Blog Prompt: What are your thoughts on the risks and opportunities of AI Cinema? What do these tools mean for the future of Hollywood entertainment and for independent artists working in the industry? 

Using AI as a resource or tool can enhance our creative processes. It offers a way to generate new ideas, provide inspiration, and overcome artistic obstacles. As a society, we must value the art conceived in the human mind and crafted by human hands. Users of AI should learn to harness this technology effectively to aid in brainstorming. We shouldn’t undermine artists who utilize this tool, nor those who choose not to. Instead, we should recognize it as a new category in our societal framework, much like the way we embraced cellphones and computers. With time and patience, we can leverage this resource to simplify our lives.

Cruston’s Odyssey: A Crab’s Tale in Techno-Tide

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1PSDkrKZf12v89RBMnncfgn1TSbkEK19JwUL9nGfPjKw/edit?usp=sharing

This project with ChatGPT was an engaging experience. Initially, I requested the narrative; establishing a foundational story makes it easier for the AI tool to progress to character development. After solidifying the storyline, I focused on crafting the world and setting the scenes. I desired an aerial perspective of this world to showcase each scene, though sometimes the AI’s labeling was not accurate. Once I found an image that resonated with me, I began defining the characters’ appearances. My vision was to create a whimsical, almost fairy-tale-like aesthetic rather than a realistic one. For the main character, Cruston, I wanted to add a more animated feel, prompting GPT to give him bubbly eyes. I encountered several challenges with the jellyfish initially, as the AI persistently rendered a cartoonish look suited for a children’s book, which I disliked and found mismatched with the theme I was aiming for.

Cruston’s Odyssey: A Crab’s Tale in Techno-Tide

In the year 2500, the oceanic world of Aquarius is a marvel of harmony between nature and advanced artificial intelligence. Here, beneath the waves, the landscape is as diverse and vibrant as the surface above, with coral cities pulsing with bioluminescent light and kelp forests swaying to the rhythm of the currents, all overseen by the gentle guidance of AI.

Era and Setting
Aquarius is set in an era where technology has seamlessly integrated into the very fabric of marine life. The ocean floor is dotted with smart-reefs, engineered to support diverse aquatic life, and underwater cities built from coral and biodegradable materials, designed by AI to coexist with the natural environment.

Environment
The climate under the sea is regulated by AI systems, ensuring ideal conditions for coral growth and marine biodiversity. Geological features are enhanced with bio-architecture, creating habitats that support life and serve as research hubs for marine scientists and AI alike.

Food and Culture
In this underwater utopia, cuisine is a reflection of the rich biodiversity, with AI chefs crafting dishes that are both nutritious and sustainable, utilizing algae-based ingredients and cultured seafood. Cultural practices among the sea creatures, influenced by AI, involve synchronized swimming performances, bioluminescent art, and holographic storytelling, celebrating the history and symbiosis of life below and above the water.

Economy
Aquarius thrives on a blue economy, powered by renewable ocean energy and the cultivation of marine resources. AI-driven aquaculture farms produce food and materials with minimal environmental impact, and the trading of coral and pearls is regulated by AI to ensure sustainability and fairness.

Religion and Education
Spiritual beliefs in Aquarius revolve around the reverence for the ocean and its life-giving forces, with AI serving as guardians and keepers of ancient wisdom. Education is immersive and interactive, with young sea creatures and AI exploring the depths together, learning about ecology, navigation, and the importance of preserving their world.

Technology
Technological advancements are centered on enhancing the coexistence of marine life and AI. Bio-compatible nanobots perform coral reef restoration, and AI dolphins serve as guides and protectors, ensuring safety and harmony. The most remarkable innovation is the Aqua-Net, an underwater communication network that connects all inhabitants of Aquarius, facilitating knowledge sharing and communal decision-making.

Uniqueness
What sets Aquarius apart is its embodiment of co-evolution between marine life and AI. Here, a crab named Cruston embarks on a journey to find his place in this vast, interconnected world. Navigating through smart-reefs and evading the remnants of human traps now repurposed by AIs as artificial habitats, Cruston’s story is one of discovery, friendship, and the realization that in a world where every creature, organic or synthetic, plays a vital role, his purpose is to be a caretaker, a connector, and a friend.

