Luma is pushing AI video editing one step closer to real filmmaking.
The a16z-backed startup has released Ray3 Modify, a new model that lets creators change existing video footage while keeping the original human performance intact.
Instead of recreating scenes from scratch, creators can now tweak what’s already been shot. The actor’s movement stays the same. The emotion stays the same. Only the visuals change.
For creative teams, that’s a big deal.
Why Performance Has Always Been the Hard Part
AI video tools are powerful, but they often miss something important: realism. When AI edits footage, subtle things tend to break. Eye contact shifts. Timing feels off. Emotions flatten.
Luma says Ray3 Modify was built to solve that exact problem.
The model closely follows the source footage. It keeps the actor’s motion, pacing, eye line, and emotional delivery. Studios can now use real actors and still get the flexibility of AI-driven edits.
Think of it like repainting a scene without touching the performance underneath.
How Ray3 Modify Works in Practice
The workflow is simple but powerful.
Creators upload their original footage. Then they can:
- Add a character reference image to change how the actor looks
- Keep costumes, identity, and likeness consistent
- Preserve movement and expression from the original take
This makes it possible to turn a human actor into a different character without reshooting.
Guiding Scenes With Start and End Frames
Ray3 Modify also lets users control transitions more precisely. Creators can provide a starting frame and an ending frame, and the model fills in the motion between them.
This helps with:
- Smooth transitions between scenes
- Controlled character movement
- Consistent behavior across shots
It’s especially useful when continuity matters, like in brand campaigns or narrative projects.
Blending Cameras With AI Control
According to Luma’s co-founder and CEO, Amit Jain, the goal is control without compromise. In his words, creative teams can capture real performances and then reshape them with AI.
That means changing locations, costumes, or even reshooting a scene digitally, without going back on set.
For studios, that saves time, money, and stress.
Available Through Dream Machine
Ray3 Modify is now available through Luma’s Dream Machine platform. The company added video modification features earlier this year, and this release builds directly on that work.
Luma competes in a crowded space alongside tools like Runway and Kling. But its focus on preserving real performances sets it apart.
Backed by Major Funding and Big Plans
The launch follows a massive $900 million funding round announced in November. The round was led by Humain, an AI company backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Existing investors, including a16z, Amplify Partners, and Matrix Partners, also joined.
Luma is also planning a 2-gigawatt AI compute cluster in Saudi Arabia, built in partnership with Humain. That scale signals serious ambition.
Why This Matters for Creators
Ray3 Modify shows where AI video is heading. Not toward fully synthetic content, but toward real performances enhanced by AI.
For filmmakers, brands, and studios, that balance may be exactly what they’ve been waiting for.
