Those at the StreamTV Show last week know that two trends made their way into many industry conversations: AI technology and vertical video microdramas.
And this week a focus on those two continued – this time intertwined - with the news of a new animation studio called Intelligent Animation that promises to marry AI and traditional tech with human creativity to bring artistic content to life faster and less expensively.
Intelligent Animation (IA) announced that its first two animated series, based on IP licensed from webcomics platform Tapas, are both in the bite-size, serialized microdrama format.
The studio is founded by industry veterans Mark Stern, who previously led the Syfy network and Universal Cable Productions, and Lloyd Braun, whose career includes chairman of ABC Entertainment Group and WME where he worked with top storytellers and iconic franchises.
It marks the latest content venture involving microseries for Braun, who last year co-founded and backed microdrama studio and soon-to-launch direct-to-consumer app aTwist (formerly MicroCo) via his Banyan Ventures arm. The aTwist platform, co-founded by Jana Winograde and Susan Grover, is dedicated to premium, short-form microdrama content. And it’s where the initial two animated microdrama series from Braun’s new IA studio are slated to premiere later this year.
Per today’s announcement, IA’s philosophy is all around melding human creativity with new technologies, promising a combination of traditional animation, VFX and AI-powered tools to aid creation while keeping human’s firmly in control of the creative process.
“The creative process begins and ends with the human artist. From the outset, our goal has been to give those artists a unique set of powerful tools that can help them unleash the full extent of their vision; to expedite the tedious, time-consuming steps of the production process while keeping them in control of their creative output,” stated Stern. “We’re proud to have built an ethical way to apply these powerful new technologies. We never use AI to create scripts, original artwork, or actor’s performances and our systems are protective of the copyrights of others as well as of the material we’re creating.”
The first two microdrama series from Intelligent Animation include The Dragon Prince’s Bride and The Prince’s Personal Physician, based on the Tapas webcomics. It also has a number of projects in development including two more Tapas-based series, Prince of Silk Thorn and Governess of a Tyrant.
“From the moment we started working with Mark and the Intelligent Animation team, it was clear they were building something special. They're passionate, professional, respectful of the source material and were genuinely collaborative every step of the way,” stated Tapas Entertainment’s Mike Zhu. “They kept the artists and the story at the center of everything, and truly got what makes these stories resonate with fans. We couldn't be more excited to see The Dragon Prince's Bride and The Prince's Personal Physician come to life this summer.”
Additional IA projects include multiple genres spanning sci-fi, horror, romance and kids, including Expeditionary Force, based on the best-selling 19-book action/adventure sci-fi series from author Criag Alanson, and another aTwist project called Kidnapped by the Pirate Prince.
Nick Garland will serve as head of development for IA.
Intelligent Animation is the latest party to try and capitalize on the microdrama trend – a bite-sized, serialized vertical video format that took off in popularity in China and has made its way to the U.S.
Some of the popular existing microdrama apps are known for their often ultra-soapy or downright salacious storylines. And while formats can vary, microdramas typically split a storyline across multiple, 1-3 minute episodes that end on a cliff hanger or high-intensity/drama moment in order to entice users to swipe, scroll, and eventually pay (or watch an ad) to get to the next episode.
Different players in the streaming industry have been trying their hands in various ways to get in on the microdrama craze and tap into continued vertical video consumption on mobile, including with more premium, brand safe content, expanded genres and better user experiences.
Some efforts include those by major legacy players, like NBCUniversal – which recently announced microdramas for mobile on Peacock based on personalities in the reality TV Bravo universe and this week debuted of its first original unscripted Bravo vertical microdrama Campus Confidential. With mobile microdramas, NBCU’s said the aim is to deepen engagement, encourage daily and habitual use of its app and give fans more ways to connect with the company’s franchises.
Spanish-language AVOD player Canela, meanwhile, is launching its own dedicated free microdrama mobile app Zully, which includes AI-powered series. And there’s newly formed studio RoseBerry Media, which plans to launch a dedicated microseries DTC app. In addition to producing microseries, RoseBerry is using tech to verticalize and reformat existing library content from partners including All3Media, Banijay Rights, Fremantle, A+E Global Media and Cineflix Rights, into the microcontent format. RoseBerry founders Guy Hameiri and Lior Friedman previously told us that 500 titles are expected by year’s end.