bixels
In the middle of a strike.
bixels
If you need context, earlier this year, CorridorDigital put out an "AI-made anime," where an AI filter was used to convert live action footage into "animation" (for the record, this is NOT animation. Animation is not a look, it's a process. By this logic, anyone using that Pixar Snapchat face filter is a Pixar animator). They touted themselves as "revolutionizing animation."
They were met with considerable backlash and criticism from the animation community. For one, they were taking frames from the real anime Vampire Hunter D to feed the AI. For another, the video was essentially a proof-of-concept for how "easy" and "inexpensive" it is to reduce animation to an automate-able process.
Well, Corridor did not learn anything, because they released a sequel... In the middle of a strike against the use of AI to replace/exploit/profit off of the labor of workers in the film industry. Corridor assured they hired their own artist to train the AI, but remember that industry discourse like this is interconnected. They may not be stealing art, but any studio that sees this and goes 'wow, it's that easy' will. Corridor's also boasting about AI democratizing animation-making. Now anyone can make animation in their bedroom with nothing but a camera and a free software! Except, anyone could already make animation in their bedroom with nothing but a camera and a free software. I made animation in my bedroom with nothing but a camera and a free stop-motion software when I was 10 years old.
Anyways, work like this is exactly what studios hellbent on exploiting workers want to see. It doesn't matter if it's cool or fun. Remember that AI discourse is currently the frontlines of the labor crisis in the film industry. Corridor putting out this video as "fun education" in the middle of an strike is so incredibly irresponsible and disrespectful.
