87. The magic of hand-drawn animation
"We think that computers will be able to paint like humans." "If they do that, we won't need humans."
suggested reading method
To best savour this artwork, please take a moment to eliminate distractions. Consider minimizing all other windows on your computer; putting other devices (phone, tv etc) aside; taking a deep breath, to the full extent of your lung capacity; and focusing solely on the “artwork 1” and “artwork 2” sections.
Once you’ve processed those to your satisfaction, the rest of the post is optional reading, provided only for context .
artwork 1
An excerpt from Owaranai Hito (or Never-Ending Man in English), a 2016 documentary.
artwork 2
Excerpts from Howl’s Moving Castle (2004).
context
Owaranai Hito (2016) is a documentary following Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki (b. 1941) after his initial decision to retire. The lo-fi camcorder recordings illuminate Miyazaki’s work ethic, philosophy, and life at home. This clip resurfaced last month after ChatGPT’s Studio Ghibli-style image generator was released to the public.
Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) is a feature-length film based on Diana Wynne' Jones book; written and directed by Miyazaki; and animated by Miyazaki’s own Studio Ghibli. According to Variety and Character Design References, the characters were all hand-drawn, and the backgrounds were entirely hand-painted. Even the scanned frames were then retouched by hand to avoid “an impression of artificiality.”
Do you share, or refute, Miyazaki’s reservations about AI? Discuss in the comments!