I'm a filmmaker who uses practical effects puppets, miniatures, and animation to tell mature sci-fi, horror, and fantasy stories. Here, you will see my storyboards, builds, and uncensored material.
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A New Animated Sci-Fi Series From Christopher "Moonlight" Cooksey and Doug Mayfield
Producers Christopher "Moonlight" Cooksey (The Quantum Terror, Ray Bradbury LIVE Forever) and Doug Mayfield (The Quantum Terror/The Warning) are proud to announce the production of their new animated sci-fi series, ESCAPE FROM PLANET OMEGA-12. Inspired by vintage science fiction and adult-oriented animation such as Fire and Ice, Heavy Metal, and Love Death + Robots, OMEGA-12 is looking to bring back the raw and sexy energy that used to come with pulp science fiction in a style that Cooksey calls Sci-Exploitation. It tells the story of Tera, the beautiful lone survivor of a doomed space expedition, marooned on a savage alien planet, along with her little robot assistant and a strange alien blob that has absorbed the consciousness of her murdered husband. Hunted by an unseen enemy who means to kill her, she must learn to survive in her new environment while evading ravenous monsters and deadly robots, all while uncovering the deeper mysteries of the planet she seeks to escape.
"This is really exciting for us," says Cooksey. "Rather than just being drawn or computer generated, we're using all of this new open-source and AI technology that indie filmmakers just couldn't get their hands on without the backing of a major studio, just a few years ago. The playing field is now leveled and we wanted to really make something that Hollywood wouldn't take a chance on, blending miniature sets and puppets shot in-camera, traditional hand-drawn animation but also using the latest in AI-driven motion capture, like what the programmers at Rokoko are offering, along with VTube technology and open-source 3D, to create a wholly original look. We're taking cues from the best of both Western and Easter animation but no one has ever seen anything like what we're planning before." The two producers, who also used miniatures and animation combined with live actions to make their first movie The Quantum Terror, are now excited to bring this unique vision to life and offer audiences an engaging, visually stunning, and thought-provoking experience with ESCAPE FROM PLANET OMEGA-12. Stay tuned and be the first to get exclusive behind-the-scenes looks at the first season, upcoming stellar cast announcements, as well as info on possible NFTs, comic books, and future game dev by joining us at https://www.subscribestar.com/christophermoonlight.
*** Christopher Cooksey is available for interviews ***
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A New Animated Sci-Fi Series From Christopher "Moonlight" Cooksey and Doug Mayfield
Producers Christopher "Moonlight" Cooksey (The Quantum Terror, Ray Bradbury LIVE Forever) and Doug Mayfield (The Quantum Terror/The Warning) are proud to announce the production of their new animated sci-fi series, ESCAPE FROM PLANET OMEGA-12. Inspired by vintage science fiction and adult-oriented animation such as Fire and Ice, Heavy Metal, and Love Death + Robots, OMEGA-12 is looking to bring back the raw and sexy energy that used to come with pulp science fiction in a style that Cooksey calls Sci-Exploitation. It tells the story of Tera, the beautiful lone survivor of a doomed space expedition, marooned on a savage alien planet, along with her little robot assistant and a strange alien blob that has absorbed the consciousness of her murdered husband. Hunted by an unseen enemy who means to kill her, she must learn to survive in her new environment while evading ravenous monsters and deadly robots, all while uncovering the deeper mysteries of the planet she seeks to escape.
"This is really exciting for us," says Cooksey. "Rather than just being drawn or computer generated, we're using all of this new open-source and AI technology that indie filmmakers just couldn't get their hands on without the backing of a major studio, just a few years ago. The playing field is now leveled and we wanted to really make something that Hollywood wouldn't take a chance on, blending miniature sets and puppets shot in-camera, traditional hand-drawn animation but also using the latest in AI-driven motion capture, like what the programmers at Rokoko are offering, along with VTube technology and open-source 3D, to create a wholly original look. We're taking cues from the best of both Western and Easter animation but no one has ever seen anything like what we're planning before." The two producers, who also used miniatures and animation combined with live actions to make their first movie The Quantum Terror, are now excited to bring this unique vision to life and offer audiences an engaging, visually stunning, and thought-provoking experience with ESCAPE FROM PLANET OMEGA-12. Stay tuned and be the first to get exclusive behind-the-scenes looks at the first season, upcoming stellar cast announcements, as well as info on possible NFTs, comic books, and future game dev by joining us at https://www.subscribestar.com/christophermoonlight.
*** Christopher Cooksey is available for interviews ***
James Cameron recently announced he'll include a card at the beginning of Avatar 3 stating "No generative A.I. was used in the making of this movie." While the anti-AI crowed celebrate this as some kind of victory, (even though they won’t personally benefit from it at all) it inadvertently reveals something more telling: AI technology has advanced enough to make Avatar's massive productions seem potentially redundant.
The industry's reaction to AI is just the latest verse in a very old song. Hollywood has long operated like a country club where membership doesn’t so much require talent anymore, but the right connections and a willingness to play by unwritten rules. Those who control access to resources have historically shown they'll do almost anything to maintain that power - they'd break a toddler's legs if they thought its first steps might threaten their first-look deal.
