News/Animation
Kalshi’s NBA Finals ad costs just $2K using Google’s AI video tool
The betting platform Kalshi aired a fully AI-generated advertisement during the NBA Finals that cost just $2,000 to produce using Google's text-to-video generator Veo 3. The 15-second spot showcases the growing accessibility of AI video creation tools and signals a potential shift toward AI-generated content in mainstream advertising. What you should know: The ad was created by AI filmmaker PJ Accetturo in just 2-3 days, representing what he claims is a "95% cost reduction vs traditional ads." The advertisement features surreal scenes including an elderly man in a cowboy hat carrying a chihuahua, someone swimming in a pool of eggs,...
read May 16, 2025Annual AI on the Lot event expands to 3-day program in Culver City for 2025
The annual AI on the Lot event expands to a three-day format in Culver City for 2025, bringing together entertainment industry leaders to explore artificial intelligence applications in Hollywood. Moving from its previous Downtown L.A. location, this year's program showcases how AI technologies are transforming media production through tech demos, workshops, filmmaker showcases, and screenings - all in a location historically significant to the film industry since the early 20th century. The big picture: The entertainment industry gathering will run from May 28-30 with a significantly expanded format featuring keynote speakers, demonstrations, and practical workshops focused on AI integration in...
read May 16, 2025AI startup Cartwheel secures $10M for character animation tools
Cartwheel AI has released its first public tools for 3D character animation after securing $10 million in new funding led by Craft Ventures. The startup, founded in 2023 by OpenAI alum Andrew Carr and Google Creative Lab veteran Jonathan Jarvis, aims to revolutionize animation production by dramatically accelerating workflows while maintaining creative control. The technology's emergence from a year-long beta test with 8,000 professional animators signals a potentially significant shift in how animation is created across entertainment and digital media. The big picture: Animation startup Cartwheel has launched AI-driven 3D character animation tools to the public after raising $10 million...
read May 5, 2025AI video creation in seconds: Here’s what Kling AI offers
Kling AI is emerging as a standout competitor in the video generation space, offering versatile tools for creating and modifying video content through AI. With its latest Kling 2.0 Master model, the platform combines text-to-video generation, image animation capabilities, and advanced editing features that enable users to transform still images into fluid videos. Understanding how to navigate and utilize Kling's various functions can help content creators leverage AI video generation for everything from professional projects to creative meme animations. How to Use Kling AI for Video Creation and Editing 1. Text to Video Generation This entry-level feature allows users to...
read May 2, 2025Monster cats? Gnarly Minions? AI-generated cartoon gore floods YouTube
A new wave of disturbing AI-generated cartoons is infiltrating YouTube's children's content ecosystem, echoing the infamous 2017 Elsagate scandal. This investigation reveals dozens of channels using generative AI to create violent, grotesque, and inappropriate animations featuring popular characters like Minions and cartoon cats, raising alarms about content moderation failures and the potential psychological impact on young viewers. The big picture: YouTube is facing a resurgence of inappropriate children's content, this time powered by generative AI tools that make it easier to produce disturbing videos at scale. One channel called "Go Cat" markets itself as "fun and exciting" for kids while...
read Apr 26, 2025South Korea’s webcomics industry blends tradition with AI-driven innovation
South Korea's webcomics industry is witnessing a creative transformation as generative AI becomes integrated into the production process. Legendary cartoonist Lee Hyun-se exemplifies this shift—while maintaining his artistic integrity, he's leveraging AI to extend the legacy of his iconic characters. This evolution marks a significant turning point for an industry that has already successfully transitioned from print magazines to digital platforms, now commanding a global audience of hundreds of millions of readers. The big picture: Established South Korean cartoonists are experimenting with AI tools to enhance their storytelling capabilities while preserving their artistic voice. Lee Hyun-se, creator of the 1983...
