Video Automation
Automating AI Video Character Production with Python
The Trek Babies project demonstrated a fully automated, end-to-end AI video production pipeline — from character creation to final animated output — using a custom Python script to orchestrate multiple AI platforms without manual intervention.
Created in celebration of Star Trek’s 60th anniversary year, the project produced 451 TikTok videos, combining generative AI, Python automation, character animation, and creative storytelling to reimagine iconic Star Trek characters as toddlers.
Star Trek and all related characters, names, and properties are owned by Paramount Global/CBS Studios. This fan-created work is made for entertainment purposes only, with no copyright infringement intended. No profit is being made from the use of these characters or settings.
Groucho visits the Enterprise...
The Challenge of Trek Babies
Creating animated AI characters at scale through browser-based tools is slow, repetitive, and difficult to replicate consistently. Each character requires the same sequence of steps: generate an image, produce matching audio, and animate the result with lip-sync. Doing this manually for multiple characters is time-consuming and error-prone. The goal was to automate the entire back half of that pipeline via API.
The Stack
Sora — AI-generated character imagery
Vocloner — AI voice cloning and audio generation
Hedra API + Python — programmatic lip-sync animation and video generation
The Process
Character images were created in Sora and voice audio generated in Vocloner. A custom Python script then handled the rest: uploading assets to the Hedra API, submitting generation requests, polling for completion, and downloading finished video files — all without touching a browser.
The Problem I Solved
Midway through production, the script stopped working. Systematic debugging revealed that Hedra had silently updated their API to require internal UUIDs for model identification rather than human-readable model names — a breaking change with no notification. By querying the API's models endpoint programmatically, I identified the correct UUID and updated the script, restoring full functionality.
The Result
A reliable, repeatable Python-based production pipeline that can generate new AI character videos by simply swapping two filenames. What previously required manual steps across multiple browser tabs now runs from a single Terminal command.
Celebrating 60 Years of Star Trek
with Trek Babies on TikTok
To honor the 60th anniversary of Star Trek, the creative team behind the Trek Babies launched a fun and engaging series on TikTok. For an entire year, five days a week, new content was posted featuring dad jokes and light-hearted comedy bits inspired by the beloved sci-fi universe. This celebration brought together Star Trek fans of all ages, combining humor with nostalgia to mark six decades of exploring strange new worlds.
The Trek Babies TikTok quickly became a delightful destination for both longtime Trekkies and newcomers, offering daily smiles with clever wordplay and classic Star Trek references. This innovative approach highlighted how the franchise continues to inspire creativity and laughter, proving that boldy going where no one has gone before can also mean boldly sharing a good joke.