Generation – A experimental short film
- Categorisation
Generation is a unique two-minute experimental animation that manages to provide a thought-provoking reflection on life, while also showcasing how AI technology can be used to good effect. A mixture of animation and dance, soundtracked by a celestial voiceover.
- Form and Function
Opening on black, as we hear that aforementioned narration declare “and then she opened her eyes again”, Generation then cuts to its lead character, who at first we believe to be a “normal” woman, before discovering she’s actually much more. On the 17-second mark she starts to mutate and it’s just another 10 until she has exploded totally and transformed into an ever-changing jumbles of lights, particles and textures. The voiceover helps us to understand all that she represents, but it’s the combination of all elements of production that make this such a powerful watch.
The artist’s intention was to design a film with an infinite loop. Because of the amount of content in each frame, the author wanted the audience to watch it slowly.
- Process
The whole short film uses dance as the main subject, the author has made a secondary drawing of the dancer and filled in her silhouette with animation and film footage. This is complemented by the use of AI technology, which is used to create detailed and complex illustrations for each frame.
- Formal Elements
Generation uses a lot of extended space to control the rhythm of the film, using animation and AI to constantly change the image to present different compositions and colour&light contrasts from second to second. The movement of the dancers and the narration are used throughout the film, but also provide an extremely compelling experience.