Overview
For this Creator Spotlight, we’re featuring Leonardo Dewa, an AI anime video creator from Indonesia known for cinematic 2D anime-style shorts filled with emotional storytelling, dramatic action, and movie-like visuals. His work blends anime aesthetics with AI-native production workflows to create scenes that feel like moments pulled directly from a full-length anime film or trailer.
From intense sports anime sequences to emotional character-driven moments, Leonardo’s content showcases how AI tools can empower solo creators to produce visually ambitious stories at scale.
Discovering AI-Native Animation
Leonardo has always been drawn to anime and cinematic storytelling, but like many independent creators, traditional animation presented major barriers.
“Traditional animation can be very difficult and expensive to produce alone. When AI-native tools started improving, I saw a chance to bring my ideas to life faster and at a higher visual level, even as an independent creator.”
What pulled him toward AI wasn’t just speed, but creative freedom. AI workflows allowed him to experiment with characters, camera movement, sound, voices, and visual direction without needing a full production team.
That flexibility became the foundation of his anime shorts workflow.
Building Emotion Through Voice with Fish
For Leonardo, voice is one of the most important elements in anime storytelling.
He uses Fish Audio during the voice and sound direction stage of production, helping bring emotional depth and cinematic energy to his scenes.
“Fish helps me create voices that feel expressive and cinematic, especially for dramatic lines, action scenes, narration, and character moments.”
One of the biggest surprises for Leonardo was how dramatically voice performance could transform a scene.
“Sometimes I already have the visual idea, but after adding the right voice with the right emotion, the scene suddenly feels much more alive.”
He explained that even a short line before a major action sequence can completely change how powerful or memorable a character feels. For him, voice turns an AI-generated clip into something that feels closer to a true cinematic anime scene.
From Story Idea to Final Cut
Leonardo’s workflow begins with emotion first.
Most projects start with either a story concept or a key emotional moment. From there, he develops the characters, visual direction, and cinematic tone before generating shots using AI video tools.
Once the visuals are established, he moves into:
- Voice direction
- Sound effects
- Music
- Editing
- Subtitle timing
- Final polish for social platforms
Voice direction plays a central role throughout the process because it shapes pacing and emotional intensity.
“The voice helped decide when the scene should feel quiet, when it should feel tense, and when it should explode into action.”
For one anime sports short, Leonardo built a dramatic match sequence centered around a character under pressure before unleashing a decisive move. After designing the stadium environment, character visuals, and cinematic camera movement, he focused on voice performance to guide the rhythm of the scene.
The final voice delivery influenced:
- Shot timing
- Subtitle pacing
- Sound effect placement
- Music build-up
- Emotional payoff
AI Voice Direction for Anime Characters
Anime voice work requires a strong understanding of character identity and emotional tone.
Leonardo approaches AI voice direction similarly to traditional anime casting by first thinking about:
- Age
- Personality
- Energy
- Emotional state
A rival character may require a sharper, more intense delivery, while a protagonist may need something more emotional or inspiring.
The advantage of AI voice workflows, he says, is the ability to rapidly experiment and iterate.
“With AI voice, I can test different directions quickly and adjust the tone until it fits the scene.”
But despite the flexibility of AI tools, creative direction remains essential.
“The voice needs to match the character, the story, and the visual style.”
Reaching a Wider Audience
One of Leonardo’s biggest milestones came when his anime-style content began gaining strong organic traction on Instagram, generating hundreds of thousands of views and reposts from larger pages.
That moment confirmed something important for him:
“AI-assisted anime storytelling can feel exciting and emotional when the visuals, voice, sound, and editing all come together properly.”
Advice for New Creators
Leonardo encourages new creators to focus on storytelling above everything else.
“AI can create amazing visuals, but the scene still needs emotion, pacing, and a clear idea.”
His advice:
- Start with a simple emotional moment
- Build around story and pacing
- Experiment with prompts and iterations
- Treat voice as part of character design
- Keep refining until the scene feels alive
He also emphasizes that AI voice should never be treated as an afterthought.
“The voice can change how the audience understands the character, so spend time choosing the right tone and emotion.”
Follow Leonardo Dewa
You can explore Leonardo’s cinematic anime shorts and AI-generated anime scenes on Instagram:
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