Kakao Corp.’s ‘Ryan’ Reimagined as an AI Animation in Collaboration with OpenAI

[Financial News] Kakao Corp.’s flagship character ‘Ryan’ is being brought to life anew in a short animation using OpenAI’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The creator handles the planning and direction, while AI assists with image production. The project is seen as combining AI technology with the creator’s planning and direction to improve the efficiency of content production and expand creative possibilities.
According to industry sources on the 10th, Kakao Corp. will release ‘Still, Ryan,’ Ryan’s first AI short animation, made in technical collaboration with OpenAI, on the 11th.
The work is an approximately five-minute animation based on a webtoon of the same name. To mark the 10th anniversary of Ryan’s creation, it brings the existing character’s story to life using a new production approach incorporating AI technology.
Director Han Ji-won, who directed Netflix’s animation ‘Lost in Starlight,’ and AI supervisor Kim Young-jun took part in the production. Images were generated using OpenAI’s ‘ChatGPT Images’ feature, based on sketches and prompts for each scene, and the two experts then completed the work by editing them themselves.
In particular, about 1,500 prompts were used to create a single scene, refining its direction and visual expression. Rather than using AI-generated results as they were, the creator repeatedly selected and revised them to improve the final quality.
Ahead of the official release, Kakao Corp. held a special screening and a director’s Q&A (GV) at ‘Movieland’ in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. An exhibition introducing the AI-assisted production process was also set up at the venue, alongside a screening of the full animation. 
A Kakao Corp. representative said, “This is a project we are presenting to mark Ryan’s 10th anniversary and share Ryan’s familiar story anew in an unfamiliar way.”
[email protected] Jang Min-kwon Reporter