London-based director/music producer Emma Catnip just dropped her latest motion experiment, a short film/music video called Bloom she describes as part of her “ongoing exploration of how AI can complement human creativity in animation.”

Emma Catnip: “There’s a common misconception that AI animation is a simple, one-click process. Here are a few words on my experience creating Bloom where I hope to reveal a more intricate and human journey, blending technology with visual art.

“I choose to work with open-source tools like interface builder ComfyUI, allowing deeper engagement with the underlying code and nodes. While this approach can be challenging, it offers opportunities for customization that pre-packaged solutions might not.
 

“Throughout these projects, I find myself learning to work with both the capabilities and limitations of AI tools. It’s a process that requires patience, technical understanding, and a willingness to experiment and adapt.”

 
“Bloom began as an experiment with AnimateDiff, exploring various style transfers on video footage. Gradually, a visual language emerged: a blend of Art Nouveau and Pop Art influences. My mind went to the nostalgia of the 1960s and ’70s. I started to imagine the film evoking a sense of summer I never knew.

“With style transfers like this, the quality of the input video – colors, shapes, and motion – all influence the outcome. Because of this, the input videos all needed a few common qualities to tie them together. This required manipulation of footage through compositing, roto-scoping, relighting, and motion adjustments

“The soundtrack, inspired by the Summer of Love, was generated using SunoAI through an iterative process of prompts, lyrics and refinement to match the visual atmosphere.

Throughout these projects, I find myself learning to work with both the capabilities and limitations of AI tools. Often, unexpected outputs led to new creative directions, highlighting the collaborative nature of this approach. It’s a process that requires patience, technical understanding, and a willingness to experiment and adapt.”
 
 

 
Director/animator: Emma Catnip