Follow Carl Reed on X and check out Composition Media.
Viggle: Hi Carl! Can you share your background and what you’re working on now?
Carl: I started in animation production, working on everything from character design to backgrounds. When I moved to LA, I worked with studios on shows and games. Later, I returned to St. Louis and co-founded Lion Forge Comics, which eventually acquired Oni Press. We then launched Oni-Lion Forge Animation, where we achieved some incredible milestones, like winning an Academy Award for Hair Love for Best Animated Short Film and two Emmys for The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special and Drawn-In.
In 2022, I founded Composition Media. Our goal was to react to the evolving industry and create faster, cheaper, and better content. Our pipeline has been completely reimagined—AI is integrated throughout, from script to final product—but we remain artist-driven. We believe in putting control in artists' hands while keeping the creative experience professional and fulfilling.
Viggle: How did you first discover AI tools, and what drew you to Viggle?
Carl: My journey with AI began around 2019 when I started experimenting with GAN-based tools and models from GitHub. We integrated some of those into our processes back then. When stable diffusion and diffusion models began to mature, along with advancements in audio and editing tools, it became clear that AI would revolutionize our industry. So, we started testing these tools while delivering projects to major clients like Disney.
When Viggle launched, I joined the Discord community right away. What stood out to me was the ease of character swapping and the green screen functionality. These features are incredibly useful in a production environment, and they felt like a natural fit for how we wanted to innovate our pipeline.
Viggle: Can you walk us through your Viggle workflow?
Carl: Absolutely. Here’s how we’ve integrated Viggle into our production process:
- Motion Capture: We used motion data from an MMA fighter to bring dynamic realism to our animations.
- Initial Animation Pass: Viggle handles the first pass, applying character generation and animation.
- Ink and Paint: To clean up and refine the animation, we use tools like Clip Studio Paint, Photoshop, or Toon Boom (a 2D animation software).
- Compositing: The final touches are done in After Effects to integrate everything seamlessly.
Viggle makes it easy to jumpstart the process while keeping our production artist-focused.
Viggle: We love the workflow that blends the new AI tools with traditional professional tools! What’s your perspective on AI’s role in animation and its future?
Carl: Honestly, AI is the entire reason Composition Media was founded. We focus on being Accelerated, Adaptive, and Artist-Driven. AI allows us to enhance what artists can achieve, delivering quality and speed that were previously unattainable.
We’re not Disney or Marvel—we don’t have their budgets—but AI levels the playing field. It lets us create projects with unprecedented efficiency while keeping our team employed between productions. In small studios, that’s a game-changer. Instead of seeing people laid off after a project wraps up, we can create opportunities and foster continuity.
AI isn’t just about cost-cutting—it’s creating jobs in new and innovative ways. By leveraging AI tools like Viggle, we can push boundaries, stay competitive, and redefine what’s possible for small studios.
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