Production Report #8

CONCEPT OVERVIEW

I will be exploring the general idea of how AI has affected the landscape of professional industries. The project will involve me creating 3 AI-assisted artworks and having in-depth conversations about them with 3 individuals all from different professions and backgrounds.


As the end of my project is fast approaching, I am focusing on finishing the script. It is going well so far as I am gathering the necessary resources to put it all together.

Here is a preview of what the intro narration sequence will look like.

INTRODUCTION

There is no shortage of technical debates on Artificial Intelligence and Human Creativity. Many industries are either beginning to or have been struggling with the decision to introduce, and therefore making the choice to depend on automated tools and systems versus investing in the potential of their skilled employees. However, meaningful conversations with uniquely qualified professionals will reveal that the solution lies in finding a harmonious balance that is inclusive of strengths coupled with a consistent effort to leverage them for design efficiency and effectiveness.

AI IN TODAY’S WORLD

The only constant, as the saying goes, is change. There are no truer words as Artificial Intelligence is transforming our modern world. More specifically, it’s changing how we think and what we do in our lives. As this technology continues to reshape our economies, humanity is faced with trying to understand the social consequences and the value creation that comes from it, which must ensure it is an inclusive driver for all.

But perhaps the most important question to answer is: what happens when thinking can be nearly or entirely replaced by a machine? There are chatbots that can answer anything we ask of them from writing essays, coding sites, and even playing games. The use of AI generative art is becoming increasingly popular as it can create whatever artwork we want as the program can understand nearly everything from the art style to the compositional angle we choose. This blurred line is the dilemma that professionals alike find themselves in. The hesitancy to embrace this technology is understandable, but maybe there are treasures to be discovered from it?

MY JOURNEY

I have personally been interested in AI’s capability and its limitless potential to provide enormous benefit but also lead to irreversible damage. From my observations of the world, it is clear to me that human beings are now or will soon be competing with AI. As an aspiring visual arts creator, I am fully aware that there is a real possibility that my passion, knowledge, and skills will be considered obsolete and rendered useless and replaced by a simple typing of a prompt. On the other hand, seeing AI generative art emulating detailed images that a graphic designer could do is no doubt amazing, but still concerning. To deny the important and significant role of AI is not the answer which is why I feel there is incredible value to be gained by talking to people who can bring their creativity and contextual understanding to advance the current narrative.


MY PROCESS

I talked with three individuals from different industries and gained a broader perspective of how or if AI is affecting their work and their concerns about it. In addition, I made three sets of AI-generated work and held conversations about it. To create the content that I wanted to present to my participants, I used the generative art program Midjourney, the chatbot ChatGPT 4, and the image to video service Runway ML.

There are multiple steps in this process that need to happen. After the script is written, I will read all the lines and record them in a software like Audacity that allows the user to record audio. I have a few options for microphones, but the mic that I’m thinking of using is simply the iPhone’s microphone as it is very effective in picking up on a lot of quality sound.




After this process is done, I will take the audio files and import it into my video editing software of choice, Adobe Premiere Pro. With the audio files in place, I will need to fill in the remaining holes in the timeline by acquiring stock footage, photos, and music through the free to use stock image sites pixabay and pexels. These sites provide good quality videos, and they are copyright free.


My process for crafting this film will involve me utilizing various tools including an editing software, a site that provides free to use stock footage, photos, and music, a microphone to record my narration, and the AI artwork that I created.



Segments or snippets from the interviews might be included. It is an extensive process to sift and sort through the 1 hour and 30 min long recordings and will require getting permission from my participants to share the video with others.

Most importantly, I will showcase all the AI work done throughout this project.

I understand that it is close to the end of the semester with not much time remaining. However, given the timely planning and scheduling of project tasks that I’ve been doing and my prior experience in making films, I believe that I’ll be able to successfully capture the research and the design decisions along my capstone project journey.

ADVISORS:

Aaron Austin - Technical Advisor (primary advisor)
- 3rd meeting scheduled for next week.

John Garafolo – Technical Social Impact Advisor (alternate advisor) 

- I have received sufficient support from him and will not require additional sessions.

Participants:

Shelley Marshall #1 – Director of Digital Strategy / Healthcare Marketing
-    Completed interview.

Charles D’Angelo #2 – Attorney/Freelance Photographer
-    Completed interview.

A.J. Calomay #3 – Professional Post-Production Film Editor
-    Completed Interview.

Currently Planned Schedule:
 
Week 1 (1/22 – 1/28):            Research AI current events
Week 2 (1/29 – 2/4):              Contact advisors and participants
Week 3 (2/5 – 2/11):              Experiment with AI Programs
Week 4 (2/12 – 2/18):            Reframe my focus for this project.
Week 5 (2/19 – 2/25):            Read resources and develop AI Mini Projects.
Week 6 (2/26 – 3/3):              Continue to develop projects and work on interview questions.
Week 7 (3/10 – 3/17):            Complete all interviews with all participants.
Week 8 (3/18 – 3/24):            Continue to complete all interviews with all participants.
Week 9 (3/25 – 3/31):            Take the work, assess, and further research the information given.
Week 10 (4/1 – 4/7):              Compile all the work and build a presentation format.
Week 11 (4/8 – 4/14):            Continue to work on presentation and make revisions.
Week 12 (4/15 – 4/21):          Review one last time before final submission.