by In search of style – Alenwen and Skaldiv in AI form?
Lately I’ve been working hard on new ideas and experimenting with different ways to bring my characters Alenwen and Skaldiv to life in animated form. I would really like to realise the two of them either in AI-generated clips or short animated shorts. The latter would be perfectly feasible – if it weren’t for one crucial hurdle: copyright.
Imagine a man and his charming wife creating a complete animated film, about an hour and a half long, with the quality of a Disney Pixar film. Technically, this is almost possible today, thanks to AI. However, the classic Disney style is protected by copyright. At the moment I only publish such films privately and not commercially, so I’m probably still in a legal grey area. But I’m actively looking for a style that would also be legally secure.
But what exactly is possible today and where are the limits? A small Alenwen clip has already cost me about 6 hours of work. ChatGPT supplied the images, and a local AI (Framepack) implemented the movements using prompt commands. This basically works well, but there is often a lack of consistency – Alenwen and Skaldiv sometimes look different from frame to frame. This may be acceptable for simple clips, but a longer animated film requires much more than moving images. Issues such as lip-syncing, music and, above all, voices are crucial.
I spend an enormous amount of time on music in particular. AI tools now help with the creation of background music, and I have already successfully used such tools on my YouTube channel. But the difference in quality compared to my own music production is clearly noticeable. I’m open to all tools that make my creative process easier, but I personally always manage the fine-tuning better.
Voices are also a big issue. AI-generated voices don’t yet manage to express the emotional subtleties I have in mind. Unfortunately, I no longer have access to Alenwen’s original voice. Should I assign a new voice? Who could do it authentically? Dialogues like this only work if the speakers have fun and show emotion – preferably without financial interests in the background.
Speaking of finances: My creative projects don’t generate any income, but they do incur high costs. My equipment – PC, video editing software, animation tools, music sampler – has already cost me over 20,000 euros. Income so far: practically zero, apart from around 300 euros in donations that I received at the beginning. Would you continue? Probably only if it really comes from the heart and arouses passion as a hobby. And that’s exactly the case for me: simply a head full of ideas and the joy of realising them.
So Alenwen will have to wait at the moment. Instead, I’m focussing on Patsy Wackelwitz, who I’ve also grown very fond of. Her episodes are easier and cheaper to realise. But I’m still keeping my eyes open: The AI is developing rapidly and I’m sure that Alenwen and Skaldiv will return one day – perhaps even in a new form and with new technology. Until then, I’ll continue to post little shorts and clips from time to time, just as the mood takes me.
Thanks for reading and see you soon!
