GPP Hero Video — Variant Review

7 image-to-video variants generated with Veo 3.1, conditioned on the live van photo. All locked-camera (logo unobstructed for the full 8s) except #2 which rotates to reveal a front-on rain shot.

Source: public/photos/hero/van-branded.jpg · Pipeline: FAL fal-ai/veo3.1/fast/image-to-video · 720p · 8s · Cost ~$0.30 each

Source van photo

Source still (frame 0 reference)

The actual GPP van photo. Every variant below starts from this exact frame and animates outward over 8 seconds.

Rainstorm Approach02

First render. Camera rotates from side profile to a 3/4-front angle as light rain begins, headlights flick on, wet asphalt reflections. Logo visible first ~3s; van advances toward camera.

4.6 MB · cinematic · dramatic · NOT locked

Whispering Breezes03

Tree branches drape in from the top of frame and sway gently in summer wind, casting transient dappled shadows across the driveway. Quiet, framed naturally.

4.0 MB · serene · summer · framed

Passing Clouds04

Cumulus clouds drift slowly overhead, softening shadows on the pavement. Subtle and neutral — most "still photo with motion" of the set.

2.0 MB · subtle · neutral · gentle

Heat Shimmer05

Visible heat haze rising from the warm summer asphalt. Punchy "Chicago heatwave" energy — most kinetic environmental motion of the locked-camera set.

2.9 MB · summery · punchy · Chicago

Leaf Drift06

Yellow and green summer leaves detach from background trees and float across the upper-right of frame. Charming, vaguely autumnal feel.

2.2 MB · charming · seasonal · gentle

Fading Daylight07

Light gradually warms from cool blue tones to soft amber early-evening. Painterly golden-hour bath. Similar warmth profile to #1 but no lens flare.

2.0 MB · warm · golden · painterly

Hands-On Craft winner08

Macro shot: skilled hands grip a chrome wrench tightening a copper pipe fitting under a sink. No face. Tactile professional competence — directly answers homeowner "are these guys real plumbers" question. Matches scene-over-Justin preference.

2.5 MB · close-up · craft · no-face · text2vid

Kinetic Typography winner09

Bold "SAME-DAY PLUMBING" text in teal & navy, letters morph into plumbing icons. Motion graphics aesthetic. Headline-as-asset — works as a hero on its own without the van photo.

1.6 MB · motion graphics · text-led · text2vid

Trust Badges text garbled10

Animated trust-signal badges float around the parked van. Concept is right but Veo mangled the badge text ("Licceised", "Rnnvs"). To ship: rebuild with ffmpeg overlay using real text on top of the static photo.

3.6 MB · img2vid · concept-OK · text-broken

Underground Flow fixed11

Re-rendered as img2vid from the real van photo. Real GPP logo intact, brand-exact. The driveway now reads as a glass cutaway revealing glowing teal-blue pipes pulsing in a circular network beneath the van. Memorable + brand-faithful.

5.4 MB · img2vid · abstract · brand-exact

Before / After Split has face12

Vertical split: panicked homeowner mopping flood (left) → calm dry kitchen with chrome faucet (right), bridged by a teal water arc. Visually striking, but features a (slightly uncanny) human face — conflicts with scene-not-face rule. Re-prompt no-face possible.

4.3 MB · text2vid · split-screen · face-issue