I don’t see myself ever creating a hyperrealistic piece, that’s not necessarily my personal style of art or something I’ve ever consumed. Instead I’m more interested in how I could use AI to expand on existing content. Perhaps expand on a new frame that I didn’t manage to capture or as a way to soothe my anxiety for not having captured a moment in the right way or with the right tools.
In my ideation process, I started out by making a small moodboard for visuals I may want to explore, but no story felt fitting. Below are some ideas that spoke to me, however instead I explored how to turn some of my own existing film pictures into somewhat of a narrative.
- Documentary / visuals for a favourite poem or image.
- Fake NYC influencer vlog for someone like Lil Miquela
- Postcards from another world
- Animé style story
- Meditation session / body work
Successes and lessons learned
- Prompts should only include what’s already not in the shot.
- Prompts that work on a pre existing image:
- Dynamic motion. Camera moves through the scene. People don't change position.
- Subject cheerfully poses, color grading remains the same as original image.
- Dynamic aerial motion around a lake, two shots looking from another point of view.
- Dynamic aerial motion through street and turning left to another street where the last tram is seen moving
- Filmic styles can be achieved with phrases like "low contrast" or"muted colours.”, but most videos came out way too saturated.
- ✔️ Export Media → Match Source → 20 Target Bitrate.
Fails and future iterations of this project
- Taking existing people will inevitably result in superhuman unrealistic style movements, especially when there are too many subjects.
- Beer - it just can’t do it.
- People moving will lead to gender changes.
- Videos always were generated in slow motion.
- Voice Cloning with Eleven Labs was limiting, but it’s something I would want to explore in the future. The natural textures of my voice felt fitting to the project.
- Adding subtitles with a different service. File was too big for Runway ML.
- Animate title, with paper wrapping underneath.
- Child photo was flagged.
Feedback in class:
- People shots at the beginning were impactful.
- Volume of music too loud.
- Should add a pause at the beginning.
- Make it longer and slower.
- Use subtitles and pauses as tools to get the audience to connect more with my message.
Script - A love letter to film photography
Every once in a while, you meet someone who’s deeply in love with life. My camera has met all these people right there with me.
My film camera has touched all the places and people I call home.
It’s seen the quietest and loudest of times. The loneliest and happiest.
Every place and person that has ever meant anything to me has stared down my camera. It’s all imprinted in my film - mostly.
I can see in Berlin when I first realised I could be happy on my own. I went back to the same spot over the years and can tell exactly from which year is which photo.
I see every ingredient that’s made me who I am.
When I first fixed up my dad’s 1975 camera. And the 2001 one. I remember every single disposable roll I took with me on trips.
New York has not yet stared down my camera. I wonder if that’s a reflection of how I’m spending my time here.
As of now, I have taken 675 film photos. Many more to come. I wonder what other changes it will reflect, if I’ll ever make the time to learn how to develop my own and what that may mean. Only time will tell.