Get ready for some great insights – and a tip or two for your own projects!

Source: Ike Wagh's YouTube

Viggle: Hi Ike! Thanks so much for joining us today. To kick things off, tell us a bit about yourself and what you do!

Ike: My name is Ike Wagh, and I’m the Community and Product Manager at Curious Refuge, the largest community of AI storytellers focused on creating AI-driven films and documentaries. On the side, I enjoy making short films and advertising content just for fun. When I’m not working, I usually dive into a new project every few months.

Though my background is in sales and operations, I’ve always had a creative side that I didn’t quite have the right tools to express. In the early days, I found myself editing videos related to sales efforts, but I knew there was something more I could do creatively.

Over the past few years, I started integrating various AI tools into my workflow, which made the process much smoother and more efficient. That’s when I realized the true potential of AI video tools. It became clear to me that AI isn’t just a passing trend—it’s here to stay and will revolutionize everything it touches. As a creator, I saw that AI allowed me to produce things I never thought possible—things that once seemed out of reach due to time, budget, or technical constraints. With AI video generation tools like Viggle, I can bring my ideas to life in ways I never imagined.

Viggle: Awesome! So, let’s dive right in – what was your first impression of Viggle AI?

Ike: I think the first time I came across Viggle AI was through viral videos on X (formerly Twitter). I’m heavily involved in the AI film industry on X/Twitter, and I kept seeing demo after demo of people using Viggle to replace motion in their content. It didn’t take long for me to realize that Viggle could be a game changer for storytelling and content creation, especially in ads or film.

At that time, most of the demos were based on templates provided by Viggle—like the viral Lil Yachty/Joker meme on stage. But as a storyteller, I could see that those demos were just scratching the surface of what Viggle is capable of. That’s when I knew I had to dive in and explore what it could offer beyond just templates, and that’s how my journey with Viggle began.

Viggle: That’s fantastic! Could you walk us through a specific project where you used Viggle? How did it fit into your overall workflow?

Ike: The first personal project where I used Viggle was Loose Ends 2. One challenge I had with other tools was control—specifically when it came to achieving coherent lip-syncing and nuanced facial animations. What I really appreciate about Viggle, both then and now, is that it breaks down barriers to creating cinematic shots. As long as you’re comfortable generating other assets and acting in front of your webcam, the complexities and costs that used to make high-quality shots difficult are no longer an issue.

While Viggle is often known for its meme-making abilities, its potential goes far beyond that. I don’t just want a slow-moving montage for three seconds—I want complexity and nuance in my storytelling.

One thing that sets Viggle apart is how it handles assets. While some lip-syncing tools can get the basics right, they often leave your face feeling stiff or stuck in place. Viggle, on the other hand, takes all the assets you provide—whether it’s a head turn or a hand movement—and integrates them smoothly into the final product. With other tools, that level of detail isn’t possible. But with Viggle, everything comes together in a more natural, dynamic way.

1. Viggle's Mix Feature for Footage Creation: A key part of my workflow is Viggle’s mix feature. Whether it’s footage of myself or animated clips I find, I use this tool to create dynamic actions. Once I’m happy with the movement, I import the video into Viggle and pair it with an image of a person to generate a new character.  Especially for up-close shots of characters, I use the mix feature with the greenscreen option to isolate and composite the character. Fun fact: it works wonders for human figures, though “a turtle does not work” quite the same way!
2. Templates and Scene Generation: For more complex scenes, I use 1-2 pre-existing templates from Viggle, especially for walking sequences. The mix feature allows me to seamlessly blend custom assets with templates, enhancing my animations.
3. Other Supporting Tools in My Workflow: Claude or ChatGPT for scripting and translation; Midjourney and Leonardo.ai for asset generation; DaVinci Resolve for video editing; Magnific and Topaz for upscaling and stabilizing the footage; ElevenLabs for sound effects and audio assets.

Viggle: This film and its workflow are absolutely incredible. We're truly blown away. Are there any favorite features or tips you’d share with new users looking to get creative with Viggle?

One of the key tools I rely on in my creative process is Viggle’s mix feature. It’s incredibly versatile, but there’s a pro tip I’d like to share: don’t be afraid to get close to the camera! Viggle works best when it has as much detail as possible. The closer you are to the webcam, the more nuance Viggle picks up—allowing it to perform its magic and bring your creations to life in incredible detail.

Creative tips for Viggle newbies:

1. Start Small and Have Fun: When you first use a new AI tool, there can be some anxiety about getting started. My advice? Don’t overthink it. Before diving into a big project, play around with Viggle and explore its capabilities. For example, instead of jumping straight into a film, try creating something fun and personal—like an epic birthday video. Imagine putting yourself into one of your parents for a hilarious and personalized clip. It’s a simple way to explore the tool’s power while having fun. Start small, make sure you have fun with Viggle first.
2. Test Your Ideas Like a Pro: Even in Hollywood, new ideas need testing, and Viggle can help with that. Imagine you’re developing a project and need to see which actors or characters resonate best with your audience. You can use Viggle to swap actors in and out of scenes to test reactions and gauge what works. Even if it doesn’t make it into the final cut, this technology allows you to experiment and get quick feedback—perfect for iterating on your concepts before committing to a final direction.

Viggle: Incredible advice, Ike! It’s been truly a blast learning about how you use Viggle to supercharge your creative workflow. Thank you so much for taking the time!

Ike: Anytime! Thanks for having me – I can’t wait to see what others create with Viggle!