French animation filmmaker Sylvain Chomet is pushing back against online accusations that generative artificial intelligence was used to create his latest animated short for Dior. The six-minute film, titled Christian Dior s Night in Color, features a voice cast led by Robert Pattinson and has sparked debate after viewers pointed to visual glitches as evidence of AI generation.
Chomet, a four-time Oscar nominee known for The Triplets of Belleville and The Illusionist, stated that the project was completed using traditional 2D animation techniques. He emphasized that the artwork, including characters and backgrounds, was drawn by hand by a team of approximately 20 people over a period of seven months.
Production Details and Interpolation
Aton Soumache, the producer behind the short and The Little Prince, clarified the technical process to Variety. He acknowledged the use of an automated interpolation system to generate intermediate frames, which helps create fluid movement in animation. However, he insisted that this tool was only used for mechanical repetition and did not replace the creative work of the artists.
“Some people are claiming Sylvain was contacted two weeks ago and that the entire film was made with generative AI, without a single drawing, but the reality is that this film took seven months to make and it was entirely drawn by artists,” Soumache said. He noted that the team included six animators, storyboard artists, designers, and editors.
Chomet explained that the interpolation software was a minor part of the workflow. He described it as a way to automate the repetitive aspects of animation while preserving the artistic integrity of the hand-drawn elements. The filmmaker noted that while he uses digital tablets for drawing, the process remains fundamentally the same as using pencil and paper.
Addressing Visual Glitches
The controversy surrounding the Dior short intensified after some viewers identified apparent errors, such as a character with six fingers, as proof of AI involvement. Chomet addressed these specific visual anomalies directly, attributing them to the challenges of depicting complex movement in traditional animation.
He explained that the six-fingered appearance occurred during a specific pose where a hand is spread out like a fan. In such drawings, the overlapping fingers can create the illusion of extra digits. Chomet argued that such minor errors are common in hand-drawn animation and are not unique to AI-generated content.
“I ve seen a character turn his head and suddenly his nose changes shape completely over five frames. These things happen,” Chomet said. He contrasted these minor glitches with the extensive manual labor required to produce the film, highlighting the dedication of the animation team.
Craftsmanship and Collaboration
Dior positioned the short as a celebration of traditional craftsmanship, aligning it with the meticulous work of its couture ateliers. The film draws on historical chapters of the fashion house, including Christian Dior s friendship with Marlene Dietrich and the creation of the iconic Junon gown in 1949. The narrative imagines Dietrich in Los Angeles, preparing for a film shoot that suddenly shifts from black-and-white to color, prompting an urgent request for a colorful gown from Paris.
Robert Pattinson narrates the story, while Louis Garrel voices Christian Dior and Camille Cottin plays Dietrich. Josh O Connor voices a talking chair, Rihanna portrays Dior s lucky star, and LaKeith Stanfield plays the Hollywood director. Additional voices include Nine d Urso, Nadia Tereszkiewicz, and Greta Lee as three bees.
Chomet and Soumache have a long history of championing traditional 2D animation. Soumache noted that Dior approached them specifically for Chomet s distinctive drawing style. The collaboration extended beyond the screen, with Chomet s illustrations inspiring Dior s holiday collections and boutique window displays worldwide. Physical versions of the characters and objects from the film were created for these displays.
Chomet remains committed to hand-drawn techniques despite industry shifts toward computer-generated imagery. He recalled the era of Toy Story, when Disney declared traditional animation dead, yet he continued to make hand-drawn films. He views technology as a tool to support, not replace, the art of drawing.
The short film serves as part of a broader collaboration with Dior, with creative director Jonathan Anderson originating the idea and Martin Latham helping develop the screenplay. Chomet described the process as a close partnership, with extensive back-and-forth on storyboards and character designs.
Source: Variety
