Closeness (Assignment 2 Video)
Reflecting on my Assignment 2, I initially aimed to explore multiple themes related to AI, but I eventually narrowed it down to the ideas we’ve discussed in class and those that align with topics I encounter in my everyday life, both socially and individually. One of the core concepts I wanted to address was the irony of how technology, which is designed to connect us, often ends up alienating us from genuine human interactions. I thought about how technology drastically changes how we connect with others and how essential emotional connection and vulnerability are for the human experience. Yet, technology can sometimes hinder those experiences. In our studio, we’ve often explored the idea of AI as a threat to human emotions, creativity, and relationships. I wanted my short film to take those themes to the extreme, pushing the notion that AI could eventually place ethics, consent, and genuine human relationships at risk.
Creating the short film with generative AI was a challenge, especially as I initially wanted the story to be more complex and for the AI-generated videos to perfectly match my envisioned storyboard. However, I had to adjust my approach due to practical constraints, such as my limited experience with AI software, time constraints, and deadlines. Feiten et al.’s idea of creative constraints leading to ‘the emergence of novel constraints which in turn afford new creative trajectories’ (2023: 316-317) was very relevant during this process. The frustrations I encountered when the AI failed to generate what I envisioned forced me to pivot and reuse some of the clips. Surprisingly, this led to a result I was even more satisfied with than anticipated.
The repetition and reuse of the same video clips in different parts of the film added a level of intensity and helped emphasise the themes I was exploring. This approach created a different vibe and aesthetic, transforming the limitations of AI into an advantage. Rather than strictly following conventional narrative structures, I adopted a more experimental approach by using repetition and looping to challenge conventional narrative structures (Hales 2020: 160). The looping and repetition of some clips added suspense and helped build a stronger emotional tone towards the desire and determination of the subject in my video.
In the end, I was quite pleased with what I created, particularly because I was able to produce a film in an accessible way despite the challenges. I hope to revisit this project in the future to enhance it with more compelling AI-generated content that would further develop the overall vibe and themes. For now, I’m proud that the piece communicates a clear narrative while also experimenting with unconventional cinematic techniques and reflecting on the more threatening aspects of AI advancements in our society.
References
Feiten TE, Peck Z, Holland K and Chemero A (2023) ‘Constructive constraints: On the role of chance and complexity in artistic creativity’, Possibility Studies & Society, vol. 1, no. 3. https://rmit.instructure.com/courses/139133/pages/week-5
Hales C (2020) ‘Weird and Wonderful: How Experimental Film Narratives Can Inform Interactive Digital Narratives’, Interactive Storytelling, 12497, 149–163. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62516-0_14