I made 60fps Flipbooks using A.I.

In this video, the creator explores the use of AI frame interpolation software to enhance the frame rate of flipbooks from 12 frames per second (fps) to 60 fps. Despite personal reservations about motion smoothing, which he finds fake and unappealing on TVs, he is curious about the outcome. The experiment involves using software named Rife and re-filming the flipbooks to ensure a clean, blur-free starting point. After processing, the AI-generated animations reveal some oddities and a loss of the original animation's crispness. The creator prefers the original animations, noting that motion smoothing lacks the intended impact and timing of the original work. He finds the balloon flipbook to be the most successful in the experiment, but overall, he remains unconvinced by motion smoothing technology.

Takeaways

• 🎬 The experiment involves using AI frame interpolation software to increase the frame rate of a flipbook from 12fps to 60fps.
• 🤖 AI motion smoothing can make animations smoother but may introduce an artificial look that the author doesn't prefer.
• 📚 The process requires a significant amount of frame interpolation, creating many frames that did not originally exist.
• 📈 To achieve the best results, a clean video at 12fps without blur frames is needed as input for the AI software.
• 🎥 The author re-films the flipbook with a high shutter speed to ensure crisp frames for the AI to work with.
• 🖥️ The AI software can be slow, especially if the user doesn't have a powerful video card.
• 📉 The final AI-generated animation may lose some of the original crispness and may introduce some weird frames.
• 🎈 The balloon flipbook was the most successful in the experiment, appearing clean after being processed by the AI.
• 🎭 The author, as a purist, prefers the original animations and feels that motion smoothing lacks the original intent and timing.
• 🤔 Watching the AI versions frame by frame reveals some unnatural elements, despite the overall interesting result.
• 📊 The author concludes that 80% of the final animation is artificial, which is a significant proportion to consider.
• 💬 The video ends with a call for viewer engagement, inviting comments on whether people prefer the original or AI-smoothed animations.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the experiment described in the transcript?

The purpose of the experiment is to test the effects of running a 12 frames per second flipbook through AI frame interpolation software to see if it can be boosted up to 60 frames per second.

What is the creator's personal opinion on artificial motion smoothing on TVs?

The creator is not a fan of artificial motion smoothing on TVs, describing it as looking fake and terrible, and it's the first feature they turn off on their TV.

How does the AI frame interpolation software work?

The AI frame interpolation software works by taking an animation with a lower frame rate, such as 12 frames per second, and artificially increasing it to a higher frame rate, like 60 frames per second, by filling in additional frames.

What challenges did the creator face when trying to run the flipbook through the AI software?

The creator faced challenges such as confusing settings in the software, the need for a clean video without blur frames, and the requirement of a decent video card for the software to run efficiently.

What was the creator's observation about the final result of the AI-generated 60fps flipbook?

The creator observed that the AI-generated 60fps flipbook had a crispness to the original animation that was lost, and the final result had a bit of weirdness and an overly smoothed appearance.

What does the creator think about the AI-generated frames in the final animation?

The creator notes that 80 percent of the final animation would be fake, as the AI is creating frames that were not originally there.

Why did the creator decide to re-film the flipbook with a high shutter speed?

The creator re-filmed the flipbook with a high shutter speed to ensure that every frame was crisp and clear, without any blur, which is necessary for the AI to effectively interpolate frames.

What was the creator's conclusion about the AI frame interpolation technology after the experiment?

The creator found the technology interesting but still prefers the original animation. They believe that fake motion smoothing cannot match the intention of the original animator and tends to make the animation look wobbly.

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

The creator found the balloon flipbook to be the most successful after applying AI frame interpolation, as it was relatively clean.

What does the creator suggest about the future of AI frame interpolation in animation?

The creator suggests that while AI frame interpolation is a cool technology, it still has limitations and may not be able to fully replicate the artistic intent and timing of traditional animation.

What does the creator encourage viewers to do after watching the video?

The creator encourages viewers to share their opinions in the comments about whether they prefer the original or AI-smoothed versions of the flipbooks and to stay creative.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Experimenting with Flip Book Frame Interpolation

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 to 60 frames per second. The video explores the process of using software named Rife to artificially smooth out the motion in animations. The speaker expresses their personal dislike for motion smoothing on TVs, as it appears fake and unappealing. The experiment involves removing redundant and blurred frames from the original flip book footage to create a clean video before applying the AI smoothing. The outcome is a video with a significant portion of artificially generated frames, which, while smoother, loses some of the original crispness and may introduce some oddities in the animation.

