The Emperor's New Technology!

[Michael Lindsay]

NOTE: This is a comic BTS spoof short film!.. it is nearly all based on real experiences but set within a fictional AI conceit!​

Nearly all was shot on a Red Monstro (one Red Raptor shot) ​

'a frighting glimpse into the coming AI Robot creative apocalypse! ​

PS I finally got my hands on some camera tech before Phil Holland

 

[David Wyatt]

I for one would like to welcome our AI camera robot overlords...

 

[Michael Lindsay]

Hey I would really love some feedback on this film (don't worry it is short;-) and you can just say it isn't funny!)

A little background: I have been making commercial videos/films for a long time both as a Dop and as a Director. Earlier this year I was painfully quiet. So I wrote 6 little scripts lampooning ourselves and the industry. They all have a common conceit of a young keen YT person exploring the current film world fresh and keen. This is the 1st of these scripts realised.

This is a comedy but with hopefully a serious (to our industry) message. Comedy and tragedy are of course very close after all. So does this resonate at all for any of you guys? Do you recognise the characters?

Thank you! .. and I am just looking at new ways to tell stories..

 

[sander kamp]

My comment: great acting, well shot but I was kind of waiting for something dramatic to happen. Now the story is maybe a bit too much a very specific comment on how people in the industry behave in certain situations.

Anyway, don't take my comment too serious. Directing is hard and commenting is easy. You started something and finished it and that's huge! Keep going and you're going to get where you want to be!

 

[Les Hillis]

Hi Michael.

I thought it was a good video overall, but I did find it a bit confusing, and didn't really know what I was watching, especially at the start. Which was partly because the LAIKA-woof character was so convincing and well-played, I thought she might have been a real Youtube personality I didn't know about who was brought in to help you make the video.

Same with the Gunter Glass character, who I thought might have actually been someone in the industry taking the piss out of himself or people he knew (I even thought it might have been you acting the role), which I guess is a reflection of how well his character was written that an actor was able to play that character (and how good the acting was).

The accuracy of the annoying safety-officer was also a bit of a double-edged sword, as it was as annoying to watch and listen to her over-the-top kind of performance as it would be in real life. I did think her "dead/safe!!!" dance was one of the funniest things in the video though, so there's that.

Had a similar reaction to the Gunter character's gross description of the wine pouring into the glass, funny and clever, but still gross. Like-wise with his overall character, accurate, but kind of repulsive. Would have preferred to see a character like that get cut down to size or challenged rather than just being presented as is.

As the video progressed and it became clear how much of an actual production it was (not just you doing an actual BTS video making fun of your work), with clearly deliberate humour and set-pieces, and it made more sense what I was actually watching, it just made me even more unsure though what it was you were trying to say about the main issue being presented, namely the questions relating to the current AI situation. Confusion that was added to by the inclusion of the humanized robots, who it seemed to me we were supposed to feel sympathy for or relate to and which seemed to present a mixed message about AI. For example, I interpreted the potentially hostile look they gave towards the end of the video to be somewhat justified after seeing the preceding behaviour of the humans.

The robot's sentience and situation also seemed to be a separate issue to the current one of using AI intelligence to prompt creative output, and in that regard, the message seemed to be, it was okay, because at least it was real objects being manipulated. This seemed to be backed up by the fact that the prompts given to the AI worked perfectly and resulted in a seemingly perfect result. Again, I would have preferred this idea to be challenged, perhaps by showing the difficulties in getting the AI to generate the intended actions, and by presenting the output as generic and derivative (not that the Gunter character wouldn't have been gushing in his enthusiasm for such a result).

Anyway, sorry if the criticism is too much, all in all I'd say the video still has enough soul and punkdom to make it worth watching.

 

[Michael Lindsay]

Hi Sander

My comment: great acting, well shot but I was kind of waiting for something dramatic to happen. Now the story is maybe a bit too much a very specific comment on how people in the industry behave in certain situations.

Anyway, don't take my comment too serious. Directing is hard and commenting is easy. You started something and finished it and that's huge! Keep going and you're going to get where you want to be!

Thank you so much for your feedback!! Your comments are all encouraging!

I was kind of waiting for something dramatic to happen.

It was written with a big dramatic character arc for Laika (the Youtube newbie) but it is spread over 5 videos (the last one her withdrawing from SM)... She becomes more narcissistic and starts to crack.. perhaps as a whole, it would be more satisfying for you!

Did you find it funny?

anyway, thanks again!

Michael

 

[Michael Lindsay]

Hi Les

I am grateful for your considered response! .. and pleased you found it worth watching!

I thought it was a good video overall, but I did find it a bit confusing, and didn't really know what I was watching, especially at the start. Which was partly because the LAIKA-woof character was so convincing and well-played, I thought she might have been a real Youtube personality I didn't know about who was brought in to help you make the video.

