Exploring the Frontier of AI in Animation

How I Helped Bring an AI Presidential Candidate to Life

AI in animation isn’t just an emerging trend, it’s an entirely new creative frontier, and I had the chance to help chart it. As an AI Animation Consultant for MeanGreen’s bold political ad campaign, I worked alongside Sr. Designer Sean Kimber and producer Justin Reifert to develop an AI-driven animation workflow for a campaign that blurred the line between innovation and cautionary tale.

The ad featured a fictional AI presidential candidate, an entity designed to govern with pure logic and impartiality. At first, the visuals reinforced that promise: polished, authoritative, eerily perfect. But as the ad progressed, cracks began to show. The AI’s face subtly glitched and fragmented, shifting between different human visages, each transition growing more unstable. The result was an unsettling and thought-provoking portrayal of a leader that, while seemingly flawless, was built on an inherently flawed premise.

Shaping a New AI Workflow

MeanGreen, known for high-impact political ads, wanted to push AI beyond novelty and into something truly cinematic. The challenge was that AI-generated imagery doesn’t conform to traditional production workflows. Instead of following the usual concept → storyboard → production flow, we had to reverse-engineer our approach, adapting the storyboard to fit the evolving AI-generated visuals rather than the other way around.

Inside My Role: Pioneering AI Animation Techniques

As the AI Animation Consultant, my role was multifaceted, involving the development and testing of an AI-driven video production workflow, spearheaded by MeanGreen’s Sr. Designer, Sean Kimber, and producer, Justin Reifert. AI’s unpredictability meant constant iteration—experimenting with different tools, refining techniques, and ensuring that the final visuals stayed aligned with the campaign’s vision.

Navigating AI’s Challenges in Production

AI in animation is unpredictable by nature, requiring an adaptable workflow to keep production moving smoothly. We worked with a suite of cutting-edge AI tools, each playing a role in shaping the final ad:

• Midjourney for generating base imagery with the right tone
• Runway ML for AI-driven video animation
• Topaz for upscaling and refining details
• Murph AI for generating an unnervingly polished AI voiceover

One of the biggest challenges was maintaining visual continuity. The AI candidate’s face changed throughout the ad, but it needed to feel intentional rather than arbitrary. Sean Kimber led the charge in designing seamless transitions, ensuring each transformation reinforced the story rather than feeling like a glitch in the production process. Meanwhile, Justin Reifert managed the overall production pipeline, keeping everything on track as we worked through AI’s inevitable surprises.

The Campaign: CPU4POTUS

The fictional campaign centered around “Ai-24,” a presidential candidate from the Campaign for Progress and Unity (CPU). As described in MeanGreen’s official campaign site, the AI candidate promised to bring “an unprecedented blend of logic and empathy that transcends partisan politics” with a platform focused on:

• Data-driven decision-making
• Predictive governance
• Technology-powered solutions for all Americans
• The campaign slogan: “Bridging Divides, Empowering Unity”

The creative concept explored both the promise and peril of AI governance, starting with polished perfection before revealing the inherent instability beneath.

The Results: A Groundbreaking AI Experiment

Over the course of 4 weeks, we successfully developed and executed this pioneering AI-driven animation workflow. The final piece was haunting, evocative, and impossible to ignore—exactly what the campaign needed. The industry took notice, with the project demonstrating how AI tools could push creative boundaries while addressing ethical concerns around bias and misinformation.

The project premiered at the Campaign Creative Summit on September 21st, 2023, establishing new possibilities for AI-assisted political advertising.

What This Means for AI in Animation

This project reinforced what I’ve seen firsthand: AI isn’t replacing human creativity—it’s reshaping how we approach it. When used well, AI doesn’t eliminate creative decision-making; it forces a different way of thinking. Successful integration requires sharp instincts, problem-solving, and a willingness to experiment—because AI doesn’t follow a script, and neither should the creative process built around it.

The success of this project has established new best practices for AI-assisted video production, particularly in political advertising where authenticity and ethical considerations are paramount.

Key Learnings

1. Workflow Adaptation: Traditional production pipelines must be reimagined for AI-generated content
2. Visual Continuity: Maintaining narrative coherence requires intentional design of AI-generated transitions
3. Ethical Storytelling: AI tools can be used to explore complex themes around technology and governance
4. Creative Collaboration: Human expertise remains essential for guiding AI toward meaningful creative outcomes

Huge thanks to Sean, Justin, and the MeanGreen team for their leadership on this groundbreaking project. AI-assisted animation is just getting started, and I’m excited to keep exploring the possibilities at the intersection of technology, storytelling, and human ingenuity.