HarperCollins is tapping into AI to convey a few of its e-book franchises to life. Particularly, the writer is teaming up with Toonstar, an AI animation studio, to show them into digital reveals. The primary mission shall be an adaptation of Lisa Greenwald’s “Friendship Record” sequence, which can even be joined by a graphic novel.
You’d be forgiven for being unaware of Toonstar, a studio that obtained some buzzy early on for simplifying sometimes complicated animation pipelines with AI, however has principally remained beneath the radar. Its largest declare to fame is producing StEvEn and Parker YouTube sequence, which has amassed 3.38 million subscribers and generally has episodes reaching round 1,000,000 views. It’s not one thing I’ve heard animation followers talking about, although. And actually, it was robust to take a seat via a couple of minutes of its sub-South Park animation.
“By leaning into the [AI] expertise, we will make full episodes 80 % quicker and 90 % cheaper than trade norms,” Toonstar co-founder John Attanasio, instructed The New York Instances final yr. In that very same interview, the corporate revealed that it makes use of AI throughout its manufacturing, together with having it dub dialog for worldwide audiences, in addition to engaged on storylines.
Toonstar initially pitched itself as an animation studio leaning into Web3 and NFTs, however these applied sciences appear just about absent from the corporate’s presence at the moment. House Junk, considered one of its early sequence, was “placed on maintain for quite a lot of causes,” a consultant instructed Engadget. “It’s attainable we’ll resurrect the idea sooner or later,” they added. Its unique area now factors to a crypto playing web site.
“We’re honored to convey Friendship Record to life as an animated sequence,” Attanasio mentioned in a press launch. “Our artist-centered method ensures these beloved characters and tales keep true to the creator’s imaginative and prescient, whereas our Ink & Pixel manufacturing expertise permits quick, high-quality manufacturing at scale which unlocks the power to satisfy audiences the place and once they get pleasure from content material at the moment.”
Toonstar has definitely proved it will probably make “content material” for YouTube. Can it truly produce an pleasing animat edshow? That’s one other query solely.