read Apr 21, 2025Whisked Away: Google’s Whisk 2.0 animates images into 8-second clips
Google's Whisk animation tool is evolving beyond static images, representing the latest advancement in AI-powered image manipulation technology. The updated version transforms standard photos into short, dynamic video clips, expanding creative possibilities for both casual users and digital content creators while furthering Google's commitment to developing accessible AI-driven creative tools. The big picture: Google Labs has launched Whisk 2.0, featuring a new Whisk Animate function that transforms static images into vivid 8-second video clips using Veo 2 technology. Key details: The animation tool is available to Google One AI Premium subscribers across more than 60 countries. Whisk represents Google's continued...
read Apr 4, 2025Steve.ai turns text into professional videos without editing skills
Steve.ai offers an accessible AI-powered video creation platform that transforms text prompts and existing content into animated videos without requiring technical expertise. Released by Animaker in January 2024, Steve.ai 2.0 introduces generative text-to-video capabilities and animated talking heads, positioning itself as a comprehensive solution for marketers and trainers seeking quick, high-quality content production. The platform's ability to convert scripts, PDFs, and audio recordings into dynamic videos represents the growing trend of AI tools democratizing content creation for business users who lack traditional video editing skills. How it works: Steve.ai uses generative AI to transform written prompts into complete video content...
read Apr 3, 2025Studio Ghibli may sue OpenAI over viral AI-generated art mimicking its style
The viral ChatGPT "Ghibli style" trend has sparked new debates around AI copyright implications for iconic visual styles, potentially setting significant legal precedents for creative industries. As OpenAI scrambles to block these image generation requests, legal experts suggest the situation could lead to a landmark case exploring whether AI companies can be held accountable for mimicking distinctive artistic aesthetics—pushing the boundaries of what qualifies as protected intellectual property in the AI era. The big picture: Studio Ghibli may have legal grounds to sue OpenAI over the viral trend of AI-generated images mimicking the iconic Japanese animation studio's distinctive style, according...
read Apr 2, 2025Robin Williams’ daughter Zelda slams OpenAI’s Ghibli-style images amid artistic and ethical concerns
OpenAI's latest image generation technology has sparked controversy by replicating Studio Ghibli's iconic animation style, creating tension between AI advancement and artistic integrity. The viral trend of "Ghibli-fied" images has drawn criticism from Zelda Williams, daughter of Robin Williams, who highlighted both ethical concerns and environmental impacts. Her objections align with Studio Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki's longstanding opposition to AI in creative work, raising important questions about artistic ownership in an era of increasingly sophisticated AI image generation. The controversy: Zelda Williams publicly criticized the viral trend of Studio Ghibli-style AI-generated images on Instagram, citing ethical and environmental concerns. "People...
read Apr 1, 2025Studio Ghibli’s “Princess Mononoke” box office re-success comes as OpenAI mimics its iconic style
Studio Ghibli's "Princess Mononoke" 4K re-release is making waves at the box office while the animation studio indirectly responds to AI controversies. The 1997 classic generated $1.2 million in preview showings across 330 IMAX screens, with Gkids' statement emphasizing the value of hand-drawn animation just as OpenAI's latest image generator sparked controversy for mimicking Ghibli's distinctive style. This timing highlights the ongoing tension between traditional animation craftsmanship and emerging AI technologies that attempt to replicate established artistic styles. The timing speaks volumes: Gkids' statement about "Princess Mononoke" appears to indirectly address the controversy surrounding OpenAI's new image generator. Chance Huskey,...
read Mar 31, 2025Pika.art turns text and images into 10-second videos with AI technology
Pika.art emerges as a standout generative AI tool that transforms text prompts and images into realistic video clips in seconds. Developed by Pika Labs in 2023, this platform brings video creation capabilities to content creators without requiring technical expertise. The technology competes with other AI video generators like Dream Machine and OpenAI's Sora, using sophisticated models trained on extensive motion data to produce smooth, high-quality animations that were previously impossible for non-professionals to create. The big picture: Pika.art positions itself as an "idea-to-video platform" designed to democratize video creation for anyone with a creative concept. The tool generates high-quality, cinematic...
