Dear Upstairs Neighbors: Artist-Led, AI-Assisted Expressionistic Animation

Learn how a team of artists and animators worked with researchers to transform generative AI models into genuinely useful animation tools. After several years of virtual talks, we’re excited to return to hosting events in person, right here in the Bay Area! Join the creative team behind the animated short Dear Upstairs Neighbors for a screening and deep dive into new, artist-driven, AI-assisted animation workflows. Learn how this crew of animation artists (veterans of studios like Pixar and DreamWorks) worked hand-in-hand with researchers at Google DeepMind to make the film, combining traditional animation (both 2D and 3D) with custom generative AI models (fine-tuned on their own hand-painted concept art) to achieve an expressionistic painterly style that evolves with the character’s emotions. This event will take place in person at the amazing New Parkway Theater in Oakland. (For those coming from San Francisco, the venue is a short walk from the 19th Street BART.) Before the screening, there will be a reception with light bites and refreshments. About the Speakers: Connie He is the director of Dear Upstairs Neighbors. She previously worked at Pixar as a story artist on Inside Out 2 and Dream Productions, and also as a CG generalist on Netflix’s Love, Death & Robots. Her first short film, Watermelon: A Cautionary Tale, has over 200 million views on YouTube. She is currently at Google DeepMind, working at the intersection of creative tech and machine learning. Márcia Mayer is a Film Independent Spirit Award-nominated producer, currently leading Google DeepMind’s Media and Entertainment production efforts. Previously, Márcia worked at Pixar, and founded and ran Tenacious Productions, where she was dedicated to producing exciting, emotionally engaging feature films that expand audiences’ empathy and understanding. Cassidy Curtis (supervising animator for Dear Upstairs Neighbors) has been doing computer animation since the early 90’s, in many roles: developing VFX software at Xaos Inc, doing non-photorealistic rendering research at the University of Washington, animating characters at PDI/DreamWorks, making real-time immersive films at Google Spotlight Stories, and now combining all of these interests with machine learning at Google DeepMind. He has won VES awards for his work as a character animator (Toothless in How to Train Your Dragon) and look developer (Age of Sail).