OpenAI's Sora App Adds Character Cameos and Video Stitching Tools

OpenAI has released another update for its AI video creation app Sora, enhancing its capabilities with new tools. This app, available by invitation only, allows users to create realistic, cinematic, and anime-style videos featuring users, friends, and others, utilizing synchronized speech and sound effects. The highlight of the update is the introduction of cameo characters, significantly expanding the platform's functionality. Users can now create reusable characters from any uploaded video—either from the library or generated by Sora—and tag them in future videos. Each character receives a name, account, and customizable permissions. Owners can keep characters private, share them with subscribers, or make them available to everyone on the platform. OpenAI launches this feature with a set of starter characters, including themed heroes for Halloween, such as Frankenstein, Dracula, Witch, and Ghost.

Additionally, the update introduces video stitching capabilities—users can now combine multiple clips into a single storyline by selecting them from drafts. There is also a new feature for community leaders that showcases the most popular videos, frequently used characters, and cameos.

For convenience, OpenAI has temporarily relaxed invitation requirements in the USA, Canada, Japan, and Korea—registration is now available without a code. Furthermore, the app is now accessible in Thailand, Taiwan, and Vietnam. It is worth noting that the cameo feature has sparked some controversy: the celebrity platform Cameo has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against OpenAI, challenging the use of the term "cameo" in Sora's features. The app debuted at the end of last month and quickly reached a million downloads, outpacing ChatGPT despite limited access and geographical restrictions.