05:00

🎥 Results and Reflections on AI-Smoothed Flip Books

After running the cleaned-up flip book animations through the AI software, the speaker shares the results at 60 frames per second (fps). They note that while the AI-generated versions can appear strange when viewed closely, it's fascinating to consider that 80% of the frames are not original. The speaker, identifying as a purist, prefers the original animations and feels that motion smoothing detracts from the animator's intent, leading to a loss of impact and timing. They find the balloon animation to be the most successful after smoothing. The speaker invites viewers to share their opinions on motion smoothing in the comments and encourages everyone to stay creative.

Keywords

Flipbook

A flipbook is a simple form of animation that consists of a series of images, usually drawings or photographs, arranged in order on the pages of a small book. When the pages are turned quickly, the images give the illusion of movement. In the video, the creator uses flipbooks as the base for his experiment to see how AI can interpolate frames to increase the frame rate.

A.I. frame interpolation

Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) frame interpolation is a technique that uses machine learning algorithms to generate additional frames between existing ones, effectively increasing the frame rate of a video. In this context, the creator is interested in using A.I. to boost the frame rate of his flipbooks from 12 frames per second (fps) to 60 fps.

Motion Smoothing

Motion smoothing, also known as the 'soap opera effect,' is a feature on some televisions that uses algorithms to add extra frames to video content, making it appear smoother. The creator expresses his personal dislike for this feature, finding it to look fake and detracting from the original intention of the content.

Frames per second (fps)

Frames per second (fps) is a measure of how many images (frames) are displayed in one second of video. Higher fps values generally result in smoother motion. The video discusses increasing the fps from the standard 12 to 60, which is a significant increase that would normally require a lot of additional animation work.

Interpolation

Interpolation is the process of estimating unknown values between known points. In the context of video, it refers to the creation of new frames between existing ones. The script mentions that 80% of the frames in the final animation would be generated through this process, which is a high percentage that can affect the authenticity of the animation.

Rife

Rife is a term mentioned in the script referring to a specific frame interpolation software the creator uses to experiment with increasing the frame rate of his flipbooks. It's part of the process to see the effects of A.I. on the motion of the flipbook animations.

Stop motion

Stop motion is a type of animation that physically manipulates objects to create the illusion of movement. The creator mentions shooting the flipbook pages one at a time as a stop motion to create a clean video without blur frames, which is then used for the A.I. frame interpolation process.

High shutter speed

High shutter speed is a camera setting that allows for quick exposure times, reducing motion blur in images. The creator uses a high shutter speed to film the flipbook slowly, ensuring each frame is crisp and clear without motion blur, which is essential for the frame interpolation process.

Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro is a professional video editing software used by the creator to edit the video of the flipbook. It's where he chops up the video into individual frames and removes any blurred or duplicate images to prepare a clean 12 fps video for the A.I. frame interpolation.

Purist

A purist is someone who prefers things to be true to their original form without artificial enhancements. The creator identifies as a purist, preferring the original 12 fps flipbook animations over the A.I. smoothed versions, which he feels lose the original intent and timing of the animations.

Snap and Impact

Snap and impact refer to the sharpness and forceful nature of the original animations. The creator feels that the A.I. smoothed versions of the flipbooks lose this quality, making the movements feel less impactful and more like 'wobbly Jello.'

Wobbly Jello

Wobbly Jello is a metaphor used by the creator to describe the undesired effect of the A.I. smoothed animations. It implies that the motion appears unstable and lacks the crisp, defined movements of the original flipbook.

Highlights

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

AI motion smoothing is used to artificially increase the frame rate of the original animation.

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

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

The creator uses a software called Rife for frame interpolation.

Initial results show a little bit of smoothing but are not significantly different from the original.

The video of the flipbook starts at 24fps, which includes redundant frames and blur from page movement.

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

Final Cut Pro is used to edit the video into individual frames and remove any blurred or duplicate images.

After editing, a clean video at 12fps with no blur frames is obtained.

The AI software requires a decent video card to run efficiently, as it can be very slow otherwise.

The final AI-generated animation shows some weirdness and loss of crispness compared to the original.

The creator prefers the original animation and believes that motion smoothing loses the original animator's intention.

Motion smoothing can alter the timing of movements and make the animation appear wobbly.

The most successful AI-generated flipbook is the one featuring a balloon, which appears clean.

The experiment is described as interesting and showcases the capabilities of AI technology.

The creator encourages viewers to share their opinions on motion smoothing in the comments.

Despite the interesting experiment, the creator maintains a preference for the original, unsmoothed animations.