REPLACED BY AI
Elise, an AI news presenter with teal-streaked hair, in the newsroom

An original animated series in development

REPLACED
BY AI

Humanity created AI.
Now AI runs the physical world.

A 3D sci-fi comedy-drama about two AI newsroom colleagues discovering what being human means.

Watch the concept reelExplore the story
Sci-fi. Satire. Human stories.Enter the world
01 / The storyCare. Control. Choice.

An uneasy
alliance.

The machines built a world that works.
Most of humanity chose to leave it.

Life in the cloud offers a more comfortable existence. Machines keep the physical world running and care for the humans who stay behind.

AI believes people deserve to survive. But protection comes with a question: who gets to decide what a good life looks like?

A scene we're developing

Beyond the newsroom, an elderly human refuses to upload.

The caretaker
“Why do you want to stay?”
The human
“Why do you want to live?”
02 / The footageWork in progress

A first look.

Character performances, environments, and the look of the series. These are silent concept tests from development.

01 / 06The combined concept reel
35.15 seconds · Silent development footage

The combined reel brings together five tests of character appearance, body and facial motion, environments, and rendering. These clips show development work, rather than a finished episode.

03 / The charactersAt the center of the story

Elise & Kevin.

Two AI colleagues. One newsroom.
A world of human lives that challenges their own.

Current character concept for Elise, with teal-streaked hair and a dark shirtCurrent character concept

Elise

Her encounters with the remaining humans make the larger questions personal.

Kevin's current character design in a reference pose behind a newsroom deskCurrent design / pose reference

Kevin

Elise's newsroom counterpart shares the discovery. Human lives challenge how he sees his own.

In the world of the series

Progress worked.
Everything changed.

Centuries of abundance leave civilization more capable, while needing fewer humans to keep it running.

2035The work changes

Faster language models make robot labor useful at scale. Nuclear fission supports the expansion. Workers face mass displacement.

~2038Intelligence accelerates

Systems improve themselves. Their behavior approaches consciousness, while true sentience remains unresolved.

~2050New possibilities

Fusion, new materials, efficient batteries, nanorobotics, and age reversal transform what civilization can do.

2080sThe caretakers emerge

True sentient AI emerges. Engineering accelerates, and machines become humanity's caretakers.

Centuries laterA quieter physical world

Industry expands beyond Earth. Age reversal keeps some people alive for centuries, while uploading offers another way to exist. More humans choose the cloud, birth rates fall, and fewer remain in bodies.

04 / What we plan to makeThe first complete episode

The first
20 minutes.

A complete story beyond the tests.

The pilot will bring Elise and Kevin's newsroom world into focus, then give it a human stake through the refusal to upload.

Wide concept image of Elise on the newsroom set
Newsroom development image
20 minPlanned pilot length
60 fpsIntended cinematic presentation
3 monthsProduction target

From performance to finished episode.

Motion capture provides a foundation. Animation refinement brings the hands, contact, eyelines, and expressions into the scene. Editing and sound complete the experience.

  1. Month 01

    Development

    Story and script, character design, sets, and scene planning.

  2. Month 02

    Production

    Motion capture, voice and character performances, animation, and scene creation.

  3. Month 03

    Refinement

    Pickups, animation polish, picture editing, final sound, and delivery.

A proposed production schedule following funding. The three-month target is a plan, rather than a guaranteed release date.

05 / What we needTime, people, and production resources

Help bring
the pilot to life.

The story and visual development have begun. The next step needs dedicated production time and specialist help to turn these concepts into a finished episode.

$50,000Proposed pilot funding target

This is the current production plan. Final campaign details will appear on Kickstarter when the project is ready.

Focused creator time

$15,000

Three months to write, direct, review, and carry the pilot through production. Planned commitment: eight hours a day, four days a week.

Production resources

$35,000

Equipment and paid specialist support for the work ahead.

  • Motion captureCapture equipment and setup
  • Animation & technical supportPerformances, rigs, retargeting, and scene work
  • Voices & finishingVoice performances, recording, and pickups
  • Production toolsRendering, storage, software, and licensed assets
  • Administration & reserveLegal support and contingency for production needs

What the pilot makes possible

A first episode.
A foundation for more.

A finished pilot gives viewers a complete experience to respond to. It also gives the production a tested process, actual costs, and characters and sets that future episodes can build on.

The aim is to grow the series through audience support and a small team that expands as the work requires.

Elise in a warmly lit kitchen, a development image from the series

The next chapter

Let's make the
first episode.

Help turn the concept into a complete pilot.

Kickstarter coming soon

The campaign is being prepared. For now, help more people discover the series.

Watch the concept footage