Stay Up: Color 7 is an original animated crime thriller set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2008. I've written all ten episodes, approximately 25 minutes each. The characters, world, and many of the situations draw from my firsthand experiences in graffiti culture, which gives the project a level of authenticity that's difficult to manufacture.
PROOF OF CONCEPT STUDIES:
Black and white charcoal study style: This began as an early experiment in using AI for storyboarding and visual exploration. As I worked, it became clear that the same process could be pushed into motion. The following test is only a few seconds long, but it immediately revealed the potential for concepting, previsualization, scene blocking, and full blown animation. Disclaimer: As with any AI-generated video, there are numerous subtle visual inconsistencies.
Video game cinematic (Unreal Engine) style: As I learned to better control the AI, refine my prompts, and manipulate the results in Photoshop, Premiere, and After Effects, I decided to experiment with a new look. I chose a game-cinematic style, undoubtedly influenced by my time working on The Last of Us.
This three-minute short is the opening of Episode 1. It follows Jayden as he flees through Albuquerque carrying a mysterious envelope, then jumps back one day into a musical montage introducing the city and its characters. It ends with Ravyn painting freight trains and calling Jayden about an opportunity that sets the larger story in motion.
I created the short using OpenArt, primarily Nano Banana Pro for images and Seedance for animation. I handled the visual development, shot composition, editing, music selection, and overall creative direction myself.
AI animation (at my level) still has its limitations, particularly when it comes to maintaining consistent character designs and visual styles across shots. I've worked to overcome those challenges within the time and resources available. While there's certainly room for improvement, I believe this short is a solid proof of concept that demonstrates the story, atmosphere, and potential of Color 7.
Enter The Spiderverse style: Experimenting with a more "Enter The Spider Verse" style of animation.