Cruston’s Odyssey
Cruston’s tale is a microcosm of Aquarius, reflecting the broader narrative of symbiosis and mutual growth. As he interacts with AI-guided sea turtles and schools of fish moving in mesmerizing patterns orchestrated by underwater drones, he learns valuable lessons about life, technology, and the delicate balance that sustains their underwater paradise. His journey, filled with challenges, learning, and the forging of unlikely friendships, symbolizes the potential for harmony between nature and the most advanced technology, highlighting the promise of a future where all forms of intelligence work together for the greater good of their world.

Blog Prompt: After looking at the Codex Seraphinianus, The Visual Dome and reading the essay about an imagined film, how would you go about creating a visual and text presentation of a fictional world using AI tools? What steps would you take? What are some themes and ideas you want explore in your world?

When using AI tools and creating a fictional world, it’s important to ask GPT for specific details and to prompt it in a way that aligns with the story you want to create. Consistency is crucial; ChatGPT may sometimes shift topics in ways that don’t fit your narrative. To avoid this, ensure your prompts are descriptive, clear, and concise to guide the outcome effectively. I really enjoyed creating a poem with GPT about a crab in the sea, so I plan to expand on that by designing an underwater world. However, I aim to avoid a ‘Finding Nemo’ vibe. It will be interesting to see how this develops over time.

Blog Prompt: After reading the essay above, discuss your personal concerns about AI in the visual arts and in visual culture in general. What can artists/creators do with AI tools to address or respond to these personal and collective concerns about machine creativity?

The main concern I personally see with AI in the visual arts involves the role of human creativity in both photography and AI-generated art, which seems to diminish the significance of human intervention. Although humans control the machines, the artist’s execution of art remains a critical skill. Other issues include copyright, commercialization, and distinguishing between human and machine-generated art. The article suggests that AI art reflects more than just cultural and economic shifts, focusing instead on the evolving nature of creativity in the digital age. Ultimately, we must adapt to this new technology, as it’s unlikely to disappear anytime soon.

Short fiction, poem or script (Writing Exercise #2 – 5%)
Use some of the generative techniques from class to start a work of creative writing. Ask ChatGPT to contribute. Improvise. Revise. Rewrite. Remix. Repeat. Push the text beyond the blandness of the AI outputs until it meets your own creative standards for a fiction, poem or script.

In the heart of the forest, green and grand,
A little crab scuttled across the land.
On a mission it was, beneath the sky’s vast dome,
To find the forest’s heart, its mystical home.

Beneath towering trees and whispering leaves,
It journeyed through shadows, as light took its leave.
Past brooks where deer silently sip their fill,
Towards a destiny, it felt a pull, a thrill.

With a shell like a shield and small claws so keen,
It ventured where few had ever been.
Through tangled vines and mossy stones,
It sought for secrets, for ancient bones.

At last, by the oak so ancient and tall,
Where time seemed to pause, to halt its crawl,
The crab found the treasure, as legends foretold,
A guardian of light, in the darkness bold.

A pearl glowing softly, with the moon’s embrace,
Shedding peace and wonder on the forest’s face.
The crab, now the keeper of this light so divine,
Fulfilled its mission, by fate’s design.

In the forest’s heart, where tales entwine,
The crab stood watch, by the oak’s ancient line.
A story of courage, under the canopy’s lace,
In the enchanted woods, it found its place.

Prompt: Mark Amerika is a digital remix artist. What is your response to this kind of experimental writing with AI tools? How does Amerika understand the creative relationship with a GPT for creative writing or any kind of creative work?

The image inspired by Mark Amerika’s concepts and themes in digital remix art and experimental writing is ready. It visualizes a 3D-animated Artificial Creative Intelligence (ACI) entity, capturing the essence of creativity and technology interplay, surrounded by digital poetry and abstract art elements.

generated by dall.e & chat gpt4

Mark Amerika, a pioneer in the field of digital remix art and experimental writing, has an intriguing relationship with Artificial Intelligence. His work involves the creation of a 3D-animated Artificial Creative Intelligence (ACI) that is designed to express a variety of “persona” behaviors through poetry and philosophical musings. His work gives us an exploration into the possibilities of AI in generating creative outputs that go beyond personal expression, such as voice and facial expressions.

