MTR “T Chai STORY” | AI-Generated Character Short

Times may change,but T Chai and friends will always be here for you.

Late Studio created the social media short “T Chai STORY” for MTR to coincide with the release of Toy Story 5, borrowing the trailer's plot of “new technology arrives, and old characters fear being replaced”. The newly arrived AI Tracy at the station makes T Chai and the other MTR mascots worry about being replaced, until T Chai delivers a positive message: everyone moves forward together and keeps serving Hong Kong. Late Studio handled storyboard, AI video generation, 3D production, editing and layout design.

Starting from a Movie Trailer | The Plot of Toy Story 5

The Toy Story series has always had a relatable theme: a new toy arrives, and the old toys worry about being replaced. The Toy Story 5 trailer brings that worry to new technology.

MTR wanted to borrow this plot for its own characters. The newcomer at the station is AI Tracy, while the old friends are T Chai and the other MTR mascots.

A New Colleague Arrives | AI Tracy and the MTR Mascots

The story begins in a sunlit station. When AI Tracy speaks from a screen, the mascots look puzzled at first: “Are you talking to a pillar?”

AI Tracy introduces herself: she speaks Cantonese, English and Mandarin, handles ticketing and guides passengers around the station. The more the mascots hear, the more worried they get, and one line sums up their concern: “AI and new technology are getting better and better.”

T Chai's Words | The Fans Still Need Us

While everyone worries, T Chai is the first to step up: “Have some confidence! Our fans still need us!” The mascots remember their mission: making every passenger's journey comfortable and happy.

At the end of the story, AI Tracy shares her hope too: “More partners are coming, and we'll all serve everyone together!” New technology is not here to replace anyone, but to join as a new partner.

Cinematic Feel in a Vertical Layout | A 16:9 Main Picture with “T Chai STORY” Framing

The short plays vertically on social media, but the story needed a cinematic feel. The team kept the main picture in a 16:9 landscape composition, placed it in the centre of the vertical frame, and framed it with graphics above and below.

At the top is a “T Chai STORY” logo inspired by the film's title, set against a crayon-textured blue sky with white clouds; at the bottom are speech boxes with character avatars and a passing MTR train. The main picture keeps the cinematic camera work, while the framing lets mobile viewers see at a glance who is speaking.

The black title cards borrow the tone of a movie trailer too: “TIMES MAY CHANGE”, “BUT 鐵仔 & FRIENDS”, “ARE FOREVER”, with Chinese subtitles meaning “times change” and “will always be with everyone”.

The Hardest Moment | Getting AI to Draw Every Mascot Accurately

The short was mainly AI-generated. AI is good at creating light and atmosphere, but it cannot always control the proportions of the mascots' facial features. T Chai and his friends are characters passengers know well, so if an eye is slightly too big or a nose slightly off, viewers will notice.

So the team prepared a backup plan before production: when an AI-generated shot was not faithful enough, it would be reinforced or redone in 3D, and in the end some shots were indeed completed in 3D. This let the team make use of AI's speed while protecting the characters' accuracy.

Back to the Start | Times Change, Friends Remain

A short about AI was itself made mainly with AI. That matches the story's answer: new technology joining does not mean old friends have to leave; used well, it becomes a new partner.

At the end, the mascots shout “Yeah!” together to welcome more new partners. The short reached passengers on social media in 2026.

Related Work

MTR Mascot | T Chai Promotional Videos
MTR Year of the Horse CNY Shorts | AI-Generated Videos with T Chai
MTR PictureBook | Green T Baby Saves the World