Moonvalley, a Los Angeles-based AI startup founded by former DeepMind researchers, has officially launched Marey, its video generation tool, to the public after a brief beta testing phase.
Highlights
- Ethically Trained: Marey was built using only licensed and consented footage, avoiding copyright violations and promoting long-term legal safety for creators.
- Filmmaker-Focused: Designed specifically for directors and cinematographers, not casual users—prioritizing artistic control and professional-grade output.
- Advanced Editing Controls: Supports layer-based scene editing, object replacement, and 360° camera movement with physics-aware realism.
- Studio-Ready & Scalable: Renders up to 5-second HD clips now, with 30-second expansion planned. Credits-based pricing starts at $14.99 for indie accessibility.
- Used in Real Productions: Already utilized by HBO’s Ángel Manuel Soto and backed by studio collaborations through Asteria Film Co.
- DeepMind Roots: Created by ex-DeepMind researchers, offering powerful performance on a fraction of the training data used by rivals.
- Roadmap Includes: Lighting controls, motion trajectory tools, character libraries, and longer multi-scene editing features.
- Ethics as a Competitive Advantage: Marey’s transparent training and creator-first ethos offer an edge in a market concerned about AI misuse and creative rights.
- Challenger to Gen-3, Pika, and Luma: While competitors race on capabilities, Marey stakes its ground on control, realism, and legal clarity.
Unlike many existing AI video platforms, Marey is tailored specifically for filmmakers, combining creative flexibility with a commitment to ethical development and professional-grade quality.
Filmmaker-Centric and Ethically Trained
At its core, Marey stands out for both its filmmaker-first design and its ethical training methodology.
The model was trained exclusively on openly licensed and consented footage, setting it apart from many AI tools that face criticism for using copyrighted material without permission.
This makes Marey particularly appealing to independent creators and studios focused on long-term legal safety and transparent practices.
According to sources including FastCompany and Music Ally, Marey is one of the first AI video generation platforms developed with a fully licensed training dataset—drawing content directly from independent filmmakers and agencies, not scraped from the open internet.
Precision Control for High-End Results
Marey introduces a hybrid generation system that offers users direct control over scene composition, objects, and camera movement. Unlike prompt-only generators, Marey supports:
- Layer-based editing (foreground, midground, background)
- Dynamic object replacement with environment-aware motion
- Near 360-degree camera control using basic mouse input
- Physically accurate visual effects, such as environmental interactions with moving characters or vehicles
In one demonstration, CEO Naeem Talukdar showed how a running bison could be replaced with a Cadillac in motion, while the surrounding grass reacted realistically in both scenarios—highlighting Marey’s physics-respecting realism.
Scalable, Affordable, and Studio-Ready
Marey currently supports video generation of up to five seconds, with plans to expand to 30-second high-definition clips in a single pass. This longer format capability aligns with professional editing workflows, offering substantial flexibility in storytelling.
Pricing is based on a credit system, starting at $14.99 for 100 credits and scaling to $149.99 for 1,000 credits. On average, scene renders cost between $1–$2, making high-definition content accessible for both indie creators and larger production teams.
Despite using only a fraction of the training data employed by competing models, Marey benefits from a highly curated dataset and efficient architecture—contributions of its DeepMind alumni founding team.
Used by Industry Professionals, Not Just Hobbyists
Marey isn’t positioned as a consumer gimmick. It’s being actively piloted by major studios, advertising agencies, and creatives such as Natasha Lyonne and Bryn Mooser, in partnership with Moonvalley’s in-house production studio Asteria Film Co. (formerly XTR).
The tool was also used by filmmaker Ángel Manuel Soto in projects like Menudo: Forever Young for HBO, who highlighted how Marey helped cut production costs by up to 40%, especially for creators operating outside traditional studio systems.
“AI gives you the ability to do it on your own terms,” Soto said, reflecting on his experience growing up in Puerto Rico and the financial hurdles in traditional filmmaking.
Upcoming Features
Future updates for Marey include,
- Lighting controls
- Trajectory tools for moving objects
- Character asset libraries
- Support for longer, more complex scenes
These features aim to further empower directors and cinematographers to prototype, visualize, and iterate their work without compromising creative control or ethical standards.
Positioned for Competitive Advantage
With competitors like Runway Gen-3, Pika, Haiper, and Luma’s Dream Machine advancing rapidly, Marey enters a highly competitive market.
Their focus on ethics, user control, and professional collaboration may give it a meaningful edge in a landscape where concerns over copyright, quality, and creative ownership are increasingly in focus.