read Mar 28, 2025OpenAI’s Studio Ghibli image generator sparks controversy with offensive historical recreations
OpenAI's latest image generator has sparked a controversial trend of creating offensive historical recreations, raising questions about responsible AI use and content moderation. The technology, integrated into GPT-4o, initially gained popularity when users discovered they could replicate Studio Ghibli's distinctive animation style, but has since evolved into more questionable territory with millions viewing potentially insensitive historical recreations. Why this matters: The viral spread of AI-generated images depicting sensitive historical moments like 9/11 and the JFK assassination highlights the growing tension between creative freedom and ethical boundaries in generative AI technologies. These controversial images have garnered millions of views on social...
read Mar 27, 2025AI-generated Trump portraits in Studio Ghibli style spark artistic controversy
The AI-generated "Studio Ghibli-style" Trump portraits are the latest example of how OpenAI's new image generation capabilities are rapidly inspiring creative and controversial applications. The trend highlights ongoing tensions between AI developers, traditional artists, and public figures as generated content increasingly blurs stylistic boundaries. This collision of cutting-edge AI technology with beloved artistic styles raises important questions about creative attribution, consent, and the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and human artistic expression. Why it matters: OpenAI's most advanced image generator, built into GPT-4o, has demonstrated surprising visual fluency in replicating Studio Ghibli's distinctive anime style, prompting users to reimagine political...
read Mar 24, 2025Dream Machine’s AI turns text into realistic 10-second videos with natural physics
"Dream Machine." It sounds like some coveted, retrofuturistic automobile from the 80s. Dream Machine's AI video generation tool transforms simple text prompts into realistic videos with natural motion and physics, marking a significant advancement in content creation accessibility. The platform's Ray2 model enables anyone to produce high-quality video clips without specialized filmmaking knowledge, democratizing visual storytelling for both creative and commercial applications. The big picture: Luma AI's Dream Machine leverages advanced generative AI to convert natural language descriptions into realistic videos with accurate physics and believable details. Launched in 2024, the platform rapidly gained attention for producing compelling visual content...
read Mar 7, 2025TooFar Media to debut AI-powered immersive story experience at SXSW 2025
There's New Media, and then there's New Media. AI-driven immersive storytelling continues to break new ground as TooFar Media prepares to debut "The Hornet's Spell" at SXSW 2025. This innovative project represents a significant evolution in narrative experiences, blending literature with AI-generated visuals, animation, and spatial audio to create a multi-dimensional storyworld that surrounds and responds to audiences rather than simply being consumed passively. The big picture: TooFar Media is pioneering a new approach to storytelling that merges traditional literary fiction with cutting-edge AI technology to create fully immersive narrative experiences. This experimental format challenges conventional storytelling boundaries by pulling...
read Mar 5, 2025Egypt’s Gaza reconstruction plan challenges Trump’s AI-generated resort vision
The latest clash between Trump's AI-generated "Gaza Riviera" vision and Egypt's reconstruction proposal highlights the intensifying debate over Gaza's future amid ongoing conflict. As regional powers gather in Cairo to counter Trump's controversial plan, which suggested relocating Palestinians to neighboring countries, the stark differences between these competing visions underscore the complex challenges of rebuilding a war-torn territory where over 46,000 Palestinians have died since October 2023. The big picture: Egypt has presented a 91-page draft proposal for Gaza's reconstruction that directly challenges Trump's AI-generated vision of a Mediterranean resort destination. The Egyptian plan envisions modern housing blocks with clean lines,...
read Mar 5, 2025“Divergent” producer launches AI-powered studio to disrupt Hollywood with over 30 projects
An AI-powered film, television, and gaming studio emerges at the intersection of Hollywood's traditional production model and artificial intelligence innovation. Staircase Studios AI, founded by "Divergent" franchise producer Pouya Shahbazian, aims to disrupt entertainment production by leveraging AI workflows to create content more efficiently, backed by notable media investors and targeting projects with budgets under $500,000. The big picture: Staircase Studios AI plans to produce more than 30 projects in the next 3-4 years using AI-driven production methods. The venture is backed by influential media figures including Kenneth Lerer, co-founder of The Huffington Post, and Aryeh Bourkoff, CEO of Liontree....
