AI does not yet excel at film craft on its own, but it works well with humans. Creative technologist and director, Research Arts (Thomas Harrington Rawle), is the latest artist to explore that potential. The experimental film, AUTOMATIC, explores how emerging technologies can be integrated thoughtfully into creating visuals, without compromising craftsmanship or creative intent. 

AUTOMATIC, created with a hybrid production process that combines traditional CGI, compositing and colour grading with custom AI-assisted workflows, reflects a broader shift within the role of post-production. New technologies are not replacing human-led art, but are now expanding the ways artists can feed existing ideas into new designs.

“To me the really interesting thing about AI is how one can now write custom pieces of software that create interesting pipelines and processes. The generative output has never really been something I find that interesting but the novel combinations of techniques in custom sandboxes that are highly malleable is a huge deal. In this instance we wrote software that made it very rapid to experiment with the mechanics of the robots as well as the pieces. This made what would usually be an intensive technical process feel more like painting or illustrating abstract forms direct from the mind. In short building custom mechanics to make the highly technical more illustrative and intuitive,” Research Arts stated. 

Originally conceived as a self-initiated exploration of machine aesthetics, AUTOMATIC became an opportunity to rethink the relationship between technology and creative practice. Rather than adopting the increasingly familiar and unauthentic visual display of generative AI, AUTOMATIC explores an approach that allows for greater creative freedom. AI is used during moments of experimentation and ideation to discover unexpected forms, generate entirely new visual references and accelerate exploration. Those ideas are then rebuilt, refined and directed through traditional CGI, with every creative decision remaining under the artist’s control.

“Technology can generate endless possibilities, but it can’t replace artistic judgement. For us at Studio Private, often the exciting part is using these tools to uncover forms we wouldn’t otherwise have imagined. We are able to bring an element of creativity from the onset when working with global brand’s visions, applying craft to turn those discoveries into something original and authentic,” commented Bianca Redgrave, managing director at Studio Private, that represents Research Arts.