Between commercial projects and developing our own films, we've been experimenting with AI tools in a way that aligns with Animwood Studio’s sensibility - by streamlining parts of the production process and exploring how they can be elevated through hand-drawn elements and 2D animation.
As an animation studio, we wanted to explore what happens when AI video production becomes part of a broader animation workflow rather than a replacement for it.
For this internal project, ENERGY, we tested a mixed-media approach to product commercials, combining AI-generated footage with hand-drawn animation, cel-animated FX, animated typography and 2D elements that interact directly with the footage and characters.
The project started with AI-generated product and character development. We explored different variations, camera angles, lighting setups, facial expressions and poses to establish the visual direction and personality of the scenes. From there, we built the mood and environments before bringing traditional animation techniques into the process.
AI animated video production meets 2D animation
The goal wasn't to rely on a single technique. Instead, we wanted to combine different visual languages into something energetic, playful and creatively driven.
Character animation was created in MOHO, while cel-animated effects were developed in Adobe Animate. The elements were then brought together in After Effects, where we worked on compositing, lighting and animated typography to create the final look.
This kind of AI animated video production can be particularly interesting for brands looking for distinctive animated brand content, animated advertising, product videos or short-form animation. Rather than producing an entirely AI-generated video, AI becomes one part of a larger creative pipeline - alongside illustration, animation, motion graphics and compositing.
From animated ads to social media video content
The same mixed-media approach can also be adapted to modern social media animation and short-form video formats. Animated ads, Instagram Reels, TikTok videos, YouTube Shorts and other platform-specific content often need to communicate an idea quickly while still having a strong visual identity.
Combining AI-generated imagery with 2D animation for social media, motion graphics, animated FX and hand-drawn elements gives brands more possibilities for creating engaging social media video content without limiting the creative direction to a single visual technique.
For an animation studio, this is where AI becomes most useful to us: not as a shortcut around creativity, but as another tool that can support visual development and production.
What we learned from the experiment
ENERGY was created purely as an internal showcase and proof of concept for B2C product animation. It was also a valuable opportunity to understand the practical challenges of working with AI-generated material.
AI generation can introduce unexpected changes - from shifting character faces to details that drift away from the original concept. That makes consistency, art direction and post-production especially important when AI-generated footage becomes part of a professional production pipeline.
Since AI currently plays only a limited role in our workflow, this was a learning experience from start to finish. There is still a lot to explore, but the experiment showed us that AI video production and traditional 2D animation can work together to create a visual language that feels both contemporary and distinctly handcrafted.
At Animwood, we’re interested in where this approach can go next - from animated commercials and branded content to social media video animation, animated ads and short-form animated content.
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