Cinematic AI MMXXIV
In July of 2023, Runway released their GEN-2 image-to-video AI video generative model. It was a huge technological step in making AI video into a more cinematic medium that lead to a pivotal moment in my artistic development and inspired a three month run of creating a new AI video piece almost every other day. This period of my work was minted on the blockchain with my “Cinematic AI” collection in October 2023.
Almost a year later from when Runway GEN-2 was released, Luma AI released Dream Machine in June 2024 and helped push AI video to the next level. Dream Machine was the first publicly available product using next generation of AI video technology that OpenAI had first demonstrated with Sora in February 2024, but had not yet released when Luma made theirs available. In addition, Luma was the first to release image-to-video using this next generation AI video technology, which is critical for my art practice.
I was lucky enough to have early access to Luma Dream Machine and so I started creating new work with it immediately. It sent me on another creative streak, like I had done the previous year with Runway GEN-2, and I ended up producing a new AI piece almost every day. As I was creating these new pieces, I felt like I was living through a significant moment in the development of AI video technology. My own art practice was also going through a major transformation.
In light of all of this, I am releasing a new collection called “Cinematic AI MMXXIV” to permanently capture this moment in time. All of the pieces are exclusively made with Luma Dream Machine to highlight their contribution to the advancement of AI video technology and also a nod for being given the opportunity to be among the very first to use their product.
The collection is a curated set of 11 pieces from this burst of creative energy, which lasted from June 11 to early July.
pubLic sale
August 7, 2024 on SuperRare
The following are the 11 pieces that are part of “Cinematic AI MMXXIV” collection.
NOTE: Strongly suggest enabling audio for each video below to get the full experience of each piece.
High School
Created on 6/12/2024.
Eyes meet, then look away,
In the crowd, sparks and shadows,
Moments held and gone.
“I was lucky enough to get pre-launch access to Luma Dream Machine and so I created a short film with it. It's a bit of nostalgia with a tribute to John Hughes and life in high school.”
Different
Created on 6/15/2024.
Many origins,
From all corners yet adrift,
Everywhere, nowhere.
Long Walk
Created on 6/17/2024.
Silent paths unfold,
Capturing whispers of light,
Visions softly held.
“I wondered how long I could make a video with Luma new extend feature. I kept extending until it gave me a failure error. 1 minute 5 seconds total. Not bad at all.”
Conversations
Created on 6/18/2024.
Gazes softly meet,
Unseen threads of thought align,
Shared moments reveal.
“Sometimes things push forward through technology, but sometimes it's just how you approach things that help you discover how to tell your story. One thing that we often run into with AI people is the blank stare and so I had a theory that it's because we don't connect them with other people in the scene. You need people to look at other people, so that they can connect and feel more human. So in this experiment, I focus on conversations between two people to see if I can pull out more emotion from a scene. These are all very subtle conversations, not dramatic moments, but moments of connection.”
The Cure for the Common Consumer
Created on 6/19/2024.
Endless noise surrounds,
In quiet visions we heal,
A moment of rest.
“I'm always looking for that story, the one that feels like it is worth telling. I don't always find it. Beautiful scenes but I can't find the thread, so I abandon it... but then I find it in the simplest of places.”
Parental Control
Created on 6/20/2024.
Trembling hands hold tight,
Bound by fear and deep affection,
Night's shadows, love's light.
“I like juxtaposing emotions in unexpected ways that still ring true when you see the internal conflict it is illuminating. That feeling of horror and fear mixed with love that only a mother or father can know.”
Big Dreams
Created on 6/21/2024.
Modest life envisions,
Becoming vast, immense, proud,
Land bends to its march.
“This one plays around with a tilt-shift miniature look with the added flavor of a classic monster movie.”
Subspecies
Created on 6/22/2024.
Subtle lines observed,
Names from others shape our thoughts,
Reflection begins.
“This is a contemplation on race and relationships. It is a reflection of my own personal journey. It starts by looking at subtle differences like our eyes, our faces, and then how society and science has labeled us, but then reflects back on what that means in terms of our personal identity as human beings.
From a technical standpoint, this was a challenging piece, since MidJourney and many generative AI systems are not good at showing people of different races in the same scene. The race prompts tend to bleed through entire scene and so everybody is of one race. Also the types of racial elements I was trying to bring out were very subtle, like just the eyes, and the people were right next to each other.”
Ophelia
Created on 6/25/2024.
Amidst evening glow,
A girl wanders through the dusk,
Thoughts heavy, hearts light.
“Sometimes I create hundreds of images, then a hundred videos, but end up only finding a tiny thread of a story with a handful shots. There were lots of great shots for this piece, but they were disconnected… but I did find one, a simple one, a heart breaking one.”
The Wolf, The Warrior, and the Wardrobe
Created on 6/27/2024.
Eyes meet in silence,
In shadows, presence and gaze,
Night's primal embrace.
“Luma just released their new keyframes feature and I used it extensively in this piece. Every single transition is done using keyframes. It's a mashup of some classic fairy tales and childhood books.”
A Grey Matter
Created on 7/4/2024.
Shades within the soul,
Contours defy stark divides,
Life's unfolding truth.
“A contemplation on the subtleties of race and gender, despite the polarizations that exist around them in society that often position them as black and white.”