May 10, 2025

I Created Fluffo

From a spontaneous idea to a series of short films—how a creative experiment with AI turned into a full-blown animated project.

Author

YULIIA MEI
YULIIA MEI

READ

5 mins
5 mins

Category

new projects
new projects
Deer
Deer
Deer
Introduction
Introduction
Introduction

Over the past few months, I’ve been working on a personal creative project that brings together storytelling, animation, and AI tools. It all started with a simple sketch of a quirky character named Fluffo — charming, a little odd, and entirely imagined by me. Using technology, I brought him to life. What began as a spontaneous idea soon evolved into a series of short animated films, entirely generated with the help of artificial intelligence.

In this article, I’ll share how Fluffo came to life, what inspired the world around him, how I turned him into a true character, what tools I used for animation, and how this project reignited my passion for visual storytelling.

How Fluffo’s Visual Identity Was Born
How Fluffo’s Visual Identity Was Born
How Fluffo’s Visual Identity Was Born

When the visual image of the character first appeared in my mind, I saw his form clearly—his eyes and expressions, his fluffy hands and fingers.
I even imagined a scene where, one morning, he puts on slippers that look exactly like his own hairy feet. These scattered ideas instantly came together into a cohesive visual concept. And right away, I felt the urge to bring him to life—to get him out of my head and into reality.

To move quickly, I turned to ChatGPT. I described everything I saw: the details of the character, his emotions, his quirks. Within moments, the AI rendered a visual interpretation of my words. And just like that, the first silhouettes of Fluffo were born. It was exactly what I had envisioned. It’s incredible that today’s AI can understand and translate your creative thoughts into visuals in minutes—something that used to take hours of manual rendering and modeling. This dramatically simplified my workflow. I could clearly see the final version of my character, and from there, I began animating entire scenes, building the first episode shot by shot based on the story that had formed in my imagination.



But for me, it wasn’t just about creating short animated clips. I wanted each one to carry meaning—humor, irony, and a sense that this character truly wants to live a full life and try everything. And even when things don’t go his way, Fluffo always finds his own clever way out of the situation. My goal was to capture that spirit, that personal humor in each of his unexpected little victories.

When the visual image of the character first appeared in my mind, I saw his form clearly—his eyes and expressions, his fluffy hands and fingers.
I even imagined a scene where, one morning, he puts on slippers that look exactly like his own hairy feet. These scattered ideas instantly came together into a cohesive visual concept. And right away, I felt the urge to bring him to life—to get him out of my head and into reality.

To move quickly, I turned to ChatGPT. I described everything I saw: the details of the character, his emotions, his quirks. Within moments, the AI rendered a visual interpretation of my words. And just like that, the first silhouettes of Fluffo were born. It was exactly what I had envisioned. It’s incredible that today’s AI can understand and translate your creative thoughts into visuals in minutes—something that used to take hours of manual rendering and modeling. This dramatically simplified my workflow. I could clearly see the final version of my character, and from there, I began animating entire scenes, building the first episode shot by shot based on the story that had formed in my imagination.



But for me, it wasn’t just about creating short animated clips. I wanted each one to carry meaning—humor, irony, and a sense that this character truly wants to live a full life and try everything. And even when things don’t go his way, Fluffo always finds his own clever way out of the situation. My goal was to capture that spirit, that personal humor in each of his unexpected little victories.

When the visual image of the character first appeared in my mind, I saw his form clearly—his eyes and expressions, his fluffy hands and fingers.
I even imagined a scene where, one morning, he puts on slippers that look exactly like his own hairy feet. These scattered ideas instantly came together into a cohesive visual concept. And right away, I felt the urge to bring him to life—to get him out of my head and into reality.

To move quickly, I turned to ChatGPT. I described everything I saw: the details of the character, his emotions, his quirks. Within moments, the AI rendered a visual interpretation of my words. And just like that, the first silhouettes of Fluffo were born. It was exactly what I had envisioned. It’s incredible that today’s AI can understand and translate your creative thoughts into visuals in minutes—something that used to take hours of manual rendering and modeling. This dramatically simplified my workflow. I could clearly see the final version of my character, and from there, I began animating entire scenes, building the first episode shot by shot based on the story that had formed in my imagination.



