diff --git a/packages/fakeyou.com/src/components/entities/EntityInput/EntityInput.tsx b/packages/fakeyou.com/src/components/entities/EntityInput/EntityInput.tsx
index f1a58d7431..4e49094cb9 100644
--- a/packages/fakeyou.com/src/components/entities/EntityInput/EntityInput.tsx
+++ b/packages/fakeyou.com/src/components/entities/EntityInput/EntityInput.tsx
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ interface EntityInputProps {
   accept?: AcceptTypes | AcceptTypes[];
   aspectRatio?: "square" | "landscape" | "portrait";
   className?: string;
+  debug?: string;
   label?: string;
   name?: string;
   onChange?: any;
@@ -136,6 +137,7 @@ export default function EntityInput({
   accept,
   aspectRatio = "square",
   className,
+  debug,
   label,
   name = "",
   onChange,
@@ -149,7 +151,14 @@ export default function EntityInput({
   const presetToken = search ? urlSearch.get("preset_token") : "";
   const queryUser = search ? urlSearch.get("query_user") : "";
   const [mediaToken, mediaTokenSet] = useState(presetToken || value || "");
-  const { media, mediaSet, prompt } = useMedia({
+  const {
+    busy: mediaBusy,
+    media,
+    mediaSet,
+    prompt,
+    reload,
+  } = useMedia({
+    debug,
     mediaToken: mediaToken || value,
   });
   const [updated, updatedSet] = useState(false);
@@ -163,9 +172,12 @@ export default function EntityInput({
     onChange({ target: { name, value: token } });
   };
 
-  const { inputProps } = useMediaUploader({
+  const { busy: uploaderBusy, inputProps } = useMediaUploader({
     autoUpload: true,
-    onSuccess: (res: UploaderResponse) => selectToken(res.media_file_token),
+    onSuccess: (res: UploaderResponse) => {
+      reload();
+      selectToken(res.media_file_token);
+    },
   });
 
   const onSelect = (data: MediaFile) => {
@@ -173,10 +185,18 @@ export default function EntityInput({
     selectToken(data.token);
   };
 
-  const busy = false;
+  const busy = mediaBusy || uploaderBusy;
   const index = busy ? 0 : media ? 1 : 2;
   const [animating, animatingSet] = useState(false);
 
+  if (debug)
+    console.log(`🐞 EntityInput Debug at ${debug}`, {
+      index,
+      busy,
+      media,
+      view: ["busy slide", "full slide", "empty slide"][index],
+    });
+
   const transitions = useTransition(index, {
     config: { mass: 1, tension: 80, friction: 10 },
     from: { opacity: 0, transform: `translateX(${5}rem)` },
@@ -219,7 +239,8 @@ export default function EntityInput({
           return [
             <AnimatedSlide
               {...{
-                className: "fy-entity-input-busy",
+                className:
+                  "fy-entity-input-busy d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center",
                 render: MediaBusy,
                 ...sharedProps,
               }}
diff --git a/packages/fakeyou.com/src/hooks/useMedia/useMedia.tsx b/packages/fakeyou.com/src/hooks/useMedia/useMedia.tsx
index 3c011f5985..d31bba251d 100644
--- a/packages/fakeyou.com/src/hooks/useMedia/useMedia.tsx
+++ b/packages/fakeyou.com/src/hooks/useMedia/useMedia.tsx
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ import {
 } from "@storyteller/components/src/api/prompts/GetPrompts";
 import { DeleteMedia } from "@storyteller/components/src/api/media_files/DeleteMedia";
 import { FetchStatus } from "@storyteller/components/src/api/_common/SharedFetchTypes";
-import { usePrevious } from "hooks";
 
 export default function useMedia({
+  debug = "",
   mediaToken = "",
   onSuccess = (res: MediaFile) => {},
   onRemove = (res: any) => {},
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ export default function useMedia({
   const [writeStatus, writeStatusSet] = useState(FetchStatus.paused);
   const [media, mediaSet] = useState<MediaFile | undefined>();
   const [prompt, promptSet] = useState<Prompt | undefined>();
+
   const remove = (as_mod: boolean) => {
     writeStatusSet(FetchStatus.in_progress);
     DeleteMedia(mediaToken, {
@@ -31,19 +32,20 @@ export default function useMedia({
     });
   };
 
