Paratrouper: Exploratory Creation of Character Cast Visuals Using Generative AI
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3706598.3714242.pdf
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19.95 MB
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Adobe PDF
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52099199073898aa5e2f93872aa2a17f
Author(s)
Leong, Joanne
Ledo, David
Driscoll, Thomas
Grossman, Tovi
Fitzmaurice, George
Anderson, Fraser
Date Issued
April 25, 2025
Publisher
ACM|CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Citation
Joanne Leong, David Ledo, Thomas Driscoll, Tovi Grossman, George Fitzmaurice, and Fraser Anderson. 2025. Paratrouper: Exploratory Creation of Character Cast Visuals Using Generative AI. In Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '25). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 189, 1–20.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Great characters are critical to the success of many forms of media, such as comics, games, and films. Designing visually compelling casts of characters requires significant skill and consideration, and there is a lack of specialized tools to support this endeavor. We investigate how AI-driven image-generation techniques can empower creatives to explore a variety of visual design possibilities for individual and groups of characters. Informed by interviews with character designers, Paratrouper is a multi-modal system that enables creating and experimenting with multiple permutations for character casts and visualizing them in various contexts as part of a holistic approach to design. We demonstrate how Paratrouper supports different aspects of the character design process, and share insights from its use by eight creators. Our work highlights the interplay between creative agency and serendipity, as well as the visual interrelationships among character aesthetics.
Description
Joanne Leong, David Ledo, Thomas Driscoll, Tovi Grossman, George Fitzmaurice, and Fraser Anderson. 2025. Paratrouper: Exploratory Creation of Character Cast Visuals Using Generative AI. In Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '25). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 189, 1–20.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Media Laboratory
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1145/3706598.3714242