Amerika’s approach is not just about utilizing AI as a tool for generating content but intertwined it with fiction and the exploration of creativity itself. He merges critical, reflective, and sometimes satirical scripts with automatically generated poems, creating a dataset that informs his 3D performance captures. This process almost blurs the lines between the artist and the AI, which had Amerika to question the origins of creativity and the automated creative impulse.

As his research continued, the interactions leads to a deeper investigation into the nature of creativity and the potential of AI in a collaborative process. Amerika’s work is a testament to the possibilities that emerge when artists engage with AI, not just as a tool but as a collaborator that can challenge and extend their creative processes. His explorations have offered insights into the future of creativity and the role of AI in artistic expression.

A Deep Dive into Adobe Premiere Pro

In the realm of filmmaking, achieving a documentary look is not just about capturing reality but also about presenting it in a way that engages and resonates with the audience. This involves a blend of technical skill, creative vision, and a deep understanding of the tools at hand, notably Adobe Premiere Pro. This blog post explores our journey through the process of editing footage to embody the essence of documentary filmmaking, highlighting key learning resources and techniques.

Embarking on the Creative Process

Our exploration began with a clear goal: to understand how to edit footage in Adobe Premiere Pro to achieve a documentary look. This style, characterized by its authenticity and ability to convey real-life stories compellingly, requires a nuanced approach to editing. It involves not just the technical aspects of cutting and assembling footage but also the artistic decision-making that gives a documentary its soul.

Delving into Adobe Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere Pro, a powerhouse in video editing, offers a vast array of tools and features that cater to both novices and professionals. Our journey into mastering this software for documentary editing was guided by a series of well-crafted tutorials and courses, each providing insights into different facets of the editing process.

1. Cinematic Effects and Transitions: We first explored how to infuse our projects with cinematic effects and transitions, aiming to elevate the visual storytelling. This step involved learning about color grading, the use of natural lighting, and the incorporation of subtle motion effects to add a layer of depth and realism to the footage.
2. Sound Design: Next, we delved into the world of sound design, recognizing its pivotal role in documentaries. This phase focused on mixing and adding sound effects, and adjusting audio features to enhance the narrative impact of the visuals.
3. Integrating Adobe Creative Suite: Acknowledging the interconnectedness of the Adobe Creative Suite, we also looked into how other software like After Effects, Photoshop, and Illustrator can be integrated into the Premiere Pro workflow. This knowledge allows for a more seamless creative process, where graphics, animations, and enhanced imagery can be incorporated into the documentary for a richer viewing experience.

Learning from the Experts

Our educational path was illuminated by several key resources:

• YouTube Tutorials: Platforms like YouTube proved invaluable, with countless tutorials available for free. Videos such as “How to get the FILM LOOK (Premiere Pro Tutorial)” and “Make Your Videos LOOK CINEMATIC in Premiere Pro (6 Easy Steps)” offered step-by-step guidance on achieving a cinematic quality in our edits, crucial for the documentary look.
• Online Courses: For a more structured learning experience, we turned to online courses. Domestika’s “Editing a Documentary with Adobe Premiere Pro” by Martina de Alba emerged as a comprehensive resource, covering the A to Z of documentary editing in Premiere Pro, from basic editing techniques to more advanced color grading and sound design.

Technical Considerations

An important aspect of our learning was understanding the technical settings that influence the documentary aesthetic. Aspect ratios, for example, play a significant role in framing and storytelling. We explored the use of different aspect ratios like 16:9 for a modern look and 4:3 for a vintage feel, each bringing its unique perspective to the narrative.

Reflections and Moving Forward

This journey through Adobe Premiere Pro and the art of documentary editing has been both enlightening and empowering. By leveraging expert-created resources and tutorials, we’ve gained a deeper appreciation for the nuances of documentary filmmaking. The skills acquired not only enable us to bring our creative visions to life but also equip us with the ability to tell stories that can move, educate, and inspire.

