What I see coming is already here and it’s exciting and scary. The past year has seen an explosion of art and images generated by AI software. By typing in a few prompts and importing reference images anyone can create art that is so real it borders on the uncanny valley. And I do mean anybody. This has some traditional artists upset since art is being corrupted by soulless computers and button pushers.
But I also see a boon is this new technology for animators. Imagine if one would input the reference drawings of all the characters in your animation. Head shots, body turns and various costume changes. Along with background images one can customize an animated movie to their unique style. Then just tell the computer what happens in each scene, for example character A sitting in a room when character B enters and engages in conversion. The soundtrack automatically synchronized and lip sync done right. All you have to do is type in your actions and images. Motion data controls the animation. Animation created by a single individual at a push of a button. To make it more personal you can go back and adjust spacing and timing to your liking. One doesn’t need a large crew of artists to make your animated dream come true. The possibilities are endless.
It still requires the artist to create the artwork. Just let the computer assemble the scenes and do the inbetweens. It could happen sooner than we think. Technology is advancing so rapidly that the miracle on the horizon is closer than we realize.