It's interesting to see how much Midjourney has progressed over the past year, considering that users can now use the app to create rudimentary animations. This designer, Oliver Drawson, did just that. Her excellent shots were shared with the official Midjourney Facebook group for everyone to see and enjoy, creating a lively homage to Stephen King's Carrie.
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Carrie by Oliver Drawson
Oliver Drawson is the owner of Rumble Dog Pictures, which has a YouTube channel where you can enjoy some of their video content. He also studied film production and is originally from Toronto and lives in Vancouver. On March 15, 2023, they posted a series of photos of their creation. They made an animated homage to Stephen King's Carrie using Midjourney and apparently used the app to create the animation.
“Homage to Stephen King's CARRIE in animation form. This was my first attempt at using Midjourney to create an animation. Here are some images. Link to the short animation: https://youtu.be/eoFIJNoKv8E”
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Animation Midjourney
The quality of the animation would have been better if one person had created it entirely. It is nevertheless impressive, considering the fact that it was created by an AI. The short homage to the anime uses some sounds from the original films. The “mid-70s” style allows you to immediately see where the inspiration comes from.
The way the AI creates movement and emotion is a little scary because it takes still images and adds a little movement to the eyes and face. Unfortunately, it will take some time before it feels natural. While this only makes a short animation more disturbing, it gives you an idea of how much work goes into creating animations as stunning as they are and how skilled the animators are.
The animation is similar to that of the film. However, there is a significant change in style as soon as Carrie is covered in blood. Although this was not intentional, it makes the scene more impactful. The unsettling silence that accompanies the image change, showing Carrie covered in blood, also adds to the emotion.
We feel the moment when Carrie breaks down while everyone is laughing at her, covered in blood. The typical 70s thriller sound that plays as she closes 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 bursts into flames is probably the most terrifying, as it cuts from one frame to the next to create a nightmarish and terrifying sequence.
The animation still has a way to go before it is convincing. However, considering that it was created by an AI, it is impressive. We wonder what AI will be capable of doing in a few months, given the speed of its evolution.
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TL;DR
- Oliver Drawson used Midjourney to create an animated homage to Stephen King's Carrie.
- AI still has a way to go before it can create convincing animation, but it's still impressive.
- It's exciting to think about how big AI could become in the coming years.