It’s interesting to see just how far Midjourney has come in the last year, considering that users can now use the application to create rudimentary animations. That is precisely what this creator, Oliver Drawson, has done. Their excellent stills were shared with the Midjourney Official Facebook group for everyone to see and enjoy, creating an anime tribute to Stephen King’s Carrie.
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Oliver Drawson’s Carrie
Oliver Drawson owns Rumble Dog Pictures, which has a YouTube channel where you can enjoy some of their video content. He also studied Film Production and is a Toronto native living in Vancouver. On the 15th of March, 2023, they posted a series of stills from their creation. They made an animated tribute to Stephen King’s Carrie using Midjourney and apparently used the application to create the animation.
“Tribute to Stephen King’s CARRIE as an anime. This was my first attempt at using Midjourney to make an animation. Here are some stills. Link to the short animation: https://youtu.be/eoFIJNoKv8E”
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Midjourney Animation
The animation quality would have been better if a person had entirely created it. Still, it is awe-inspiring, considering it was created by an AI. The short anime tribute uses some sounds from the original films. You can immediately tell where the inspiration came from, thanks to the mid-70s style.
The way the AI creates movement and emotion is a little creepy because it takes still images and adds a little movement to the eyes and the face. Still, unfortunately, it will take a while before it seems natural. While it just adds to making a short animation more unsettling, it gives you an idea of how much work goes into making animations as stunning as they are and the skill that animators have.
The animation plays similarly to how it does in the film. Still, there is a significant style change as soon as Carrie becomes covered in blood. Although it might not have been purposeful, it makes the scene more impactful. The unsettling silence as you watch the frames shifting, showing her covered in blood, also adds to the moment.
You can feel the moment Carrie snaps while everyone is laughing at her, covered in blood. The typical 70’s thriller sound that reverberates as she shuts the doors and changes the room’s lighting to red is perfectly placed, adding to the tension. However, the scene where someone is electrocuted and the room ignites in flames is possibly the most terrifying, snapping between two images to make a terrifying nightmare-like sequence.
The animation has a ways to go before it is convincing. Still, again, considering that it was created by an AI, it is awe-inspiring. It makes you wonder what the AI will be capable of doing in just a few months, considering how quickly it is evolving.
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TL;DR
- Oliver Drawson used Midjourney to create an anime-style animated tribute to Stephen King’s Carrie using Midjourney.
- The AI has a ways to go before it can create a convincing animation, but it is still awe-inspiring.
- Thinking about how far AI could grow in the next few years alone is exciting.