At Sundance, Filmmakers Debunk AI Myths by Showcasing Human Creativity's Role
Adobe's "Showtime! Park City: Gen AI Showcase" at the Sundance Film Festival highlighted how filmmakers are leveraging generative AI tools to expand creative expression. Taryn O'Neill and Momo Wang presented their short films, "MythOS" and "Wink," respectively, both created with Adobe Firefly and other AI tools in remarkably compressed timeframes.
O'Neill's live-action hybrid, "MythOS," featuring a distinctive whale sequence, was completed in one month. Wang's "Wink," inspired by her rescue cat, took 28 days to produce five minutes of 3D animation rendered in a 2D style. While these timelines are impressive, both filmmakers emphasize that human artistry remains at the heart of storytelling.
O'Neill dispels the myth that someone can create a great AI film on their lunch hour, stating that her team's collaboration with "really talented, passionate people" was crucial to its creation. Wang faced technical challenges, such as lip-syncing for animal characters, requiring hundreds of attempts to achieve the desired result.
The filmmakers employed different workflows adapted to AI tools. O'Neill's team pre-visualized the entire film using Firefly boards before shooting with actors on green screen, then composited them into AI-generated backgrounds. They also created digital doubles of actors with full consent for wider shots. Wang took a primarily visual approach, stating that she is "an artist" and not an engineer.
Both filmmakers stressed the importance of documenting prompts and maintaining stylistic consistency across teams of freelance AI artists. O'Neill described using cinematic language in prompts, specifying camera angles and lenses to achieve desired visual effects. Wang's film drew from her personal experience dating over 300 people for material for a popular online comic series, ultimately telling a story about finding love and acceptance without pretense.
The panel also highlighted how AI tools have democratized certain aspects of filmmaking while raising new questions about copyright and attribution. O'Neill aims to counter post-apocalyptic narratives with stories about potential positive futures, saying "If people can't see what our potential futures are, how are we going to create it?" Wang pushed back against fears that AI would replace human creativity, stating "The tool is fixed, but people, we are flexible."
Ultimately, both filmmakers emphasized the importance of collaboration in the AI era. O'Neill urged filmmakers to find their tribe and tell stories together, saying "Your personal story is incredible, but let's do it all together."
Adobe's "Showtime! Park City: Gen AI Showcase" at the Sundance Film Festival highlighted how filmmakers are leveraging generative AI tools to expand creative expression. Taryn O'Neill and Momo Wang presented their short films, "MythOS" and "Wink," respectively, both created with Adobe Firefly and other AI tools in remarkably compressed timeframes.
O'Neill's live-action hybrid, "MythOS," featuring a distinctive whale sequence, was completed in one month. Wang's "Wink," inspired by her rescue cat, took 28 days to produce five minutes of 3D animation rendered in a 2D style. While these timelines are impressive, both filmmakers emphasize that human artistry remains at the heart of storytelling.
O'Neill dispels the myth that someone can create a great AI film on their lunch hour, stating that her team's collaboration with "really talented, passionate people" was crucial to its creation. Wang faced technical challenges, such as lip-syncing for animal characters, requiring hundreds of attempts to achieve the desired result.
The filmmakers employed different workflows adapted to AI tools. O'Neill's team pre-visualized the entire film using Firefly boards before shooting with actors on green screen, then composited them into AI-generated backgrounds. They also created digital doubles of actors with full consent for wider shots. Wang took a primarily visual approach, stating that she is "an artist" and not an engineer.
Both filmmakers stressed the importance of documenting prompts and maintaining stylistic consistency across teams of freelance AI artists. O'Neill described using cinematic language in prompts, specifying camera angles and lenses to achieve desired visual effects. Wang's film drew from her personal experience dating over 300 people for material for a popular online comic series, ultimately telling a story about finding love and acceptance without pretense.
The panel also highlighted how AI tools have democratized certain aspects of filmmaking while raising new questions about copyright and attribution. O'Neill aims to counter post-apocalyptic narratives with stories about potential positive futures, saying "If people can't see what our potential futures are, how are we going to create it?" Wang pushed back against fears that AI would replace human creativity, stating "The tool is fixed, but people, we are flexible."
Ultimately, both filmmakers emphasized the importance of collaboration in the AI era. O'Neill urged filmmakers to find their tribe and tell stories together, saying "Your personal story is incredible, but let's do it all together."