In this article, we will go through how to create a live-action anime adaptation using Yapper, from turning an anime-style character into a realistic live-action version to generating the final cinematic scenes.
For this tutorial, I'll be using Naruto and Sasuke as the main example to demonstrate the workflow.
The video above walks through the whole project, and this article is its companion: the exact prompts and assets from the sessions the video was recorded in, so you can copy the workflow. The finished short film is at the end of this article.
Jump to a part of the video:
- Characters that don't get blocked
- GPT Image 2.5 Flare vs Sunburst
- How to make engaging fight scenes and what not to do
- AI camera movements
- Generating music
- Final results and the cost breakdown
One of the biggest challenges when creating AI-generated anime videos is copyright. Many AI video models may reject prompts that directly mention copyrighted characters, franchises, or other protected material.
However, that doesn't mean the project has to stop there.
There are several ways to restructure your prompts and describe the character visually while staying within the platform's generation rules, instead of relying entirely on copyrighted names. None of the prompts in this article name a character. The video prompts only talk about "the blonde fighter" and "the dark-haired fighter," and the reference images carry the likeness. The video covers this at 0:49.
Below, you'll find the prompts I use to create the characters and locations for this project. Feel free to copy them, experiment with different details, and adjust them to fit your own live-action anime adaptation.
Both characters wear the same headband, so start with one clean headband reference and attach it to each character prompt.

The headband reference image attached to both character prompts
Attach the headband reference image, then generate the character sheet.

Live-action Naruto character element sheet with front, side, and back views plus a close-up
Attach the clan symbol as the first reference image and the headband as the second, then generate the character sheet.

Live-action Sasuke character element sheet with front, side, and back views plus a close-up
Attach one or two reference images of the place you want to recreate. The prompt uses them for the layout and terrain and rebuilds the scene as a real, empty location.

An empty dry dirt training field in front of a wall of tall golden reeds under a pale sky
The fight uses a shuriken, and the first scene also mentions a kunai. Give each prop its own reference image so the weapon keeps the same shape from shot to shot. Attach a reference image of the prop you want to recreate.
I made the kunai with GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst. The video compares Sunburst with Flare at 3:12.
The kunai and shuriken prop references.
Now it's time to generate the action sequences.
For this project, I split the fight into three separate videos instead of trying to generate the entire battle in one go:
- Pre-battle buildup: setting the tension before the fight begins.
- Naruto and Sasuke exchanging blows: the main hand-to-hand combat sequence.
- Fire Jutsu and Chidori: Sasuke launches his Fire Jutsu before transitioning into the Chidori sequence.
I described each scene to Yapper Assistant in plain words and let it write the timed prompt. Every clip was generated with Seedance 2.5 as a single 20-second video. Attach the references in this order: the location as reference image 1, the Naruto sheet as reference image 2, and the Sasuke sheet as reference image 3. The second scene also uses the shuriken as reference image 4.
For more on directing the action, the video covers how to make engaging fight scenes, what not to do in fight scenes, and AI camera movements.
The pre-battle buildup. Seedance 2.5, 16:9, 480p, 20 seconds, with the location and both character sheets as references.
Location: The dry dirt clearing with tall golden reeds and open pale sky from reference image 1.
Characters:
- Blonde fighter: Boy matching the face, spiky blonde hair, and orange/dark ninja attire from reference image 2.
- Dark-haired fighter: Boy matching the face, dark layered hair, and navy/white attire from reference image 3.
- Shadow clones: Three identical copies of the blonde fighter, each identical in face, hair, and clothing to reference image 2.
Prop:
- Shuriken: Four-pointed black steel throwing star matching reference image 4.
Style: Gritty live-action martial arts choreography emphasizing agile evasions, ducks, and acrobatic body mechanics over repetitive forearm blocking. Handheld documentary camera with energetic organic shake and whip pans, shallow depth of field, authentic 35mm film grain, harsh sunlit exposure. Audio is 100% diegetic: heavy breathing, cloth snaps, whooshing air on dodges, sliding sandals on dirt, whistling metal, soft popping smoke bursts, solid wooden thud of the log, physical punch impacts. No background music or score. Cuts only at the specified points; the camera does not cut on its own.
[0.0 - 2.5s]: Handheld medium shot, intense camera motion. Scene opens mid-sparring: dark-haired fighter (reference image 3) throws a sharp jab and follow-up cross, but blonde fighter (reference image 2) fluidly ducks under the first strike, slips his head to the outside of the second punch, and lands a quick body tap before gracefully rolling out. No repetitive arm-to-arm blocking.
[2.5 - 5.5s]: Low-angle tracking shot. Dark-haired fighter pivots with a rapid low sweeping roundhouse kick. Blonde fighter reacts with effortless acrobatics, launching into a high backward flip directly overhead, feet clearing the kick cleanly, and landing softly in a balanced crouch.
[5.5 - 8.5s]: Handheld over-the-shoulder tracking. Dark-haired fighter presses in with a spinning kick; blonde fighter executes a swift lateral cartwheel to evade the arc. Rebounding off the dirt, dark-haired fighter launches into an agile, spring-loaded backflip, creating five meters of distance.
[8.5 - 12.0s]: Hard cut to a wide shot with continuous fluid motion. In one uninterrupted take, dark-haired fighter whips the shuriken (reference image 4) across the clearing. The spinning blade strikes blonde fighter (reference image 2) squarely in the chest, and in the exact same continuous backward momentum, blonde bursts into a sudden puff of white smoke and instantly transforms into a heavy wooden log that hits the dirt and rolls.
[12.0 - 14.5s]: Hard cut to frontal medium shot on dark-haired fighter (reference image 3) as three dense clouds of white smoke erupt violently directly behind his back.
[14.5 - 20.0s]: Continuous, non-stop assault with erratic shaky handheld camera. With zero delay or pause, three identical blonde clones (all matching reference image 2) leap explosively right out of the expanding smoke mid-air. One clone dives from above with a descending hammer fist while the other two flank from left and right, immediately swarming and pummeling the defenseless dark-haired fighter with rapid bare-knuckle strikes until the shot cuts.
[0-2.5s] Agile opening: dark-haired punches, blonde ducks, slips, and rolls out instead of blocking.
[2.5-5.5s] Dark-haired throws low sweep kick; blonde acrobatically flips backward overhead to evade.
[5.5-8.5s] Dark-haired kicks, blonde cartwheels to dodge; dark-haired backflips to create space.
[8.5-12s] Continuous wide shot: shuriken (reference image 2) strikes chest, instantly bursting into smoke and a falling log.
[12-14.5s] Frontal shot: three bursts of white smoke explode behind dark-haired fighter.
[14.5-20s] Continuous leap attack: three blonde clones (reference image 4) jump directly from the smoke and overwhelm dark-haired fighter.
The hand-to-hand exchange, substitution log, and shadow clone attack. Seedance 2.5, 16:9, 480p, 20 seconds, with the location, both character sheets, and the shuriken as references.
The fire jutsu and Chidori charge. Seedance 2.5, 16:9, 480p, 20 seconds, with the location and both character sheets as references.
The finished film adds a few more shots from the same project, including the clone ambush, the rock that knocks the lightning strike off course, and the sensei's arrival.
The completed live-action anime short film.
So that's how you can create your own live-action Naruto short film.
Try these prompts yourself, tweak them, experiment with different ideas, and see how far you can push it with your favorite anime!