I made 60fps Flipbooks using A.I.

Andymation
22 Apr 202208:04

TLDRIn this video, the creator explores the concept of using AI frame interpolation software to enhance the frame rate of flipbooks from 12 frames per second (fps) to 60 fps. The experiment involves running the flipbooks through a software called Rife, which artificially generates additional frames to increase the smoothness of the animation. However, the creator finds that the process introduces a significant amount of artificial frames, leading to a loss of the original animation's crispness and impact. Despite the technology's potential, the creator remains a purist, preferring the original animation's intended feel and timing. The video concludes with a discussion on the limitations and potential of AI in motion smoothing, inviting viewers to share their opinions on the matter.

Takeaways

  • 🎬 The experiment involves using AI frame interpolation to increase the frame rate of a flipbook from 12fps to 60fps.
  • 🤖 AI motion smoothing can create a smoother animation but may not always be visually appealing, as it can look fake.
  • 📚 The process requires a significant amount of frame interpolation, with 80% of the final frames being artificially generated.
  • 📸 To achieve the best results, a clean video without blur or duplicate frames is needed as input for the AI software.
  • 🖥️ The AI software used, Rife, can be quite slow, especially if the user's video card is not powerful enough.
  • 🔍 Upon close inspection, the AI-generated frames may appear weird or unnatural, losing some of the original animation's crispness.
  • 🎭 The creator prefers the original animation and feels that motion smoothing can disrupt the timing and impact of the movements.
  • 🎈 The most successful AI-smoothed flipbook was the one with the balloon, which had a cleaner result.
  • 📈 The experiment shows the potential of AI in animation but also highlights the limitations when it comes to preserving the artist's original intent.
  • 👎 The creator remains skeptical about the use of motion smoothing in animations, preferring the authenticity of the original work.
  • ✂️ The process involved re-filming the flipbook with a high shutter speed and removing any blurred or duplicate frames to create a clean starting video.
  • 💬 The audience is encouraged to share their opinions on the experiment and whether they prefer the original or AI-smoothed versions.

Q & A

  • What is the original frame rate of the flipbook mentioned in the transcript?

    -The original frame rate of the flipbook is 12 frames per second.

  • What is the frame rate the author aims to increase the flipbook to using AI frame interpolation software?

    -The author aims to increase the flipbook frame rate to 60 frames per second.

  • What is the author's personal opinion about artificial motion smoothing on TVs?

    -The author is not a fan of artificial motion smoothing on TVs and usually turns it off as it looks fake and terrible.

  • What percentage of the final animation would be artificial if the flipbook is increased from 12 to 60 frames per second?

    -80 percent of the final animation would be artificial.

  • What software does the author use for frame interpolation?

    -The author uses a frame interpolation software called Rife.

  • Why does the author re-film the flipbook with a high shutter speed?

    -The author re-films the flipbook with a high shutter speed to ensure every frame is crisp and clear, without any blur from the pages moving.

  • What issue does the author encounter when using the AI frame interpolation software?

    -The author encounters the issue of slow processing speed when using the AI frame interpolation software, especially without a decent video card.

  • What is the author's observation about the quality of the animation after using the AI frame interpolation software?

    -The author observes that the AI-generated animation has some weird frames and loses the crispness of the original animation, making it overly smoothed.

  • How does the author describe the effect of motion smoothing on the original animation's timing and impact?

    -The author describes that motion smoothing can mess up the timing of the movements, taking away the snap and impact, and turning the animation into 'wobbly Jello'.

  • Which flipbook did the author find the most successful after applying AI frame interpolation?

    -The author found the balloon flipbook to be the most successful after applying AI frame interpolation as it was pretty clean.

  • What is the author's final stance on motion smoothing technology?

    -The author remains a purist, preferring the original animation and stating that fake motion smoothing will never match the intention of the original animator.

  • What does the author encourage viewers to do in the comments section?

    -The author encourages viewers to share their preferences and thoughts on motion smoothing in the comments section.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Experimenting with AI Frame Interpolation on Flip Books

The speaker discusses an experiment involving the use of AI frame interpolation software to increase the frame rate of a flip book from 12 frames per second (fps) to 60 fps. They express skepticism about the artificial motion smoothing effect on TVs but are curious about the outcome on flip book animations. The process involves using a software called Rife to interpolate frames, which presents a challenge due to the need for a powerful video card. The speaker also notes that the original flip book's video was recorded at 24 fps, which introduces redundant frames, and that a clean video without blur is necessary for the best results. After re-filming the flip book with a high shutter speed and removing blurred or duplicate frames, the speaker runs the clean video through the AI software. The result, while smoother, introduces some artificial elements and a loss of the original animation's crispness.

