---
tier: hero
reliability: 3.8 # hero still .3 + ray-32 premium i2v .3 (duration must be '5s'/'10s' string) + grade/score .2; -.2 premium-cost gate; direct-SDK for the heavy cap
---

# Cinematic HDR Hero Film (Luma Ray 3.2) ⭐

> Paste this whole file (with the BRIEF filled in) into Claude cowork, chat, or Code with the Storyboard MCP attached. A premium product/brand hero film with **director-grade motion** and HDR depth — the "it looks expensive" tier.

## What you'll get

- A **20–30s hero film** (or a single hero shot) of your product, with deliberate cinematic motion — dolly, rack focus, light play — not random drift.
- Premium **HDR-grade** look (Ray 3.2 delivers HDR/EXR for a real grading pipeline).
- A refined licensed score.

**The wow:** Ray 3.2 gives *control* (multi-keyframe: define start / mid / end) + expressive light + HDR — so the motion lands where you want it, and the master grades like a real commercial.

**Reference run (our showcase):** ≈$6.40 · ≈7 min end-to-end · 1 still → 3 × 5s Ray 3.2 beats (~41s/shot, fanned in parallel) → graded film + Sonilo bed. See the [example](/chapters/hdr-hero-film-example.html).

## The marquee capability

**Luma Ray 3.2** (`ray-32-i2v` / `ray-32-t2v`) — premium video with multi-keyframe control, expressive faces/light, HDR/EXR, motion transfer. It's the **premium tier** ($0.42/s) — always cost-gate it.

## Tell the agent about the film

```yaml
product_name:     # e.g. "AURELIA"
product_desc:     # object, material, color, label
hero_still:       # OPTIONAL image URL; omit to generate a hero still first
beats:            # 1-3 motion beats, e.g. ["slow dolly-in, rack focus to the bottle", "light sweep + bokeh", "pull back to reveal"]
duration:         # '5s' | '10s' per shot (Ray takes a STRING, not an int)
brand_tone:       # luxury | clean | bold | editorial
music_brief:      # elegant bed mood
launch_slug:      # e.g. aurelia-hero-film
```

## How the agent should run this (interaction contract)

1. **CONFIRM + COST GATE.** Ray 3.2 is premium ($0.42/s ≈ $4.20 per 10s shot). State the estimate and **wait** — never fan Ray shots without an explicit go. Cap per the BRIEF (default ≤$15/film).
2. **HERO STILL.** `uni-1-max` / `mai-image-2.5` / `gpt-image` for a tack-sharp, well-lit hero (legible label). GATE on the still.
3. **PROTOTYPE 1 shot.** Render ONE `ray-32-i2v` shot first (`duration:'5s'`) and look — confirm the motion + grade before spending on the full film.
4. **THE FILM.** Render the beats (`duration:'10s'` each). For deliberate motion, supply start/mid/end keyframes where Ray supports them; else a strong i2v per beat. Heavy cap → direct-SDK with `timeout:720` (or `create_media` once #499 deploys).
5. **GRADE + SCORE + ASSEMBLE.** ffmpeg grade/export (HDR→SDR for web preview, keep the EXR/HDR master), `sonilo-t2m` elegant bed, stitch.
6. **DELIVER.** The film + an HDR master note + one honest line.

## What can disappoint (cap ceilings)

- **Cost** — Ray is the priciest cap. A 30s film ≈ $12.60 of i2v alone. Prototype on 5s first; honor the cap.
- **`duration` is a string** — pass `'5s'` or `'10s'`, NOT an integer (an int 422s with "Input should be '5s' or '10s'").
- **HDR delivery** — for web, transcode to SDR; keep the EXR/HDR master for a real grade. Confirm the output format before the full film.

## When you're done

```
✅ Hero film: public/launches/{launch_slug}-film.html
✅ Ray 3.2 shots + graded master + licensed score
Total spent: $X.XX
```

## What to do next
1. **Cut platform versions** — 9:16 / 1:1 / 16:9 from the graded master.
2. **Variant pass** — `bernini-r-edit` for alt angles/moods (see Director's Edit Pass) at a fraction of Ray's cost.
3. **Grade for delivery** — hand the HDR/EXR master to a colorist.

---

## Notes for the agent (only read if a step fails)

**Ray params.** `ray-32-i2v` takes `image_url` + `prompt` + `duration:'5s'|'10s'` (STRING). Heavy cap (~5–8 min) — direct-SDK: `POST /inference` `{"capability":"ray-32-i2v","params":{"image_url":"…","prompt":"…","duration":"10s"},"timeout":720}`, ~780s client timeout. See `docs/infra/2026-06-19-slow-cap-timeout-fix.md`.

**Cost discipline.** Always preview cost; prototype 5s before the full film; honor the per-film cap.