Rafay Studio Start a project

Historical Reconstruction Studio

History,Rebuilt.

Research, scripts and visual reconstruction for creators who need the past to be right.

Start a project See the work
White stone scale model of the Templo Mayor, its twin shrines atop stepped tiers, lit on black

Most history on screen is beautiful and wrong. We start from the sources, then build what stood there.

Primary accounts · Archaeology · Current scholarship

Process

Source.Structure.Scene.

An open sixteenth-century manuscript showing a map of Tenochtitlan

01 — Source

Read the evidence.

Primary accounts, maps and archaeology, cross-checked. Every brief marks what's known, debated, or unknown.

The tiers of a stepped pyramid separated in an exploded view

02 — Structure

Measure the structure.

Scale, materials, tiers and stairways are worked out before a single frame is made.

A film still of the Tlatelolco market, crowded with traders under awnings

03 — Scene

Bring it to life.

A timed narration script and shot-by-shot direction: light, crowds, dress, tools, and what must never appear.

See whatstood here.

Teotihuacan, Avenue of the Dead. Drag to compare today with the city around 450 AD.

The Avenue of the Dead at Teotihuacan today, ruined platforms and grass The same view reconstructed around 450 AD, with plastered, painted temples and crowds

Illustrative reconstruction based on archaeological evidence.

What we make.

  • Research briefs

    Source-backed briefs on any place, period or event, with citations and clearly marked uncertainty.

  • Scripts

    Narration timed for video, structured for retention, written in your channel's voice.

  • Reconstruction briefs

    Scene-by-scene direction for architecture, dress, crowds, light and landscape, ready for artists or AI image and video pipelines.

Method

Researchedwith Claude.Checkedby hand.

We use Anthropic's Claude to read further and faster: summarising long sources, cross-checking dates and details across references, and turning research into precise scene descriptions. A person then verifies every claim against the sources before anything is delivered.

A brief,up close.

Scene
04 · Tlatelolco market, Tenochtitlan, c. 1519
Light
Early morning. Low sun from the east over the causeways.
Crowd
Traders under white cotton awnings. Maize, cacao, obsidian blades, feathers, cotton cloth, grouped by type.
Dress
Merchants in plain white tilmatli. Market officials checking measures.
Action
Canoes unloading at the canal edge.
Avoid
Horses. Metal coins. European-style stalls.
Sources
Bernal Díaz del Castillo, The True History of the Conquest of New Spain. Hernán Cortés, Second Letter.

Selectedwork.

Research, scripting and reconstruction for the Travel With Nom Nom YouTube channel.

Thumbnail for I Rebuilt Ancient Mexico With AI

I Rebuilt Ancient Mexico With AI

Teotihuacan, Tenochtitlan and the Maya cities at their peak. 340K views.

Watch on YouTube
Thumbnail for The Strait of Hormuz: Inside the 8 Chokepoints That Run the World

The Strait of Hormuz: Inside the 8 Chokepoints That Run the World

A researched geopolitical documentary.

Watch on YouTube

Questions.

What do you deliver?

A narration script, a research brief with sources, and a scene-by-scene reconstruction brief, depending on the project.

Who is it for?

History and travel channels, documentary producers, and creators working with AI image and video tools.

How do you use AI?

Claude speeds up research, cross-checking and drafting. A person checks every fact against the sources before delivery.

How long does a project take?

Most single-video scripts take 5–7 days, including two rounds of revisions.

How do I start?

Send the topic, length and style through the form. You'll hear back within 48 hours.

Start aproject.

Tell us the topic, the length and the look. We'll reply within 48 hours.

hello@malikrafay.com
Islamabad · Working worldwide