05:00

🎥 AI-Generated 60fps Flip Books: A Purist's Perspective

The speaker shares the results of running stop-motion versions of their flip books through AI-generated 60fps software. They highlight that while the AI versions can be intriguing, especially considering 80% of the frames are artificially created, they personally prefer the original animations. The speaker, identifying as a purist, argues that motion smoothing cannot replicate the original animator's intentions and tends to make the movements feel less impactful and more wobbly. They find the balloon animation to be the most successful after AI processing, but overall, they remain unconvinced about the value of motion smoothing. The speaker encourages viewers to share their opinions in the comments and concludes by promoting creativity and looking forward to the next video.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Flipbook

A flipbook is a simple form of animation that consists of a series of images, usually drawings or photographs, arranged on the pages of a small book in such a way that when the pages are turned rapidly, the images appear to animate. In the video, the creator uses flipbooks as the starting point for experimenting with AI frame interpolation to increase the frame rate from 12 to 60 frames per second.

💡A.I. Frame Interpolation

A.I. frame interpolation is a technique that uses artificial intelligence to estimate and insert additional frames between existing frames in a video or animation, effectively increasing the frame rate. The video discusses the process of applying this technology to flipbooks to achieve a smoother 60fps animation.

💡Frames per Second (FPS)

Frames per second (FPS) is a measure of how many images (frames) are displayed in one second of video or animation. A higher FPS generally results in smoother motion. The video explores the effect of increasing the frame rate from 12 to 60 FPS on the flipbook animations using AI.

💡Artificial Motion Smoothing

Artificial motion smoothing is a process that uses technology to create the illusion of higher frame rates by adding extra frames, which can sometimes result in an unnatural or 'soap opera effect'. The creator expresses their personal dislike for this effect on TVs but is curious to see how it would affect the flipbook animations.

💡Interpolation

Interpolation is a mathematical technique used to estimate values between two known points. In the context of the video, it refers to the AI's process of generating new frames that did not originally exist in the flipbook, thereby increasing the frame rate and aiming for smoother animation.

💡Stop Motion

Stop motion is a type of animation that physically manipulates objects, often taking a series of photographs of the object in slightly different positions and then playing them back as a continuous sequence to create the illusion of movement. The video mentions shooting the flipbook pages one at a time as a stop motion to create a clean video for AI processing.

💡High Shutter Speed

High shutter speed in videography or photography refers to using a brief exposure time to capture an image, which can help to freeze motion and reduce blur. The creator uses a high shutter speed to film the flipbook without motion blur, ensuring a crisp image for each frame.

💡Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro is a professional video editing software application used for editing and producing videos. In the video, it is used to chop up the video into individual frames, remove blurred or duplicate images, and prepare a clean 12 FPS video for AI processing.

💡Video Card

A video card, also known as a graphics card, is a component in a computer that processes and outputs images to a display. The video mentions the need for a decent video card to handle the processing demands of the AI frame interpolation software without significant slowdowns.

💡Snap and Impact

In the context of animation, 'snap' and 'impact' refer to the sharpness and forcefulness of movement, which contribute to the overall energy and dynamics of the animation. The creator argues that the AI-smoothed animations lose this quality, making the movements feel less impactful and more fluid than intended.

💡Wobbly Jello

This is a metaphor used by the creator to describe the visual effect of the AI-smoothed animations, which he finds to be overly soft and unstable, akin to the wobble of gelatin (jello). It illustrates his dissatisfaction with the loss of crispness and distinct movement in the interpolated frames.

💡Purist

A purist is someone who strongly prefers traditional or original forms of something and is critical of modern alterations or innovations. The creator identifies as a purist, favoring the original 12 FPS flipbook animations over the AI-smoothed versions, as he believes they better represent the animator's original intentions.

Highlights

The experiment involves using AI frame interpolation to increase the frame rate of flipbooks from 12fps to 60fps.

AI motion smoothing is used to artificially boost the frame rate of animations or footage.

The creator is not a fan of artificial motion smoothing on TVs, finding it to look fake and terrible.

Interpolating from 12fps to 60fps means creating four artificial frames for every real frame, resulting in 80% of the final animation being AI-generated.

The pencil flipbook is the first to be tested with frame interpolation software called Rife.

Initial results show some smoothing but are not significantly different from the original.

Challenges include redundant frames and blur from page movement in the original 24fps video.

To improve the process, the flipbook is re-filmed with a high shutter speed to eliminate blur.

Editing the video in Final Cut Pro removes blur and duplicate frames, resulting in a clean 12fps video.

Running the clean video through AI results in a smoother but somewhat weird and less crisp animation.

The title animation in the AI version appears jiggly and less intentional than the original.

The creator prefers the original animation and believes AI motion smoothing lacks the original's snap and impact.

The balloon flipbook's AI version is noted as the most successful, appearing clean.

The experiment concludes that while the technology is interesting, the creator remains skeptical about motion smoothing.

Viewer engagement is encouraged through comments to share preferences on motion smoothing.

The video ends with an encouragement to stay creative and a teaser for the next video.