I agree it is a little more confusing than it needs to be... I made the mistake of being tickled by the ideas of the occasional evangelical AI bro watching the 1st bit, getting angry and writing something mean. Prob wouldn't make it quite the same if I did it again..

The accuracy of the annoying safety-officer was also a bit of a double-edged sword, as it was as annoying to watch and listen to her over-the-top kind of performance as it would be in real life. I did think her "dead/safe!!!" dance was one of the funniest things in the video though, so there's that.

I am actually happy to hear this...

Had a similar reaction to the Gunter character's gross description of the wine pouring into the glass, funny and clever, but still gross. Like-wise with his overall character, accurate, but kind of repulsive. Would have preferred to see a character like that get cut down to size or challenged rather than just being presented as is.

Your read on this is great ... but I suppose I believe those guys are never cut down properly and laughing at him is all I felt I could offer. Perhaps (as he comes back in the script of a later episode) there will be an opportunity to address this for you...

As the video progressed and it became clear how much of an actual production it was (not just you doing an actual BTS video making fun of your work), with clearly deliberate humour and set-pieces, and it made more sense what I was actually watching, it just made me even more unsure though what it was you were trying to say about the main issue being presented, namely the questions relating to the current AI situation. Confusion that was added to by the inclusion of the humanized robots, who it seemed to me we were supposed to feel sympathy for or relate to and which seemed to present a mixed message about AI. For example, I interpreted the potentially hostile look they gave towards the end of the video to be somewhat justified after seeing the preceding behaviour of the humans.

Yours is an interesting take... Perhaps because one of the key inspirations for this was Amazon pretending to do something completely with AI that turned out to be 1000s of people in India I was always seeing things slightly differently. However, I am delighted if you had some sympathy for the robots!

I had wanted the robots to be both the comic ridiculing of everyone's desperateness to 'believe' and a reminder of the real people often relied upon/used then written out of the press releases!

So I have perhaps failed if people don't see it as the Emperor's new clothes re-told with AI as the fancy suite and the con men as our own desperateness to see and feel relevant.

all in all I'd say the video still has enough soul and punkdom to make it worth watching.

Thanks again! and I am glad you found it worth watching and funny in parts!

Michael

PS I am assuming it is ok I pass your thoughts to the actors..

 

[Les Hillis]

Thanks for your feedback to my feedback, knowing what the creators intentions were helps make sense of the results.

I was aware of that recent situation with the humans being passed off as AI but didn't make the connection you were making, that's not to say others might not have though, it seems obvious now in hindsight.

Not sure my opinion means anything, but by all means let the actors know they did a great job, even the defunct robot with delusions of grandueur.

Congrats on getting the project done to the standard you did, will check out the next installments for sure.

 

[M Harvey]

Congrats on the film, Michael! I think it looks great and really enjoyed the comedic performances.

As for the script, the industry satire hits (over the top commercial director who talks in poetry but has shallow ideas, the safety officer, the robots like the unappreciated techs doing the real work...). But I felt like I was missing something with the AI-- I didn't quite get what the angle on AI was, what practice or situation you were taking aim at or critiquing. I may just be missing a real world reference you're making.
The other thing I'd say is that the youtube host is our way into this world, and so I think we're likely to respond based on her reactions. So maybe having her character do more to challenge the crazy world she's stepped into would help make it clear what we're supposed to think about what we're seeing (for example, it's a much different film if she stops the director and says, "you know, I can't help but notice that those are just people in robot costumes..." and then see if he acknowledges that, or if he argues that they're not, or whatever). She does challenge the director ("why not use generative AI?"), but because I didn't really understand the reality of this film world, I found this a bit confusing-- what is it that the director thinks he's doing? Is this based on something real? In the world of this film, are these humans being controlled by AI, or AI robots that just look human (and look at the camera)?

 

[Michael Lindsay]

Thank you M Harvey for your thoughtful reply..!

You raise an interesting point... I may have dropped the ball a little in letting Laika be so likeable (perhaps more blindly narcissistic would have helped) and not letting the camera person's incredulousness be heard. I had imagined we, the cynical part of us anyway, are personified by the camera person's doubt explicit only in some operating choices. ....in an early edit you actually hear them muttering with incredulity... but when I previewed to a friend it confused them so I pulled.

When she does ask about generative AI I see this not as a true challenge but rather as a pre-arranged setup thing as so often seen in fluff pieces ... The camera spins around and he has sat down cause he knew he is going to be asked and he has a prepped response (Nolan gag)

One version of Hanlon’s razor I feel applies to the presenter: “Never attribute to malice or stupidity that which can be explained by moderately rational individuals following incentives in a complex system.” She is incentivised to lack doubt or to never ask difficult question.

Anyway thanks again for your thoughts... Hopefully, if we do make the series (which has a dramatic conclusion for Laika) you will enjoy the rest even more!

Michael

PS if interested this is a bit of a blog I did about why ... it has credits and some nice BTS pictures.

https://www.16ozfilm.com/news/2024/8/9/airobot