{
  "id": 1017431,
  "title": "Zero GPU Cost and 4-Minute Daily Runs — Making Real Rain Fall on a Still Image with ffmpeg displace",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/15/zero-gpu-cost-and-4-minute-daily-runs-making-real-rain-fall-on-a",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-15T11:00:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dev.to",
    "slug": "dev-to",
    "url": "https://dev.to/bokuwalily/zero-gpu-cost-and-4-minute-daily-runs-making-real-rain-fall-on-a-still-image-with-ffmpeg-displace-b5b"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The story begins with the author explaining how a 30-minute ASMR rain video cost them nothing beyond electricity. However, generating daily 30-minute videos proved to be costly and time-consuming. The author then discovered that to create an ASMR rain video, all they needed was a single still image, a physics simulation of raindrops in Python, and ffmpeg's displace filter. This approach eliminated the need for video generation models, GPU rentals, and editing. The author emphasizes that the only cost of generation was CPU time, making it a cost-effective solution.",
  "summary": "A 30-minute ASMR rain video costs me nothing but electricity, and the daily job that builds it dropped from 7–8 minutes to a little over 4. No video-generation model, no GPU rental, no editing. One still image, a physics simulation of raindrops written in Python, and ffmpeg's displace filter. For context on why I built this: in my second year of university I was making ¥100k a month, stacked side…",
  "key_points": [
    "Author creates ASMR rain video for $0 beyond electricity",
    "Uses single still image, Python raindrop simulation, ffmpeg displace filter",
    "Only CPU time cost, eliminating video generation models, GPU rentals, editing"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}