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- How to use a real location in an AI video
Guide
How to use a real location in an AI video
To use a real location in an AI video, give the tool one photo of the place and a description of its materials, light and objects. The scene is then set in a stylised version of your space, not a generic room.
What “real location” means in an AI video
An AI video is not filmed, so it cannot show your office the way a camera would. It can base the setting on a photo of your office. The layout, the materials, the light and the objects on the desks come from the photo. The result is a stylised, animated version of a place that your customers and colleagues recognise.
The alternative is a generic room. A generator that knows nothing about your premises draws an average office: white walls, a plant and a laptop. A reference photo is what replaces that average with your own space.
What a good location photo looks like
The photo is the reference the setting is drawn from. A good one meets five criteria.
- It shows character. A workshop wall, a shop counter or a reception desk gives the model something to hold on to.
- It is taken in daylight. Even light shows materials and colours as they are.
- It is framed like the scene. Stand where the camera would stand and shoot at eye level.
- It is wide enough. The photo should show the floor, a wall and the main objects.
- It is empty of people. Colleagues in the photo can end up in the setting, and they have not agreed to that.
Empty white rooms give the model little to work with. If your office is plain, photograph the corner that is most yours.
Photo, description, or both
A location reaches the model in three ways. They differ in how close the result comes.
| You provide | What the model does | How close it gets |
|---|---|---|
| A photo and a description | Bases the setting on the photo; the text fills in what the photo does not show | Closest: a stylised version of the real place |
| A description only | Invents the place from your words | Plausible, but not your actual space |
| Nothing | Lets the scene text decide the setting | Generic, and different in every scene |
The description matters even with a photo. It names what must stay: “oak workbenches along the left wall, tool boards above them, a concrete floor”. It also carries rules. An Always rule keeps something in every scene, and a Never rule keeps something out.
How to do it, step by step
In GetReelCom a location is called a venue.
- Open Venues in the left sidebar and click Add a venue.
- Give the venue a name and paste a direct link to a photo of the place into Photo URL. See Add an image URL.
- Describe the space in Description: the room, the materials, the light and the typical objects.
- Add Always and Never rules, such as “always show the plants” or “never show the storage racks”.
- Tick Primary venue if most videos should take place here.
- Click Create & generate. The venue is saved and its stylised image is rendered for 1 credit.
- Click New video. With more than one venue saved, pick one under Where does it take place?. Otherwise the primary venue is used.
Compare the rendered venue image with your photo before you make a video. If it is off, sharpen the description and generate it again for 1 credit. Field details are in Venues.
A worked example
The clip above is set in an office: a wooden desk, a lamp, framed prints and a clock, in warm light. Details like these make a setting specific. For your own location, a venue’s photo and description are where they come from.
Here is how a joinery would set up its workshop. The photo is taken from the doorway in the morning, with nobody in the frame. The description reads: “A joinery workshop with oak workbenches along the left wall and tool boards above them. Concrete floor, high windows on the right, sawdust in the light. A half-finished staircase stands in the middle.” The Always rule reads: “always show the staircase”.
Every scene of the joinery’s videos then takes place in that workshop. A product scene, an introduction and a recruitment video share one recognisable setting.
Interiors, exteriors and other people’s premises
Interiors work best. A room has fixed walls, furniture and light, so the photo describes it well. Choose the room where your work happens.
Exteriors need one clear subject. A shopfront or a yard works when the photo shows one building from one side. A wide street scene gives the model too much to choose from.
A customer’s site needs permission. If a scene takes place at a client’s premises, ask the client before you use a photo of it. Their building, their logo and their people are theirs.
Signs and logos are left out. GetReelCom draws no text or logos in a venue or a scene. A shopfront therefore appears without its lettering, and logos on machines are left out by design. Check the venue image all the same, and add your own sign or logo in your editor if the video needs it.
You need the rights to the photo. GetReelCom’s terms make you responsible for owning the image or holding a licence. Identifiable people in the photo must have given consent.
Cost and time
Saving a venue’s text costs nothing. Rendering its stylised image costs 1 credit, and so does each new render. A venue is set up once and reused in every video.
The scenes cost the same as any other: 11 credits for ten seconds, and 33 credits for a 30-second video. A new account starts with 40 free credits.
Setting up a venue takes a few minutes, mostly for the description. The photo link is the only part people get stuck on. It must open the image file alone, not a page.
Common mistakes
- Describing the company instead of the room. “A modern, innovative office” draws nothing. Name materials, colours and objects.
- Using a photo full of people. Take the photo before the workday starts.
- Photographing at night. Artificial light hides materials and colours.
- Expecting an exact copy. The venue is a stylised version of the place. Furniture can shift, and details can change between scenes.
- Saving one venue for everything. A shop floor and a meeting room are two venues. Add both and pick per video.
Frequently asked questions
Can AI recreate my actual office in a video?
It can draw a stylised version of it, based on a photo. The layout, the materials and the light follow the photo, in the video’s animated style. It is not a recording, and details can differ. If viewers must see the real office exactly, film it.
How many photos of a location do I need?
One. In GetReelCom each venue has one Photo URL, so choose the single clearest image. The Description field covers what the photo does not show. For a second room, add a second venue.
What if I have no photo of the location?
Leave Photo URL empty and write a precise description. GetReelCom then invents the place from your words. You can also upload a photo to Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive, share it publicly, and paste the file’s link.
Can different scenes take place in different locations?
Yes. Save each location as a venue. With more than one saved, the New video screen shows a Where does it take place? picker, and you choose per video. Without a choice, the primary venue is used.
Do I need permission to use a photo of a location?
You need the rights to the photo, and consent from any identifiable person in it. GetReelCom’s terms make you responsible for both. For a customer’s or landlord’s premises, ask them first. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
See it on your own website: create your free company video →
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