-  const previousToken = usePrevious(mediaToken);
-
   const reload = () => {
     statusSet(FetchStatus.ready);
     mediaSet(undefined);
   };
 
+  const busy =
+    status === FetchStatus.in_progress ||
+    writeStatus === FetchStatus.in_progress;
+
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (
-      status === FetchStatus.ready &&
-      mediaToken &&
-      (!media || previousToken !== mediaToken)
-    ) {
+    // this condidition handles all media file fetches
+    // it is triggered when status is ready and there is a media token but no media
+
+    if (status === FetchStatus.ready && mediaToken && !media) {
       statusSet(FetchStatus.in_progress);
       GetMedia(mediaToken, {})
         .then(res => {
@@ -51,6 +53,7 @@ export default function useMedia({
             statusSet(FetchStatus.success);
             onSuccess(res.media_file);
             mediaSet(res.media_file);
+
             if (res.media_file.maybe_prompt_token) {
               GetPrompts(res.media_file.maybe_prompt_token, {}).then(
                 promptRes => {
@@ -67,13 +70,16 @@ export default function useMedia({
         });
     }
 
+    // this triggers a media refetch when there is media, but the hook mediaToken param is updated
+
     if (media && media.token !== mediaToken) {
       mediaSet(undefined);
       statusSet(FetchStatus.ready);
     }
-  }, [media, mediaToken, previousToken, prompt, onSuccess, status, statusSet]);
+  }, [media, mediaToken, prompt, onSuccess, status, statusSet]);
 
   return {
+    busy,
     media,
     mediaFile: media,
     mediaSet,
@@ -81,6 +87,7 @@ export default function useMedia({
     remove,
     reload,
     status,
+    statusSet,
     writeStatus,
   };
 }
diff --git a/packages/fakeyou.com/src/hooks/useMediaUploader/useMediaUploader.tsx b/packages/fakeyou.com/src/hooks/useMediaUploader/useMediaUploader.tsx
index d33c224485..f439adf36f 100644
--- a/packages/fakeyou.com/src/hooks/useMediaUploader/useMediaUploader.tsx
+++ b/packages/fakeyou.com/src/hooks/useMediaUploader/useMediaUploader.tsx
@@ -1,36 +1,56 @@
 import { useState } from "react";
 import { useFile } from "hooks";
 import { v4 as uuidv4 } from "uuid";
-import { isSelectedType, MediaFilters, UploaderResponse } from "components/entities/EntityTypes";
+import {
+  isSelectedType,
+  MediaFilters,
+  UploaderResponse,
+} from "components/entities/EntityTypes";
 import { UploadMedia } from "@storyteller/components/src/api/media_files/UploadMedia";
-import { UploadEngineAsset }from "@storyteller/components/src/api/media_files/UploadEngineAsset";
+import { UploadEngineAsset } from "@storyteller/components/src/api/media_files/UploadEngineAsset";
 import { MediaFileSubtype } from "@storyteller/components/src/api/enums/MediaFileSubtype";
 import { GetFileTypeByExtension as extension } from "@storyteller/components/src/utils/GetFileTypeByExtension";
 import { MediaFileClass } from "@storyteller/components/src/api/enums/MediaFileClass";
+import { FetchStatus } from "@storyteller/components/src/api/_common/SharedFetchTypes";
 
 interface Props {
-  autoUpload?: boolean,
+  autoUpload?: boolean;
   onSuccess?: (res: UploaderResponse) => any;
 }
 
 const n = () => {};
 
 export default function useMediaUploader({ autoUpload, onSuccess = n }: Props) {
-  const [mediaClass,mediaClassSet] = useState<MediaFileClass>(MediaFileClass.Unknown);
-  const [engineSubtype,engineSubtypeSet] = useState<MediaFileSubtype | undefined>();
+  const [status, statusSet] = useState(FetchStatus.ready);
+  const [mediaClass, mediaClassSet] = useState<MediaFileClass>(
+    MediaFileClass.Unknown
+  );
+  const [engineSubtype, engineSubtypeSet] = useState<
+    MediaFileSubtype | undefined
+  >();
 
