Introduction
Animator and creative director Momo Wang has forged a distinctive path in the animation industry, blending traditional techniques with emerging technologies. She gained renown as the creator of Tuzki, a lovable animated bunny that became a worldwide hit. Wang has also worked with Illumination Entertainment on franchises like Minions, Despicable Me, Sing, and The Grinch. Wang is recognized for her innovative storytelling and artistic vision.
Wang is also skilled in various forms of drawing, 2D and 3D animation, and earned an MFA in Experimental Animation from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). She also recently wrote and directed Penglai, an animated short film narrated by Scarlett Johansson.
AI for Animation
In a recent conversation, Wang shared insights into her evolving creative process, particularly her exploration of artificial intelligence tools in animation and their potential impact on the film industry. She’s also created several short animated projects with AI tools and speaks regularly on the subject at events like AI on the Lot.
“It all started a couple of years ago,” Wang recalls. “I’d tried out Midjourney three years earlier but found it was too early to be useful in my workflows. Video generation tools like Runway and Pika started to emerge, and I began to feel like I could create something with them.”
“Later that year, I decided to try making an AI trailer for a story about a young man in ancient China, who wants to build a time machine,” Wang adds. “I was shocked after I was able to make the whole thing, including subtitles, in just three hours.”
Wang had spent years working in traditional animation techniques after graduating from CalArts and was thus especially well-placed to analyze the potential of these emerging tools. “This felt like the future,” she recalls. “So, the first decision I made was to build a team of seven people with professional filmmaking backgrounds, as well as an engineer.”
Storytelling Experience vs. Accessible Tools
Wang is well aware of the concerns over AI and its potential to disrupt existing pipelines and impact jobs, but she views storytelling as the more important concern. “Now everyone can be a one-person army with access to AI tools without any training, but all that gets you is the ability to make something that looks cool for 30 seconds,” she observes.
“When you want to take it to another level and create long-form content that an audience will want to watch, you need the experience of a professional storyteller,” Wang adds. “Those are creative skills you can’t learn in a short time.”
Asked which AI tools she finds most relevant to animation pipelines, Wang highlights Luma AI, Magnific, and Kling. “They’re great for animation-style imagery,” she says. “Sora is also suitable for dynamic shots, and Runway and Veo 3 also offer a live-action style. However, the most important aspect is the human touch that tools like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe After Effects bring to the process of combining all these elements. I also develop images for prompts and character designs with ChatGPT, Midjourney, Photoshop, and Magnific, where I can use my drawing skills.”
Animation Resonates
Considering the role animation plays in entertainment, Wang believes it offers comfort and escapism during challenging times. These concerns can also fuel creativity. “Looking back into history, Japan’s economy in the ‘80s wasn’t doing great, but some of the most famous anime and manga like Akira and Dragon Ball were created during that period,” Wang notes.
“When the world feels uncertain, people turn to stories where they can imagine and dream of something different or better. It’s not just fun to watch, animation helps people feel something, dream, and stay connected, and it’s so important when the world is changing so quickly.”
“When the world feels uncertain, people turn to stories where they can imagine and dream of something different or better.
AI for the Next Generation
As someone who has worked her way up through education and experience, Wang has recommendations for newcomers and young people looking toward a career in animation. “Being open-minded is important to where we are as human beings today,” she says. “We have everything we have today because a human living in a cave learned how to make fire. So you should never stop learning new things.”
At the same time, Wang cautions against chasing trends, which is easy to do with the nearly daily releases of new AI tools and workflows these days. “I call them plankton films; they show up quickly, swim around, and suddenly disappear into the ocean,” she says with a smile.
“The same thing happens with all the demo films you see on social media whenever a new tool comes out,” Wang continues. “These videos don’t stick with an audience for long because they’re missing the storytelling character and the soul. A few weeks later, when the tools are updated again, the audience will likely forget about them. It’s the illusion of a shortcut. It’s not a bad thing—it’s part of the learning process. To create something for the long run, you need to make something that comes from your heart and leave something meaningful behind.”
The Future
As someone with a strong background in traditional animation and with a firm grasp of the potential of AI, Wang believes in the possibilities of the future. “We’re standing on the edge of something super exciting, and AI can help us go further,” Wang says. “When animation can make you feel better, that means AI can be a powerful tool to help us.”
When animation can make you feel better, that means AI can be a powerful tool to help us.
To learn more about Momo Wang, please visit her site at https://www.momowang.co and follow her on Instagram at @momowang123.
