Using AI and Depth Maps to Create Consistent and Controllable Environments
Two new animation tutorials to help you build your cinematic world.
If you're new to my blog, I'm Christopher, and along with my producing partner Doug, we're creating an animated pilot for what we hope will become a long-running sci-fi adventure series: Escape From Planet Omega-12. Conceived in the tradition of classic space movies like Forbidden Planet and Star Trek, novels like A Princess of Mars, Starship Troopers, and The Martian Chronicles, and animation like Samurai Jack and the '80s fantasy classic Fire and Ice, we're making this for die-hard science fiction fans who've been under-served by Hollywood for far too long. Our goal is to create something both adult and entertaining, meaningful and relatable.
The story follows Tara, a young woman newly married to the captain of an intergalactic privateer ship. When tragedy strikes during their mission to claim a primitive planet teeming with savage alien life, Tara is forced to flee to the surface in an escape pod after her husband and the crew are murdered. Armed with only a few weapons and accompanied by a floating robot assistant, she must learn to survive quickly as the local wildlife tries to eat her and a mysterious, malevolent force hunts her down.
With no provisions, no training, and no proper clothing, Tara must adapt to survive. Help arrives in unexpected ways as she grows into her own person and discovers new adventures while searching for a way back home.
As writer, director, and animator, I blend my video artist experience with traditional VFX, hand-drawn animation, and practical effects – including miniatures and creature puppets – alongside AI to create the world of Omega-12, its inhabitants, and characters. Through this blog, I'll share project updates and tutorials to help inspire you to bring your own creative vision to life.
In this post, we're exploring how to create dynamic environments for your movie, adding depth and enabling fluid camera movement to follow the action.
Part one is available now on my Sci-Exploitation YouTube channel, which you can watch right here but be sure to also subscribe to that channel.
Part two is already available for current paid supporters after the paywall line in this post, and will be released publicly next week. Plus, supporters get access to additional tutorials and content that's too adult for YouTube's guidelines.
Consider becoming a supporter to help us create something truly unique in sci-fi animation while getting immediate access to exclusive content.
Thank you, and enjoy.
-Christopher "Moonlight"