This context makes Cameron's position particularly interesting. Here's a filmmaker who repeatedly revolutionized the industry - first by bringing rubber puppets and practical effects to life in ways that elevated science fiction from B-movie status, then by pioneering digital filmmaking and CGI with groundbreaking works like The Abyss and Terminator 2. These innovations paved the way for Jurassic Park (and The Lawnmower Man) and countless other films that shaped modern entertainment.
Yet now Cameron, who sits on Stability AI's board, seems to be playing both sides of the AI debate. The reason appears clear: For the first time in four decades, we're witnessing an innovation that truly democratizes visual effects. While Cameron has earned his place in film history, this democratization threatens an industry built on the backs of the talents that have come before but is now most often based on exclusivity and gatekeeping.
The Real Fear: A Sinking Ship
Hollywood's panic over AI isn't really about the technology - it's about watching their monopoly on spectacular storytelling slip beneath the waves. The industry has maintained its influence through exclusive access to expensive tools and distribution channels. Now that anyone with creativity and dedication can create compelling visual content, the traditional power brokers are desperately trying to maintain their grip on the helm.
Their strategy has been predictable: discredit AI-assisted work, ambush creators experimenting with the technology, and appeal to an increasingly isolated echo chamber of industry insiders. Like passengers rearranging deck chairs on a doomed vessel, they seem more concerned with maintaining appearances than addressing the fundamental shifts in creative technology.
The Medium is the Message
AI represents more than just a new tool - it's an entirely new medium for creative expression. The industry's resistance reveals a deeper truth: their relevance has become dependent on keeping others irrelevant. When your power relies on artificial scarcity rather than genuine innovation, you're bound to treat every technological democratization as an existential threat.
The argument that AI somehow diminishes creativity is a smokescreen, meant to get you to throw the baby out with the bath water. In the hands of truly creative people, it doesn't matter what tools are used. What matters is the vision, the story, and the ability to connect with an audience. The real issue isn't about AI versus traditional methods - it's about who gets to participate in the storytelling process.
No Room on the Door
While Hollywood's established players huddle together in their shrinking bubble, independent creators are already exploring AI's potential, finding ways to tell stories that wouldn't have been possible before. The technology isn't perfect yet - consistency and control remain challenges - but these limitations are precisely what drive innovation and creative problem-solving.
For those of us working outside the traditional system, AI tools represent an opportunity to finally compete on storytelling merit rather than production budget. We'll continue to experiment, create, and push boundaries, regardless of how many "No AI" cards Hollywood prints.
The truth is, the entertainment industry's future won't be determined by who can shut down new technologies, but by who can use them most effectively to tell compelling stories. While the industry elite celebrate their symbolic victories, they might want to notice the water rising around their ankles. The real revolution in filmmaking is already underway - and this time, there aren't enough lifeboats for all the gatekeepers.
Using AI and Depth Maps to Create Consistent and Controllable Environments
Two new animation tutorials to help you build your cinematic world.
If you're new to my blog, I'm Christopher, and along with my producing partner Doug, we're creating an animated pilot for what we hope will become a long-running sci-fi adventure series: Escape From Planet Omega-12. Conceived in the tradition of classic space movies like Forbidden Planet and Star Trek, novels like A Princess of Mars, Starship Troopers, and The Martian Chronicles, and animation like Samurai Jack and the '80s fantasy classic Fire and Ice, we're making this for die-hard science fiction fans who've been underserved by Hollywood for far too long. Our goal is to create something both adult and entertaining, meaningful and relatable.
The story follows Tara, a young woman newly married to the captain of an intergalactic privateer ship. When tragedy strikes during their mission to claim a primitive planet teeming with savage alien life, Tara is forced to flee to the surface in an escape pod after her husband and the crew are murdered. Armed with only a few weapons and accompanied by a floating robot assistant, she must learn to survive quickly as the local wildlife tries to eat her and a mysterious, malevolent force hunts her down. VFX Element of Tara Climbing Out of Her Escape Pod.
With no provisions, no training, and no proper clothing, Tara must adapt to survive. Help arrives in unexpected ways as she grows into her own person and discovers new adventures while searching for a way back home.
As writer, director, and animator, I blend my video artist experience with traditional VFX, hand-drawn animation, and practical effects – including miniatures and creature puppets – alongside AI to create the world of Omega-12, its inhabitants, and characters. Through this blog, I'll share project updates and tutorials to help inspire you to bring your own creative vision to life.
In this post, we're exploring how to create dynamic environments for your movie, adding depth and enabling fluid camera movement to follow the action.
Part one is available now on my Sci-Exploitation YouTube channel, which you can watch right here but be sure to also subscribe to that channel.
https://youtu.be/yTe3bQ_O3JA?si=Le7vWhrT-ll3sEfv
Part two is already available for current paid supporters which I'll post separately, and will be released publicly next week. Plus, supporters get access to additional tutorials and content that's too adult for YouTube's guidelines.
Consider becoming a supporter to help us create something truly unique in sci-fi animation while getting immediate access to exclusive content.
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