-  const createUpload = (inputFile: File, todo = n ) => {
+  const createUpload = (inputFile: File, todo = n) => {
+    statusSet(FetchStatus.in_progress);
     const fileExtension = extension(inputFile.name || "");
-    const isEngineAsset = isSelectedType(MediaFilters.engine_asset, fileExtension);
+    const isEngineAsset = isSelectedType(
+      MediaFilters.engine_asset,
+      fileExtension
+    );
     const baseConfig = { uuid_idempotency_token: uuidv4(), file: inputFile };
-    const engineConfig = { ...baseConfig, media_file_subtype: engineSubtype, media_file_class: mediaClass };
+    const engineConfig = {
+      ...baseConfig,
+      media_file_subtype: engineSubtype,
+      media_file_class: mediaClass,
+    };
     const mediaConfig = { ...baseConfig, source: "file" };
-    const uploader = isEngineAsset ? UploadEngineAsset(engineConfig) : UploadMedia(mediaConfig);
+    const uploader = isEngineAsset
+      ? UploadEngineAsset(engineConfig)
+      : UploadMedia(mediaConfig);
 
     if (inputFile) {
-      uploader
-      .then((res: UploaderResponse) => {
+      uploader.then((res: UploaderResponse) => {
         if ("media_file_token" in res) {
+          statusSet(FetchStatus.success);
           onSuccess(res);
           todo();
         }
@@ -39,16 +59,27 @@ export default function useMediaUploader({ autoUpload, onSuccess = n }: Props) {
   };
 
   const { file, clear, inputProps } = useFile({
-    ...autoUpload ? { onChange: (inputFile: File) => createUpload(inputFile,clear) } : {}
+    ...(autoUpload
+      ? {
+          onChange: (inputFile: File) => {
+            if (inputFile) createUpload(inputFile, clear);
+          },
+        }
+      : {}),
   });
 
-  const upload = () => createUpload(file,clear);
+  const upload = () => {
+    createUpload(file, clear);
+  };
 
-  const engineSubtypeChange = ({ target }: { target: any }) => engineSubtypeSet(target.value);
+  const engineSubtypeChange = ({ target }: { target: any }) =>
+    engineSubtypeSet(target.value);
 
-  const mediaClassChange = ({ target }: { target: any }) => mediaClassSet(target.value);
+  const mediaClassChange = ({ target }: { target: any }) =>
+    mediaClassSet(target.value);
 
   return {
+    busy: status === FetchStatus.in_progress,
     clear,
     engineSubtype,
     engineSubtypeChange,
@@ -57,10 +88,12 @@ export default function useMediaUploader({ autoUpload, onSuccess = n }: Props) {
     file,
     inputProps,
     isAudio: isSelectedType(MediaFilters.audio, extension(file?.name || "")),
-    isEngineAsset: isSelectedType(MediaFilters.engine_asset, extension(file?.name || "")),
+    isEngineAsset: isSelectedType(
+      MediaFilters.engine_asset,
+      extension(file?.name || "")
+    ),
     isImage: isSelectedType(MediaFilters.image, extension(file?.name || "")),
     isVideo: isSelectedType(MediaFilters.video, extension(file?.name || "")),
-    upload
-  }
-
-};
\ No newline at end of file
+    upload,
+  };
+}
diff --git a/packages/fakeyou.com/src/v2/view/pages/ai_face_mirror/AIFaceMirror.tsx b/packages/fakeyou.com/src/v2/view/pages/ai_face_mirror/AIFaceMirror.tsx
index e69775b852..41b5b46cbb 100644
--- a/packages/fakeyou.com/src/v2/view/pages/ai_face_mirror/AIFaceMirror.tsx
+++ b/packages/fakeyou.com/src/v2/view/pages/ai_face_mirror/AIFaceMirror.tsx
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ export default function AIFaceMirror({ sessionSubscriptionsWrapper }: Props) {
               {...{
                 accept: ["video"],
                 aspectRatio: "landscape",
+                // debug: "AFM driver input",
                 name: "faceDriverToken",
                 value: faceDriverToken,
                 onChange: ({ target }: { target: any }) => {