shark vs the universe
I'd rather be in outer space 🛸
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gracie abrams
Cosmic Funnies
❣ Chile in a Photography ❣
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hello vonnie
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Origami Around
Cosimo Galluzzi
Product Placement
occasionally subtle
oozey mess
"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"
Today's Document
roma★
taylor price
Interview Vampire Daily
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@thecaliforniabears
We all know that July 17, 1955 is Disneyland's opening day. Zaahir's on hand to wish Disneyland a happy 71st!
(The California Bears project represents characters that began in the mid-1990s as sketches with pencil and paper. The images moved to crude vectors, and eventually the characters have started to take shape with the assistance of AI. Maintaining character consistency through the use of free and low-cost AI platforms has been the goal/challenge of this exercise.)
Vikram reminds us of one of those important guy things. The video suffered just a hair on his facial recognition (it's actually better in the profile than straight on) so that a focus could be placed on the dialog, movement, and accurate representation of body hair.
(The California Bears project represents characters that began in the mid-1990s as sketches with pencil and paper. The images moved to crude vectors, and eventually the characters have started to take shape with the assistance of AI. Maintaining character consistency through the use of free and low-cost AI platforms has been the goal/challenge of this exercise.)
This is one of the earlier videos of Okada, and in fact, one of the first videos made of any of The California Bears. At this time, Google Gemini/Imagen had surpassed ChatGPT/DALL-E for consistency in character rendering. A series of prompts were created to direct Imagen to create a set of Okada images on skateboard. Various images with associated prompts were tried in Google/Veo to create videos, with this being the best for character consistency, even as it sacrificed some of the dynamics of his skateboarding maneuvers. The rather tame ride aside, his body build holds up through most of this, as does his facial recognition. To allow Veo to focus on the body build and the all-important facial consistency, audio was limited to background sounds rather than any direct spoken words from Okada or others. All other attempts failed to maintain his fuller body build and defaulted to a leaner/fitter build, which is not what The California Bears are about.
(The California Bears project represents characters that began in the mid-1990s as sketches with pencil and paper. The images moved to crude vectors, and eventually the characters have started to take shape with the assistance of AI. Maintaining character consistency through the use of free and low-cost AI platforms has been the goal/challenge of this exercise.)
Erik is definitely the solo outdoor adventurer. If there’s a rock or mountain, he’ll want to climb it. All of the California Bears have their favorite California spots, and Erik loves those that are out of the way. He’ll climb Yosemite early in the season before the crowds hit, but you’re much more likely to find him at Cosumnes River Gorge, Pine Creek Canyon, or even Castaic Crag.
When Erik met Nikolai, there was an immediate connection on their love for the outdoors. But Nikolai didn’t have Erik’s love for heights. Where Erik would want to climb, Nikolai would want to hike to find a view. Where Erik wouldn’t mind camping with minimal luxuries, Nikolai enjoyed a solo camp, but always liked to make his camp a bit homey – a guitar to play music, just enough supplies for good, hearty eating (including dessert), and something to read in the evenings before the light disappeared. Where Erik would enjoy an exhilarating white water kayak run (something Carer also liked), Nikolai would walk along the river bank looking at the fish and water mammals.
They immediately bonded and realized they were perfect as two sides of the same coin. They both loved good beer, and that’s really all that matters. That’s love.
The California Bears project represents characters that began in the mid-1990s as sketches with pencil & paper. They moved to crude vector, then to a more refined graphic look. AI has given them a new dimension, with hours spent to maintain character consistency through LLM.
Carter’s wishing everyone a Happy Fourth of July! The California Bears project represents characters that began in the mid-1990s as sketches with pencil & paper.
It's been fascinating to see how free and low cost image/video generators treat demographic characteristics, especially in keeping character consistency vs. creating a generic or stereotypical appearance.
Mateo’s wishing everyone a Happy Fourth of July! The California Bears project represents characters that began in the mid-1990s as sketches with pencil & paper.
It's been fascinating to see how free and low cost image/video generators treat demographic characteristics, especially in keeping character consistency vs. creating a generic or stereotypical appearance.
Keola’s wishing everyone a Happy Fourth of July! The California Bears project represents characters that began in the mid-1990s as sketches with pencil & paper.
It's been fascinating to see how free and low cost image/video generators treat demographic characteristics, especially in keeping character consistency vs. creating a generic or stereotypical appearance.
Carter: Do these shorts make me look gay?
Everyone: Yes.
Carter: Thank you. Happy Pride!
Three different versions (all three can be seen here: https://www.instagram.com/the.california.bears) of Carter and Vikram enjoying an Aperol Spritz in Old Sacramento. Facial consistency with Carter is very good across these three. Vikram is less consistent, but still descent for Veo. The more realistic the character, the more Veo struggles to make the setting exact.
You’ll notice that in some of the versions, there is an effort to have the characters click glasses. As if the characters themselves are concentrating on making that work.
Overall I’m pleased with all three versions. I think Vikram’s phenotype still slips into the Latine range at times, but this is a good job for free/low-cost offerings. (The California Bears project represents characters that began in the mid-1990s as sketches with pencil and paper.)
