MIDDLE GERMAN NEWSPAPER
09.11.2024
By Anja Falgowski.

„One of the first films produced almost entirely with artificial intelligence has now been shown in Halle. Although it has already won an award, it is causing concern. HALLE/MZ. Is ‘transformation’ the future? The question deserves a twofold answer: In terms of content the science fiction short film – It is a good twelve minutes long long – hopefully not what is is coming for mankind. Technically, however, it probably does. ‘Transformation’ is one of the first, completely generated with artificial intelligence (AI) generated productions worldwide. On Friday it was at the congress of the Film Music Days Saxony-Anhalt. In their invitation, the organisers invitation of a ‘sensation’. The plot is, in keeping with science fiction, dystopian and quickly told: Humanity has destroyed its food chain destroyed its food chain. All that remains is the yellow food called yellow food, the consumption of which leads to emotionlessness and infertility. All kinds of artificial beings, from animal-like to fighting machines, can be seen, living animals no longer exist. Aliens finally destroy the world, and the last Drakzuls, highly intelligent beings, have to leave the planet. They find a new world. Everything will be fine for the time being, but probably not stay that way. Just people. Images are more important The film is a rather fast-paced sequence of scenes, the plot is less in the foreground than the images. Because they are revolutionary: The film was created entirely with created entirely with artificial intelligence. Only the screenplay, the sound design and the editing were produced in analogue. All by Marcel Barsotti, who is a film music composer. He has, for example ‘The Miracle of Bern’ or ‘The Pope’ for example. But because, as he says, science fiction fan all his life fan and also wanted to direct wanted to direct films himself one day, he turned to this genre. ‘In Germany, science fiction is not very highly regarded, so it is difficult to get funding,’ explains funding,’ he explains his turn to AI. ‘Uncharted territory’, as he admits, even for for him too. It took about six months to realise realisation of the film took about six months. A lot of work goes into the production of such a piece: 50 to 60 attempts for some scenes. In the process sometimes required ‘incredibly long prompts’ were necessary. To understand: A ‘prompt’ is a A ‘prompt’ is a type of order for the AI, such as ‘a child with a rat’s tail in a beech forest’. This is how the AI creates an image, which in turn becomes a scene. The 61-year-old used the best software the best software available on the market – at the time – and the technology has already has developed rapidly. His film still shows the limits of AI still visible, in motion sequences for example. ‘That works much better today. Six months ago half a year ago, the possibility of similarity to a real film was still at most 60 per cent at most. Today it’s 90.’ The reception of the film is interesting of the film. It was and still is numerous festivals at home and abroad, and the director has already received numerous awards for it.‘Germany is not very interested in AI either. Germany is not very interested. People abroad are verymuch more open,’ explains Barsotti. In Toronto he received the Peace Film Award for the content of the film, the warning of wars, the shift to the right and the influence of the environment on evolution. Lots of positive feedback but also scepticism. Because where the journey is heading is obvious: AI will play an ever greater role in the film business. ‘AI is never-ending,’ says Barsotti, ’at some point it will be used in every film be used in every film.’ If he hadn’t not produced this film, he says, someone else would have done it, thousands would be waiting in the would be waiting in the wings. And yes, of course the question would ultimately be how many professions within the film within the film business would be lost in the future would disappear in the future. At the moment, estimates Barsotti estimates that there are many KI films, their stories are still irrelevant. And emotions are currently still difficult to difficult to get into AI at the moment. ‘I says the director, ‘I see it at the moment as a kind of additional category in the film. I don’t believe at the moment that the live-action film can be replaced.’ But for how long longer? The guild has been facing the danger the face of the danger. Loud protests from actors, scriptwriters, musicians, dubbing actors. As is so often, in the end money will probably money will also play a decisive play a decisive role in this battle. Marcel Barsotti paid around 32,5000 euros for his short film. If the film had been produced conventionally it would have cost around eight million dollars. Even if he had employed people to realise the film in a highly professional manner, it would still have been cheaper Barsotti estimates. Curiosity and recognition The film screening took place as part of the of the congress under the title ‘Transformation – film music according to new rules’. Fitting, the signs of the times, the signs of the times hovered over the lectures, discussions and workshops. However, there was little sign of scepticism among the audience. Curiosity, openness and appreciation were evident in the comments after the screening the balance. ‘The development is unstoppable,’ says the director, who is already working on a screenplay script for a new film. And this might even be be a feature-length film.“