According to coverage from TheVerge and ChosunBiz, recent job postings by Netflix disclose that the company has initiated a new internal “genAI-native” animation division named INKubator, alternatively known as INK. While the company hasn’t made specific plans public as of yet, the division was unofficially launched in March, with the goal of creating animated material using generative AI technology and workflows.
Directed by former DreamWorks Animation strategy and operations specialist Serrena Iyer, INKubator is currently seeking candidates for numerous positions, including producers, technical directors, software engineers, and CG artists. As indicated by the postings, the animation division will initially concentrate on producing short-form animated material, but intends to broaden its scope to “longer-form” and “feature-quality” material in the future.
In reply to questions from Cartoon Brew, Netflix has characterized INKubator as a venture that will offer its creators an “artist-centric space to experiment in, where they can investigate how new tools and workflows, combined with traditional animation creative methods, can be utilized to improve their storytelling abilities.” The company also emphasized that projects developed at Netflix Animation Studios (which financed KPop Demon Hunters and created Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio) will “continue to employ traditional animation methods,” which implies the new division is a way to test gen-AI animation production in a separate setting.
Mido