(The California Bears project represents characters that began in the mid-1990s as sketches with pencil and paper. The images moved to crude vectors, and eventually the characters have started to take shape with the assistance of AI. Maintaining character consistency through the use of free and low-cost AI platforms has been the goal/challenge of this exercise.)
Erik’s passions relate to outdoor spaces far away from cities, yet here he is having a good time at El Paseo in Palm Desert. Of course, like much of California, the great outdoors isn’t far, and you can bet he was hiking in the hills the next day. Erik was one of the earlier characters developed, and while character consistency is always a challenge with the free and low-cost AI platforms (a purposeful study of this project), his look has managed to stay somewhat intact across multiple generations.
Characters created with the assistance of ChatGPT/DALL-E, video with Gemini Pro/Veo. (The California Bears project represents characters that began in the mid-1990s as sketches with pencil and paper. The images moved to crude vectors, and eventually the characters have started to take shape with the assistance of AI. Maintaining character consistency through the use of free and low-cost AI platforms has been the goal/challenge of this exercise.)
Zaahir is a DJ, based in Southern California, and quite sought after around the country. He loves Pride events, but is musically fluent enough to cover any genre for almost any audience. The high-profile events keep him busy enough, but he’s known for popping up in unknown spots in out-of-the-way towns where the locals just want to have a good time.
Zaahir was one of the later guys developed, and like Vikram, Mateo, and Keola, AI has a hard time keeping his features consistent without going generic or stereotypical. It’s been a challenge, but over time several images and videos have been developed with his looks intact.
Characters created with the assistance of ChatGPT/DALL-E, video with Gemini Pro/Veo. (The California Bears project represents characters that began in the mid-1990s as sketches with pencil and paper. The images moved to crude vectors, and eventually the characters have started to take shape with the assistance of AI. Maintaining character consistency through the use of free and low-cost AI platforms has been the goal/challenge of this exercise.)
The guys have all come together so you can follow The California Bears on Bluesky (Carter + Vikram), Tumblr (Erik + Nikolai), Instagram (Mateo + Zaahir), & Twitter (Okada + Keola). (The California Bears project represents characters that began in the mid-1990s as sketches with pencil & paper.)
Vikram is a professional and hobby photographer. He takes a camera everywhere, and has managed to become one of the trusted Hollywood favorites to capture a celebrity honestly, which isn’t always easy. The celebrity photos mean he doesn’t want for money, but his real passions are photographing people and their dogs, and, of course, the amazing California land and waterscapes. Vikram has been one of the most difficult characters to keep consistent. The image/video generators are poorly trained to distinguish South Asian/Latine/Pacific Islander/Middle Eastern features, and consequently, Vikram, Mateo, Keola, and Zaahir are often generated in a more generic Latine look. When that doesn’t happen, the characters, even with strong initial reference images, are generated with more stereotypical features rather than their individual looks. Characters created with the assistance of ChatGPT/DALL-E, video with Gemini Pro/Veo. (The California Bears project represents characters that began in the mid-1990s as sketches with pencil and paper. The images moved to crude vectors, and eventually the characters have started to take shape with the assistance of AI. Maintaining character consistency through the use of free and low-cost AI platforms has been the goal/challenge of this exercise.)
The image was inspired by the sleeve for the 1986 Wham! single, The Edge of Heaven. There was a certain moodiness that I was going for, & I think that was achieved, even with the slight adjustments in pose and clothing. I thought it would be fun to create a storyline for the photoshoot. The photographer has been trying to capture just the right aesthetic with Nikolai and Erik for much of the morning, adjusting lighting, positioning, and even facial expressions. The guys are have had just about enough, and rather than getting annoyed, Nikolia breaks the mood by playfully mocking the overall seriousness of the shoot. His decision to talk catches Erik off guard, and they both grin, which is really much more their true personality. (The California Bears project represents characters that began in the mid-1990s as sketches with pencil and paper. The images moved to crude vectors, and eventually the characters have started to take shape with the assistance of AI. Maintaining character consistency through the use of free and low-cost AI platforms has been the goal/challenge of this exercise.)
Carter is walking through Palisades Village, still in the process of rebuilding after the 2025 fires. His character consistency has been a challenge for the image & video generators. (The California Bears project represents characters that began in the mid-1990s as sketches with pencil and paper.)
Keola is a surfing champion living between southern California and Hawaii. His fame has recently become a problem for him in that he can't go anywhere without being recognized. But on most days, he's a big ham and loves meeting his fans - even the non-human ones. Character created with the assistance of ChatGPT/DALL-E, video with Gemini Pro/Veo. (The California Bears project represents characters that began in the mid-1990s as sketches with pencil and paper.)
Mateo’s perfect sunset always includes a perfect glass of wine. Character created with the assistance of ChatGPT/DALL-E, video with Gemini Pro/Veo. (The California Bears project represents characters that began in the mid-1990s as drawings with pencil and paper.)