Hello my AI production friends - how are ya? I haven't caught up in the class yet, lagging way behind, but wanted to share my latest. I have not yet been able to do a full AI-generated production that I'm comfortable posting on my channel, but I am finding ways to use AI more and more in my productions. This video is a compilation - the first video (Shark Hunt song) is the most recent. I always put the newest video first, then include approximately 20 minutes of additional videos to help increase average view duration and the number of ad breaks that run. The main characters (Zack and Maya) are my IP, established characters on my channel. I animate them using Cartoon Animator 5. The shark and the octopus are characters from Reallusion marketplace that I animated in CA5 as well. Most of the backgrounds were generated using AI, and one thing I did differently this time was to use AI to ANIMATE the backgrounds instead of using still images. It worked well in this particular production, bringing the sea weed and corals to life. I started with still images (2D animation style), set those as the first frame, and prompted Seedance or Kling to animate the backgrounds. On several of them, I had Claude refine my prompts, which was very helpful. I also created the giant snapping clams, the eels, and the camera movement through "Octopus Alley" (at around 2:20) using AI. These steps saved me a LOT of time during the animation process. I post a new video every two weeks, so any step that can save time is helpful. That's why I signed up for this class! I will definitely continue animating the backgrounds using AI. It's subtle, but adds to the overall effect, in my opinion. The camera motion through the coral reef was done in Seedance 2. I used a range of tools and services to get all these different results, some from my galaxy subscription, some from my Freepik subscription, which uses a lot of the same tools, honestly. I probably don't need them both, but I like the flexibility to be able to switch back and forth, and I also like being able to start with a stock image in Freepik and edit it with AI tools. I did that with several of the backgrounds, and used many as style references.

@Mark Diaz Could you post the instructions to get that galaxy.ai reminder on our phone again? You told us during a call but I just got a new iPhone and don't remember the steps.

Here's the next attempt using Veo text to video with start and end frames entered. I don't know why the dinosaur nest/egg suddenly moves. This also doesn't include the dialogue that's supposed to happen here, I don't know how to include that.

Ok - I am sooooo excited. Just saw the new update on Vidu Q3 Available on Galaxy! So if you use Galaxy, you can now do Sakuga This is the prompt I used: "Epic explosive sword fight, intense camera moves, explosive moves, anime, sakuga style, intense." If you use Galaxy, try using my image, or the one by @Rina Waithera , or one of your own, and go to: 1. AI Video Generator 2. Select Image to Video 3. Click on the model, and search for "Vidu", and select Vidu Q3 4. Use a prompt that asks for intense sakuga style animation This is the prompt I used: "Epic explosive sword fight, intense camera moves, explosive moves, anime, sakuga style, intense." NOTE: It is relatively "expensive", it costs around 1.28M Credits for 8 sec in Galaxy ($1.28 USD) And directly in Vidu.com it appears to be a tiny bit cheaper... at $1.13 USD for 8 sec animation.

My primary question coming into this class was whether I could create animations in my established style, but faster. That's the whole ballgame for me - can I do what I have been doing the past several years, getting the same results, but faster? Thus far the answer has been no. This is not a condemnation nor rejection of AI production, it's just been a shift in my thinking and my hopes for the class. Based on the results I'm getting thus far - I have not been able to replicate the established style of my animations using these new tools. I can't even conceive of how to do it, which has been frustrating for me. I think, in order to get what I'm asking for, a project itself needs to be conceived based on the strengths and weaknesses of the AI tools. I have to write a script/series specifically for AI production, not trying to imitate what I've done previously. Again - not a condemnation - I want to be very clear about this. My current style is based on the strengths and weaknesses of Cartoon Animator 5. I conceive and plan my animations based on what I know I can (and cannot) do with that program, and as a result, I am able to produce a new animated music video or story in two weeks. That's the minimal pace I need to maintain to keep my channel growing and producing revenue. The scope of a production is dictated by the schedule and the tools. For example, when my characters need to overcome an obstacle, having them hop over a lava flow from rock to rock is quicker to animate in Cartoon Animator than having them swing overhead on vines - so that's how that creative choice is made. Boom - lava flow. That's how many of my choices are made. I can see it in my mind and I know how to quickly create it in Cartoon Animator. But with AI, it's very hit or miss. The shots may be stunningly detailed, but each shot is a piece of a puzzle that must fit together. So many details (look, action, timing, etc.) have to match from shot to shot, and I'm finding that it takes much longer to do these things in AI, if it's even possible. In short, speed of production is a higher priority than Pixar-level animations for my channel.