read Feb 26, 2025Hamas not feeling Trump’s AI-generated Gaza video
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has entered a new phase of public discourse as former U.S. President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated video depicting Gaza as a luxury resort destination. The video, which sparked immediate controversy, shows a dramatic transformation of the war-torn region into a Mediterranean paradise complete with Trump-themed imagery. Key context: The video emerges during a fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, as negotiations continue for prisoner exchanges following the October 7, 2023 attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and led to Israeli military operations resulting in 48,000 Palestinian casualties. The ongoing ceasefire has facilitated exchanges...
read Feb 21, 2025AI firm Stability and prominent board member James Cameron aim to take movie production to the next level
There are titanic shifts occurring at the intersection of film and AI. The intersection of artificial intelligence and filmmaking has reached a new milestone as Stability AI, a leading AI technology developer, positions itself to transform movie production processes. James Cameron, director of the Avatar franchise, serves on the company's board and is actively involved in shaping its direction in the entertainment industry. Strategic vision and leadership: Stability AI has assembled an impressive team of entertainment industry veterans to guide its development of AI tools for filmmaking. The company's board includes James Cameron, while Sean Parker (Napster co-founder) serves as...
read Feb 20, 2025AI production studio Asteria hires VFX veteran and ‘Star Wars’ alum Benjamin Lock
For animation studio Asteria, the hiring of a top visual effects master is now a lock. The emergence of artificial intelligence in film production is taking concrete form with Asteria, a generative AI film and animation studio founded in fall 2024 by Bryn Mooser. The studio combines traditional film expertise with AI technology development, aiming to reshape how movies and TV shows are produced. Latest Development: Visual effects veteran Benjamin Lock joins Asteria to spearhead AI-driven workflow development and contribute to the company's proprietary AI model development. Lock brings over two decades of experience from prestigious studios including Framestore, Aardman,...
read Feb 20, 2025Pika’s AI video generator launches on iPhone with AI character generation and more
It's a Pika party, and everyone's invited. The mobile app market for AI tools expanded significantly in early 2025 with Pika Labs' introduction of their AI video generation software for iOS. Following the successful launch of their Pika 2.1 model, which improved video quality and motion physics, the company has made their suite of creative tools accessible to mobile users. Core Features and Capabilities: Pika's iOS app brings professional-grade AI video generation to smartphones, allowing users to create and edit videos through simple touch interactions. The app includes the full Pika 2.1 model, which produces high-quality videos with realistic movement...
read Feb 19, 2025AI-generated comics faceplant against the likes of Marvel
Content marketing and digital media professionals have been closely monitoring AI's impact on creative industries, particularly in visual storytelling and entertainment. Pocket Entertainment's recent launch of Pocket Toons represents one of the first major attempts to use AI for end-to-end comic book creation. The core technology: Pocket Entertainment's proprietary AI system called Blaze! aims to automate the comic creation process by handling backgrounds, scenes, coloring, and quality control. The company claims their technology can produce comics 20 times faster and at a fraction of the cost compared to traditional methods Blaze! is designed to handle both visual and narrative elements...
read Feb 13, 2025The ‘Netflix of AI’ has 50K people on its waitlist
The rapid evolution of AI-powered creative tools has led to new platforms that enable content creation without traditional production resources or technical skills. Showrunner, developed by Fable Studio, represents a significant advancement in AI-generated entertainment by allowing users to create personalized animated television episodes. Platform Overview: Showrunner positions itself as a Netflix-style platform where users can generate custom animated content through AI-driven tools and intuitive interfaces. The system allows users to create episodes ranging from 2 to 16 minutes in length, complete with AI-generated dialogue and voice acting Users guide the creative process by selecting genres and providing specific prompts...
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