OpenAI is throwing its resources behind a mostly AI-generated animated film that was the brainchild of one of the company’s employees. As first reported by the , the film will be called Critterz and will follow forest creatures who go on an adventure after their village is disrupted by a stranger. Chad Nelson, a creative specialist at OpenAI, started designing the characters three years ago with the intention of making a short film using OpenAI’s .
The goal of the film is, in part, to show that animated films can be made for less money and in less time with AI. The team behind the film has set a budget of less than $30 million and a production schedule of only nine months. Both are a fraction of what it takes to produce a typical Hollywood animated picture. According to Nelson, OpenAI is hoping that if Critterz is successful, it might pave the way for adoption of more AI in the industry.
London-based Vertigo Films will produce the film along with Native Foreign, a studio in Los Angeles that specializes in using AI alongside more traditional video production methods. Native Foreign previously produced a faux Planet Earth-style, also titled Critterz, written and directed by Nelson. It used DALL-E to create all the visuals for the short, which Native Foreign then brought to life with (limited) animation.
The production team will hire human voice actors for the film’s characters and will hire artists to draw sketches that will then be fed into OpenAI’s chat and . The script for Critterz was penned by some of the same writers behind Paddington in Peru. The team aims to premiere the film at next year’s Cannes Film Festival in May.
Over the last few years, many Hollywood workers have fought to protect their livelihoods against AI encroachment. In 2023, after a protracted strike, SAG-AFTRA that would require “informed consent and compensation” should a studio wish to use AI-generated likenesses of any current or deceased SAG-AFTRA members. All of this comes against the backdrop of enormous by creatives alike.
It’s the weekend to let freedom ring, and we’ve got plenty of Independence Day activities for you to check out, not to mention a little more Americana, including the music of country legends and a classic kids’ baseball film. Once you get your fill of July 4th festivities, we’ve also got an Oscar-winning animated film, a live role-playing game, and an erotic thriller from 1984. Keep reading for more on our picks for this week’s best bets.
If you’re looking for the perfect setting to celebrate Independence Day, may we suggest heading over to the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens for their annual Fourth of July Celebration on Thursday, July 4, from 1 to 5 p.m. The afternoon of family-friendly festivities includes an art workshop; readings of the Declaration of Independence by actors from Brave Little Company (not to mention the chance to sign the document with a quill pen) and of Faith Ringgold’s We Came to America; costume expert Tommy Attaway talking about what the British and American armies wore and carried during the American Revolution; and live musical performances from acts like the Lonestar Bluegrass Band and the Houston Brass Quintet. Admission to the celebration is free, and be sure to tour the first floor of Bayou Bend while you’re there.
Join 50,000 of your closest friends in Houston for Freedom Over Texas.
Photo by Kennon Evett
Or, if you’re interested in celebrating Independence Day with the rest of the city, you’ll want to make your way down to Eleanor Tinsley Park on Thursday, July 4, from 4 to 10 p.m. for Freedom Over Texas. The fun includes a dozen acts scheduled for a concert – including Chapel Hart, Jo Dee Messina and headliner Russell Dickerson – which will start at 7 p.m. And because we know this is probably the most important question you’ll have – the fireworks are scheduled to start at approximately 9:35 p.m. Tickets to the festivities are available online here and at the gate for $10 (with kids five and under set to get in free). If you’re not inclined to party with around 50,000 Houstonians, you can also catch the action at home on ABC13.
It’s no secret that the national anthem of the United States is no easy song to perform. For every classic performance, say Whitney Houston at Super Bowl XXV back in 1991, there’s a Kat DeLuna, and a Fergie, and a Christina Aguilera. But if you want to hear a version that won’t disappoint, head out to Miller Outdoor Theatre on Thursday, July 4, at 8:30 p.m. for Star-Spangled Salute. Houston Symphony, at the baton of Conductor Jason Seber, and tenor Rafael Moras will celebrate Independence Day with a program full of patriotic hits, including “God Bless the U.S.A.,” “America the Beautiful” and The Stars and Stripes Forever. Tickets for the free show can be reserved here, but if they’re no longer available, you can always sit on the no-ticket-required Hill.
If you’re one of the many fans of the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, but you sometimes find it lacking in Shakespearean characters and references, Classical Theatre Company (CTC) has been answering your prayers Monday nights on Twitch during To Be or RPG. The livestreamed D&D play series features regulars from CTC with an added theatrical flair befitting the company’s focus on classics (with proceeds benefitting the company). The cast and crew will open season two of the series in-person and in front of a live audience on Saturday, July 6, at 8 p.m. with To Be or RPG LIVE! at The DeLUXE Theater. And don’t worry – no experience with D&D or season one of the web series is needed to enjoy the show (or the drinks, which will be provided by Saint Arnold Brewing Company). Tickets are available here for $8.
We wouldn’t want to try picking the best country artist of all time, though Rolling Stone certainly did when they put together their list of the “100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time.” On Saturday, July 6, at 8:30 p.m. you can hear classics from some of those “one-of-a-kind” list-makers– like Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash and Hank Williams – when the Houston Symphony returns to Miller Outdoor Theatre for The Legends of Country. The concert, which will also include music from more contemporary artists like Carrie Underwood and Faith Hill, will also feature the vocal talents of Patrick Thomas (The Voice) and Rachel Potter (The X Factor). The show is free and you can reserve tickets here starting on Friday, July 5, at 10 a.m. As always, no tickets required to sit on the Hill.
