SMRTR AISep 8, 2025Engadget

OpenAI tech to be used to in a full-length animated film

SMRTR summary

Forest creatures embarking on an adventure may sound like a familiar animated tale, but OpenAI's upcoming film "Critterz" breaks new ground behind the scenes. The project aims to revolutionize animation production with a remarkably tight $30 million budget and just nine months of production time.

Chad Nelson, an OpenAI creative specialist who began designing the characters three years ago, envisions the film as proof that AI can dramatically streamline animation production without sacrificing quality.

"OpenAI is hoping that if Critterz is successful, it might pave the way for adoption of more AI in the industry," Nelson explains.

The production will blend AI with traditional methods, using human voice actors and artist sketches that feed into OpenAI's generative tools. Writers from "Paddington in Peru" have crafted the script about forest creatures whose village faces disruption from a mysterious stranger.

This AI filmmaking experiment arrives amid tensions in Hollywood, where creative workers have fought to protect their livelihoods from AI encroachment, resulting in new SAG-AFTRA agreements requiring consent and compensation for AI-generated likenesses.

SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Engadget.

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