Kai Tattersall is a Japanese, English, and American filmmaker and animator. A founder of 2000blue,
2000blue, he has created films for streaming, theater, installations, VR, and IMAX, that combine live-action performances with stylized animation. His work was exhibited at festivals and galleries internationally.
Born on the Okinawan islands in Japan, Tattersall developed an early interest in 2D animation. His upbringing in the Naha and exposure to Hayao Miyazaki’s films, such as Spirited Away (2001) and Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), shaped his ideas on environmental storytelling in film. Throughout his career, he collaborated with animation pioneer Mike Patterson, developing a unique approach to rotoscope animation that integrates traditional techniques with advanced digital tools, which lead to projects for clients including Disney, Paramount, CNN, Hulu, and The Academy.
Before commercial AI, Tattersall began incorporating open-source AI into his production workflow. This experimentation led to Heaven (2022), which won the International AI festival.
Following the film’s completion, Tattersall established 2000blue, an animation studio focused on mixed-media animation with a commitment to remove AI from all creative roles. Following in the footsteps of the “musique concrète” movement, 2000blue derives animation from physical assets. This “video concrète” approach prioritizes foundational elements that originate as concrete, captured reality, with each composition forming a collage of these materials. Currently, 2000blue serves as the animation team for an undisclosed feature documentary, The Month Between April and May, a feature film and immersive experience for Qualcomm, and a limited series, Miko Was Here.
Tattersall’s works are characterized by their fusion of slice-of-life and fantasy, exploring themes of identity, globalism, and a self-contained environment.
Since 2014, he has conducted public workshops on digital art and delivered talks at conferences and universities on the intersection of art and technology. Having personally overseen a dozen international installations and exhibitions, Tattersall is responsible for curating spaces—from state-of-the-art immersive theaters to pop-up galleries—for public interaction with art, but prioritizes the traditional silver screen experience.