I wanted to test whether Invideo Editor’s AI timeline agent could replace hours of manual node compositing in After Effects to create a cinema-grade VFX shot from raw mobile footage.

How I built it: The Footage: Raw 4K 60fps night plate of NYC with neon signs, streetlamps, and a wet puddle reflection.

Agent Direction: Using a prism refraction photo as a reference, I directed the agent in Ultra Mode to author a single custom shader that extracts luminance highlights, stretches them into 55° upward trails, and applies a spectral RGB dispersion gradient across the edges. It also layered a Screen composite and generated a procedural cyberpunk HUD tracking overlay.

Human Refinements: I manually used the exposed Inspector sliders to fine-tune the Highlight Threshold to 0.68 (isolating the Radio City marquee, streetlamps, and puddle reflection while eliminating building clutter) and dialed the Trail Length to 140 with an exponential falloff taper.

Editable Project Timeline: 👉 https://invideo.io/share/Chromatic-Stretch-GWJjyPAWPDb

Instagram Reel: 👉 https://www.instagram.com/p/DeB3NrJSbvd/

invideo Editor is free to try.

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