In the Hotel Lobby video the two rappers are in close-up in a dim orange booth for most of the clip, moving fast. That is hard on a face: any detail the photo didn't show, the AI has to invent. These are the causes we see most, in order.
1. The face is too small
A group photo or a full-body shot gives the AI a face only a few dozen pixels wide. Crop to head and shoulders, or pick a closer photo. The outfit doesn't matter; the video dresses you for the booth.
2. The photo is taken from the side
A three-quarter or profile shot hides half the face. The video shows you from the front, so the AI fills in the other side. Use a photo where you look roughly at the camera.
3. Sunglasses, hats and hands
Sunglasses hide the eyes, the part people recognise first. A cap shades the forehead, and a hand or a phone over the mouth breaks the lip-sync. Use a photo without them.
4. Heavy filters and beauty apps
Smoothing filters, cartoon filters and heavy makeup filters change the face shape the AI copies. An unfiltered phone photo works better than a polished edited one.
5. Bad light
Strong backlight, a dark room or one harsh side light leave half the face in shadow. Daylight from a window, facing you, is ideal.
6. Two people in one photo, too far apart
"One photo of both" works when both faces are clear. If one person is turned away or much smaller, use Two photos mode instead and give each person their own photo.
7. The wrong photo in the wrong slot
Photo 1 and photo 2 each become one rapper. If the two swap places from what you expected, check which photo you put first.
8. Very young or very similar faces
The AI can blur the difference between two siblings who look alike, or age a child's face. Clear, separate photos help most. Only use photos of people who agreed to be in the video.
A quick photo checklist
- One person per photo, face front-on, eyes open, mouth visible.
- Face fills at least a quarter of the frame.
- No sunglasses, no cap, no filter.
- Even light, ideally daylight.
- A smile helps: the video has a lot of grinning.
Questions
Will I be charged again for a new try? Each render is a new video. A render that fails or is blocked is refunded automatically; a finished one that you'd like to redo with better photos uses credits again, so it pays to pick the photos first.
Can I use a photo where I'm wearing glasses? Clear prescription glasses usually work. Sunglasses don't, because they hide the eyes.
Why does my friend look right but I don't? Compare the two photos: usually one is front-on and well lit and the other isn't. Swap in a better photo for the one that drifted.
The full walkthrough, photos included: how to do the Hotel Lobby trend.