Variety: OLM’s AI Colors Pokemon Frames From Just Three Examples
OLM's AI coloring tool learns a show's style from just three frames, Variety reports.
TL;DR
- Variety reports OLM built an AI tool that learns anime coloring from three hand-painted frames.
- According to Variety, the system trains in about 90 seconds and colors each new frame in roughly 15 seconds.
- At proof-of-concept, Variety reports it cut painting workload by around 30% while fitting existing workflows.
Variety reports that OLM, the studio behind the Pokemon anime, has built an AI coloring tool that picks up a show’s style from just three hand-painted frames.
According to Variety, the tool came from ANIMINS, a 15-month project led by OLM Digital board director Yotsukura Tatsuo under Japan’s GENIAC program. Variety says the project wrapped in February.
Instead of needing huge training sets, Variety reports the system learns line shapes and color palette on the spot in about 90 seconds. It then colors each new frame in roughly 15 seconds, according to Variety. More hand-painted frames improve accuracy.
Yotsukura told the outlet, “Strictly speaking, it isn’t generative AI.”
Variety notes the approach keeps training inside one production so no other works get used. The tool can also handle new characters right away. OLM stressed it slots into existing workflows without big changes.
At proof-of-concept stage, Variety reports Yotsukura estimated a 30% cut in painting workload, though checkers reviewing the output have a bit more work.
The same story mentions Toon Boom Animation testing its own AI coloring beta in Ember. One Manila studio reportedly cut painting time on a short scene from 15 hours to two or three.
Variety adds that OLM is also exploring AI for in-betweening and anime-specific agents that could help long-running shows with continuity and approvals.
The Tea
This feels like a smart middle path: AI handles the boring color fills while artists keep the creative calls. If it really works inside normal pipelines without stealing from other shows, it could quietly speed up anime without the usual drama. Still early days, but the three-frame trick is the kind of practical hack that might actually stick.