In their latest in-house animated short film, director/designer Eric Edwards and Seattle prodco The New Blank drop a mischievous two-minute jab at the shortcomings of AI and the “commoditization of ideas and creativity”.

Eric Edwards, director/designer at The New Blank: “In a world where AI is getting better every day, ‘The Imagination Lab’ shows that there are no shortcuts to good ideas. It’s a reminder of the power of traditional animation and the importance of appreciating the creative process in the face of advancing technology.

“While AI animation tools like Sora are constantly improving, they often struggle with maintaining character consistency throughout a longer narrative or rendering intricate graphic details and typography without glitches or errors.

“This film stands as a testament to the enduring power of human creativity and traditional animation and pokes fun at the increasing commoditization of ideas and creativity while showcasing the details and storytelling that remain challenging for AI to replicate. ‘The Imagination Lab’ was conceived of, written, designed, and animated by 100% pure human-type people.”
 
 

 
Production: The New Blank
Director: Eric Edwards
CD: Bobby Hougham
Writer: Eric Edwards
Designer: Eric Edwards
Animator/Compositor: Eric Edwards, James Webber
3D/Simulations: Marcus Kulik
Producer: Bobby Hougham, Lindsay Cloudy
EP: Andrew Kobliska
ECD: Bobby Hougham, Sevrin Daniels

Sound designer: Eric Edwards, John Buroker
Voice: Mike Previtivo, Bobby Hougham, Sevrin Daniels, Eric Edwards