newslounge.co · Feb 16, 2024

Good Morning. 

This is newslounge, where VFX and AI collide – a beautiful mess.
I hope you've already jogged off those Super Bowl chicken wings and are ready for today's dose of VFX-AI madness. Let's dive in.

on Today’s menu:

• AI Commercials in Super Bowl LVIII

• Pulla Studio's Journey into Photorealistic Wonder

• Stacking Animation Layers in ComfyUI

• OpenAI Just Dropped The Mic On AI Video

• LeiaPix And The Illusion Of Depth and more..

-Ardy

was this email forwarded to you? you can sign up here.

🚨Just a quick note: You can share this newsletter with your friends using the unique referral link at the bottom of this email. By doing so, you'll earn points that can be exchanged for some cool prizes. Let's spread the word! 😎

HEADLINE

AI Commercials in Super Bowl LVIII

The heavy presence of AI in this year's Super Bowl commercials reminded me of the 2022 event, which was nicknamed the "Crypto Bowl" due to the significant inclusion of cryptocurrency companies in the lineup. remember the FTX one with Larry David? 😉😉

Despite the varying outcomes and the impact of these AI technologies, the substantial representation of AI this year indicates the considerable investment flowing into AI-related tech companies.
 
⚡Here's a breakdown of the notable appearances:

Microsoft Copilot: Microsoft's ad promoted its AI assistant, Copilot, which is integrated into Windows 11. The ad played off the idea that AI will replace artists and creatives, showing people calling on AI to help them complete their movie, video game, or study for a chemistry test.

Google Pixel 8: Google's ad highlighted an accessibility feature called "Guided Frame" for its Pixel 8 smartphone, which uses machine vision technology to alert visually impaired users about when and how many faces are in the frame.

CrowdStrike: The cybersecurity company showcased how it uses AI for security in an ad that featured its generative AI-powered security assistant, Charlotte AI, defending a futuristic Western town against a "breach" by a team of hacker bandits.

Etsy: Etsy's ad promoted its new AI feature, "Gift Mode" which is fueled by OpenAI's GPT-4 and human curation to help consumers find the perfect gift.

BodyArmor: The sports drink brand used AI to poke fun at the concept, showcasing scenarios of athletes with disproportioned body parts and unusual scenarios.

Despicable Me 4 Teaser: Featured minions creating AI artwork, humorously showcasing the capabilities and in-jokes familiar to those using generative AI tools. This indicates a playful engagement with AI's creative potential.

AI Predictions on Game Outcomes: The experiment with AI models predicting the game's outcome illustrated AI's growing role in sports analytics and prediction, with varying degrees of accuracy among different models.

-AA

CASE STUDY

Stacking Animation Layers in ComfyUI

The Art Of Chocolate and Coffee

🚨The full video tutorial plus the link to my workflow will be published tomorrow night!!

What to expect:

• number one goal is to dissect the shot into various modules layered upon each other and process them individually through the AnimateDiff workflow to enhance details and increase stability.

• The next step involved placing an image in the background of the image sequence and incorporating it into my simulation by reprocessing the lineart.

• The project also explores various upscaling and interpolation methods. These techniques are demonstrated and explained within the video, showcasing their impact on the final output.

• Comparison between using "lineart" vs. "Canny" preprocessors and their advantages.

Stay tuned,

-AA

We are seeking:
full-stack software engineer
web developer
social media marketing expert

[email protected]

SNIPPETS

🚨Arm’s stock (AI chipmaker) surged over 25% in one day and crossed $150B in market cap, as the company continues to experience strong demand for its AI chips.

⚡Nvidia is setting up a new business unit to go after the $30 Billion custom chip market.

👾Google is planning to revamp the login page for its products and services, aiming for a more modern look.

💲Crypto: Texas Man Indicted for Failing to Report Hefty Bitcoin Earnings on Tax Forms

👩‍💻Epic Games and Disney revealed that they are designing an “entertainment universe” together full of Disney-flavored games

🎬Airbnb is slowly killing the cleaning fee as it aims for more transparent pricing.

Apple fixes silly process of resetting the Vision Pro

Apple has released VisionOS 1.0.3 for the Vision Pro headset. This update adds an option to reset the device if the user forgets the passcode.

Before this update, users could not reset the Vision Pro at home. They would have to approach an Apple Store, which would use a special $300 Developer Strap to reset the device. 😂

Another Drama: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg puts out a video criticizing Apple’s Vision Pro (pictured above). Says Meta’s Quest 3 headset isn’t just the best value for money, it’s also the better product overall.

Watch: 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' VFX Breakdown Reel - The Orgoscope

In this VFX breakdown, Bialek discusses their work on this complex environment. I think it's safe to say... there's a whole lot of polygons going on!

AROUND THE WORLD OF AI

OpenAI Just Dropped The Mic On AI Video

OpenAI is introducing "Sora," its new advanced AI video generator, currently in the beta phase.

💡Sora can generate videos up to one minute long with unprecedented detail and coherence. Despite some minor inconsistencies, the overall quality and realism of the videos are impressive, with lifelike movements and coherent scene transitions.

🚨Sora is currently in a testing phase, being evaluated for potential risks and getting feedback from artists, designers, and filmmakers.

🤯Sora demonstrates advanced features like generating complex scenes with multiple characters and specific motions, suggesting a high level of AI imagination and detail in its outputs.

-AA

LeiaPix is one of my favourite AI tools, but I hadn’t thought of using it in combo with Midjourney and Stable Video like this. 🤩🙌

For those who don’t know, LeiaPix is a super easy way to add the illusion of depth to your 2D images. There are lots of controls for the type, length and speed of movement, most of which result in a seamless loop.
Check it out here. 😎

Earn free gifts 🎁

5 referrals - “Water Bottle Stickers” 🔺15 referrals - “Mystery Box”
25 referrals - “Water Bottle” 🔺 40 referrals - “Nuphy Desk Mat”
60 referrals - “Logitech Mouse”