The video “POSTHUMAN CINEMA” uses surreal imagery, black and white colors, and dramatic music/dialogue to create an intense dream-like feeling in the viewer. The opening scene shows a woman in the desert floating softly toward the ground in a flowing dress, which sets the tone for the video in a very surreal manner. The video focuses on the people in each shot, all having dramatic poses, expressions, or movements. Each shot has a dark background, with a very cinematic and almost spotlight effect on the subject. Throughout the video, the subjects morph from one pose to the next,  as if they are shapeshifting. By using these sorts of techniques, we are unable to predict what might happen next. In traditional films, the audience is normally able to follow along with the plot/scene and have guesses and predictions as to what the possibilities are for the following shot. With AI imagery, there is a constant morphing of the subject that allows the viewer to maintain a constant curiosity about what is to come next which I think is an interesting aspect to AI videos as a whole.

For this post I chose one of the AI created videos, I have a very stubborn view on the topic as I despise all AI used in art. I think the root of my distaste for AI in artistic creations is how fraudulent it feels along with this undertone of disrespect for actual human artists who spend their entire lives curating their style and making art while a computer can make “art” in seconds. The whole concept of it just irks me.

Don’t get me wrong, AI is an amazing tool in so many aspects of life like technology, medical advancements, information systems etc. but it’s a tool I strongly believe should be removed from art.

As for the video I chose “POOF” an AI created short film about muppet looking entities working in an office and exploding from what I’m guessing is the stress of the environment.

This video creates a scene in a world where intelligent life like humans are replaced by puppet creatures and they are placed into a mundane and grey environment like an office. The contrast between the puppets and environment is an interesting piece of the video, I like the idea of putting very child-like puppets that are colorful and textured in a fun way in a drab and flat workplace, it works very well together.

As the video continues on we see a multitude of puppets doing regular office work and over time you can see the puppets starting to shake and get overwhelmed to the point of combusting leaving behind just the fur texture in a pile where they were placed. I think it’s fun to view this as how people, who as they grow with life continue to maintain that ‘child-at-heart’ attitude, and as these people enter the workforce the maturity and drabness of a workplace just overloads them to a point of misery.

For this blog post I decide analyze the ‘Rail road crossing scene’ of Duel (1971)

Match On Action:

As the truck pushes David’s car toward the tracks the editing cuts to wide shots of the truck, car, and train, and close ups of the car being

shoved forward. These cuts match the action to create a intense sense of movement, emphasizing the danger.

Parallel action/ Crosscutting:

The scene cuts between the different threats: the truck pushing David’s car and the speeding train approaching. This use of crosscutting make for a more tense coverage of David’s situation.

Cut in:

There are Cut-in shots to show specific details, such as the trucks front bumper pushing David’s car, the Train  speeding past, or David’s hands gripping the steering wheel.

http://starwarswars.com/ 

In this video, we see compositing pushed to its limit as six Star Wars movies play at once. The digital effect used in this piece was compositing as the six films were placed in parallel video tracks. They were then “chroma-key’d” to different extents so that parts of five of the movies would remain visible, while one played in the back without any chroma-keying to serve as a background. The result is a mess purely done for experimental and comedic purposes.

When it comes to our own work, we can take influence from this positively by using compositing and chroma-key features to create visual effects (like fire or electricity) without the danger or costs of doing it practically. When it comes to the montage assignment, this type of composting so that multiple scenes or layers can play at once can be effective. Think of training montages in action movies that uses digital effects like these to show multiple scenes at once and give the viewer a sense of time moving fast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0EDV1HGbrc&ab_channel=JustinHackney 

As for this link, we see an AI-generated video of a retro-futuristic carnival made using Runway Gen2. Reading the comments it appears many viewers enjoy the dream-like sense these artificial videos bring, perhaps effects like this can be used for surreal or unusual moments in a sci-fi or horror movie. Unlike many other digital effects, this tool is essentially producing the entire thing for you if you let it. I imagine it takes a lot of time to refine prompts, sift footage, and edit together the best parts, but you’re still limited in the sense that the entire picture is artificial.

Personally, the only benefit I see to using these in a serious project or motion-picture, would be for inspiration, or to make an artistic point/convey something “In-Human” like the idea stated earlier or using its “uncanny” sense as a tool in a horror or psychedellic sequence.

This opening from “Shameless” communicates the hectic, anxiety inducing strain that poverty can have on a family. As the Gallaghers struggle to meet the electricity bill, they also find themselves in a rush to get ready, and a mess from the night before (looking at the boy with a whole happy-meal on his shirt in-particular!). Matching the chaos of their situation, the framing and editing helps induce these emotions WITHOUT going too overboard in a “Michael Bay” sense.

Firstly, when it comes to editing this scene is fast paced. There’s lots of close-up shots of quick actions like shoving the chair into the washer, or passing the box of money around. These shots are edited so that they cut quick, giving you enough time to see what’s happening, but not too much that things seem stagnant. There’s always movement whether it be the camera or the action of the character it is focused on.

When it comes to framing, I notice a lot of close-up shots that are almost motivated POV, but not quite. Like when the camera finds itself at eye-level of the kids at the table, but not directly from the perspective of one of them. I like the framing of these shots as they do give you some of the benefits of a motivated POV shot like the immersion, but without being tooo distracting or ever taking one characters perspective entirely. This is the story of the entire family, not just one of them.

From 0:38-1:00 I noticed the milk jug as an visual anchor. We watch it begin its journey as the mom opens the fridge, then it gets passed around the table, to the sink, and back to the table. It really helped anchor our action so the viewer doesn’t get lost and can better imagine this 3D-space.

Sounds sourced from Freesound along with a few personally recorded audio clips.

Miryssa Casas & Zach Heller

Hallway Horror Dreams!

Jeremy Sauter and Victoria Clark