Sun June 07 - 3:00 PM
DEAR UPSTAIRS NEIGHBORS: Exploring Artist-Driven, AI-Assisted Expressionistic Animation
Special Events
| 60 MINUTES
Join the team behind the animated short film Dear Upstairs Neighbors to learn how they transformed hand-crafted art into “living paintings." The program will start with a behind-the-scenes documentary screening followed by a discussion about building custom artist-centric, generative workflows to maintain creative control.
Panelists
Douglas Eck (Moderator)
Douglas Eck is a Senior Research Director at Google DeepMind, where he co-leads research efforts in Generative Media and Entertainment, spanning pioneering advancements in image, video, 3D, music, and audio generation.
Márcia Mayer
Márcia Mayer is a Film Independent Spirit Award-nominated producer, currently leading Google DeepMind’s Media & Entertainment creative production efforts. Previously, Márcia worked at Pixar and founded and ran Tenacious Productions, where she was dedicated to producing exciting, emotionally engaging feature films that expand audiences’ empathy and understanding.
Connie He
Connie He is an animation director and creative technologist at Google DeepMind. Her professional background includes work on animated feature films like Inside Out 2 and Dream Productions at Pixar from 2021-2024, while her first short film, "Watermelon: A Cautionary Tale,” is a viral success with over 200 million views on YouTube.
Erika Lu
Erika Lu is a Research Engineer at Google DeepMind, where she has spent the last five years advancing AI tools for creative expression. For the film Dear Upstairs Neighbors, she researched and engineered new generative workflows while also generating shots for the production.
Yung Spielburg
Yung Spielburg is a Grammy Award–winning producer and songwriter best known for his long-standing collaboration with Japanese multi-hyphenate, MIYAVI. Collaborations include Simple Plan, Mikky Ekko, Train, Goo Goo Dolls, Samuel L. Jackson, DUCKWRTH, and Yuna, as well as HYDE, Daichi Miura, and EXILE SHOKICHI. His work includes campaigns for Honda, Asahi, Beats, and Samsung; video game franchises such as Final Fantasy and Bleach; and music featured across more than 2,000 episodes of television and anime worldwide. Beyond the studio, he has accompanied MIYAVI on UNHCR ambassador missions to refugee camps around the world, using music to help raise awareness of global refugee crises.
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* Rush Tickets will be offered at venues when advanced tickets for a screening or event are no longer available (EXCLUDES: Beacon Theatre).
The Rush system functions as a standby line that will form at the venue approximately one hour prior to scheduled start time. Admittance is based on availability and will begin roughly 10 minutes prior to program start time. Rush Tickets are the same price as advance tickets and are payable upon entry.