But for me, it wasn’t just about creating short animated clips. I wanted each one to carry meaning—humor, irony, and a sense that this character truly wants to live a full life and try everything. And even when things don’t go his way, Fluffo always finds his own clever way out of the situation. My goal was to capture that spirit, that personal humor in each of his unexpected little victories.

Dog
Dog
Dog
Sparrow
Sparrow
Sparrow
Fluffo’s Animated Life in San Francisco
Fluffo’s Animated Life in San Francisco
Fluffo’s Animated Life in San Francisco

And that’s how these short animated stories were born—mini episodes about Fluffo’s life in San Francisco, his travels, his daily adventures, and the little (and not-so-little) challenges he faces. Many of the storylines reflect my own experiences living in San Francisco. Some episodes—like one inspired by Pier 39—are directly drawn from my personal memories in the city.

There are many more episodes on the way. I have plenty of ideas inspired by my everyday life, and I can’t wait to bring them to the screen in future animations. Through Fluffo, I get to share my view of the city, with all its charm, quirks, and surprises.

To create the animations, I used the Krea.ai model Wan 2.1. Through many iterations of prompt writing and motion refinement, I was able to generate the exact frames I needed, complete with the desired camera movement and emotional tone.

Once I had all the animated frames, I assembled and edited them in Final Cut Pro—adding subtle motion effects and a full sound design. Every sound you hear was carefully selected from an ocean of audio libraries across various platforms. 


You can watch all the episodes on YouTube, as well as on Fluffo’s official website: thefluffo.com (coming soon) . The series is also available on Instagram and TikTok. Choose your favorite platform, follow along, and don’t miss new episodes as they come out.

Elk
Elk
Elk
What’s Next for Fluffo: Exploring 3D
What’s Next for Fluffo: Exploring 3D
What’s Next for Fluffo: Exploring 3D

Right now, I’m diving into 3D tools to bring higher quality and depth to the Fluffo universe. While I don’t yet have the full vision of how everything will come together, I’m confident that these new skills will find their place in upcoming episodes and creative experiments.

One idea I’m particularly excited about is using 3D to create an interactive website header. With tools like 3D SoftSpline, I plan to design a version of Fluffo that follows your cursor with his eyes as you scroll through the site. It’s a playful touch—but one that makes the experience more immersive and personal.

Thanks for reading—and stay tuned for what’s next!

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BASED IN San francisco,

CALIFORNIA

DIgital Designer
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I AM AN INNOVATIVE DESIGNER AND DIGITAL ARTIST. MY
PASSION FOR MINIMALIST AESTHETICS, ELEGANT TYPOGRAPHY, AND
INTUITIVE DESIGN IS EVIDENT IN MY WORK.

Let'S WORK

TOGETHER

BASED IN San francisco,

CALIFORNIA

DIgital Designer
+ Framer Developer

I AM AN INNOVATIVE DESIGNER AND DIGITAL ARTIST. MY
PASSION FOR MINIMALIST AESTHETICS, ELEGANT TYPOGRAPHY, AND
INTUITIVE DESIGN IS EVIDENT IN MY WORK.

Let'S WORK

TOGETHER

BASED IN USA, I AM AN INNOVATIVE DESIGNER AND DIGITAL ARTIST. MY PASSION FOR MINIMALIST AESTHETICS, ELEGANT TYPOGRAPHY, AND INTUITIVE DESIGN IS EVIDENT IN MY WORK.

Let'S WORK

TOGETHER

BASED IN San francisco,

CALIFORNIA

DIgital Designer
+ Framer Developer

BASED IN USA, I AM AN INNOVATIVE DESIGNER AND DIGITAL ARTIST. MY PASSION FOR MINIMALIST AESTHETICS, ELEGANT TYPOGRAPHY, AND INTUITIVE DESIGN IS EVIDENT IN MY WORK.
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