The original one-minute v5, with closer camera attention, a synthetic reading of the exact poem, a sparse original musical bed and restrained stylised effects. The empty-tree ending still has room to settle.
How this edition developed
The silent film grew through small revisions: more connected crow gestures, black bodies with subtly distinct wings, a lighter tree, gently moving branches and a shaded charcoal sky. The birds leave together toward the right, receding into the distance. Larger, softly moving captions and a gradual darkening lead to a completely black ending.
This edition keeps that one-minute v5 animation and the poem's words. The camera now moves closer to the private exchange and the uncomfortable appraisal, then widens for the departure and the empty-tree pause. Captions stay steady in screen space.
AI-generated audio: the spoken reading uses Kokoro's stock British-English voice, bm_george; it is not the poet's recorded voice. A quiet original musical bed, wing rustles, wind and two stylised caws were synthesised procedurally. These are designed sounds, not wildlife recordings.
The poem and creative direction are the author's; the Blender production, camera adaptation and audio implementation were carried out with AI assistance through conversation. Watch the earlier silent edition to compare.