TELEVISIONATION–Swedlow Show: Chris Capel on AI Filmmaking, Comedy + Living with a Merman  

September 14, 2026

Genuinely delighted to discover the work of Gen AI creator and longtime animator/director Chris Capel and especially his hilarious new short, Living with a Merman. It’s funny, beautifully realized, wonderfully strange, and a great example of what can happen when an experienced storyteller gets his hands on a completely new creative toolkit.

In this lively TELEVISIONATION conversation, Chris talks with Tracy Swedlow about his journey from traditional animation and filmmaking into Generative AI; why AI is allowing him to finally make stories he and his writing partner have had sitting in a drawer for years; and why, despite the technology’s seemingly limitless possibilities, story, restraint, humor and a distinctive creative voice still matter most.

And yes, we get into Living with a Merman – including the drunken merman, the sea lion, the wildly destructive trident, and how AI made some of the comedy even funnier than Chris originally imagined it.

See and hear about other work he’s done and work he’s inspired by!

We can’t wait to see what he makes next.