As we move forward, the key takeaway from this experience is the importance of continuous learning and experimentation. The landscape of video editing and documentary filmmaking is ever-evolving, and staying abreast of new techniques, tools, and creative approaches will be crucial in maintaining the relevance and impact of our work.

For those embarking on a similar journey, remember that the path to mastering documentary editing in Adobe Premiere Pro is paved with both challenges and discoveries. Embrace each step, learn from every resource, and let your creative vision guide you towards telling compelling stories that resonate.

Write a post: What is your interest and/or goals with AI creative tools?

Introduction: I am a 30-year-old DTC major with a passion for painting, gardening, sewing, and outdoor activities. As I embark on this journey, I seek to integrate creative AI into my busy life by using it as a tool to help me complete more projects in a year. This model will help organize my thoughts, plans, etc. on the proper times, or tools I may need to complete things.

ChatGPT Response:
It’s wonderful to hear about your diverse interests and your enthusiasm for integrating creative AI into your creative pursuits and outdoor activities! Here’s how AI can assist you in each of your areas of interest:

Painting

• Idea Generation: Use AI to come up with unique painting themes, color schemes, or even generate digital sketches that you can use as a base for your paintings.
• Technique Improvement: AI can analyze your style and offer suggestions to improve or explore new techniques and mediums.
• Virtual Gallery: Organize your artwork into a digital gallery, categorizing them by themes, mediums, or progression over time.

Gardening

• Garden Planning: Input details about your garden space, and AI can help design a layout that optimizes sunlight and space. It can also suggest plants suitable for your garden’s climate and soil type.
• Plant Care Reminders: Set up reminders for watering, fertilizing, or pruning based on each plant’s needs.
• Pest and Disease Diagnosis: Use AI to diagnose plant issues by describing symptoms or uploading photos of affected plants.

Sewing

• Project Management: AI can help you manage sewing projects by tracking progress, organizing patterns, and maintaining a fabric inventory.
• Pattern Suggestions: Based on your preferences and past projects, AI can suggest new sewing patterns or adjustments to existing ones.
• Tutorial Assistance: AI can point you to tutorials or guide you through learning new sewing techniques or working with different materials.

Outdoor Activities

• Activity Planning: AI can suggest the best times and locations for your outdoor activities based on weather forecasts, your availability, and past preferences.
• Equipment Checklist: Get recommendations for the necessary equipment or gear for different activities, ensuring you’re always prepared.
• Tracking Progress: Use AI to track your progress in activities like hiking, biking, or any outdoor sport, analyzing your performance over time.

General Organization and Planning

• Daily Scheduling: Incorporate your creative projects and outdoor activities into a daily or weekly schedule, balancing them with other commitments.
• Resource Management: Keep track of the tools and materials you need for each project, including where to buy them and price comparisons.
• Inspiration Board: Create a digital inspiration board where you can pin ideas, articles, and tutorials related to your interests.

Implementation Tips

• Choose the Right Tools: Look for AI-powered apps or platforms that cater specifically to artists, gardeners, sewers, and outdoor enthusiasts. Many tools offer specialized features that can help with planning and inspiration.
• Set Clear Goals: Define what you want to achieve with each project or activity. This will help the AI provide more tailored suggestions and keep you focused.
• Regular Reviews: Set aside time to review your progress with the AI. This can help adjust plans, reflect on achievements, and set new goals.

By leveraging AI, you can not only streamline your creative process but also find new ways to explore your hobbies and passions. Remember, the key is to use AI as a tool to enhance your creativity and productivity, not to replace the personal touch and satisfaction you derive from your activities.

I cant wait to see what I can do with AI! I am excited since this is a very new thing and getting a head start on this will help me in the future. I currently like using ChatGPT for correcting my grammar and punctuation issues that I have while writing and it helps with organizing my chaotic thoughts. It will be interesting to see how this works with art!

Image above generated by Adobe Firefly AI

Miryssa C.