Welcome to the Future?: A Film History Study Scripted and Narrated by Artificial Intelligence

image by Midjourney

Today's video describes rain scenes in popular films.  I came up with the topic, but I did not write a single word of the script.  That job was assigned to three artificial intelligence programs: Creaitor, Write Sonic and ChatGPT.  The programs provided extensive information about rain scenes.  I must admit that the programs far exceeded my expectations.  But I did have to excise a snippet here and there.   Mostly, it was necessary to remove sentences that were redundant.  For instance, a single article included repeated references to rain being able to show a person's joy.  

Second, I had to remove passages that were inaccurate.  Strangely, the Write Sonic article described a number of scenes that do not exist.  Here's one: 

In the final scene of [Forrest Gump], Forrest stands at the grave of his lifelong love, Jenny, as rain pours down around him.  The rain serves as a symbol of Forrest's grief and sadness, as he says goodbye to the woman he loved.  But the rain also serves as a source of comfort and closure, washing away the pain and leaving Forrest with a sense of peace.

You can look at the full scene.  There are several teardrops.  No raindrops.

Here is  another one:

In E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the rain brings out Elliott’s (Henry Thomas) joy and happiness when E.T. returns home.

There is no rain in this scene.

But the AI tricked me with this one:

One of the most iconic scenes involving rain in movies is the opening scene of the classic film, The Graduate.   As Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) sits in the back of a limousine, the camera pans out to show a steady rain falling down on the city. This scene perfectly captures the confusion and angst Benjamin is feeling as he begins to navigate his new adult life.

I included this passage in the video's narration only to discover afterwards that this scene does not exist.  Why does the AI program believe that Benjamin Braddock watches a steady rain outside the window of a limousine?  The film opens with Benjamin arriving at an airport.  He walks out of the airport.  The scene dissolves.  Benjamin is home.  No limousine ride occurs.  Do androids dream of electric sheep?     

Of course, I had to blend the three articles.  It may be my fault if the blended commentary gets choppy at times.

Finally, the narration is provided by an AI-generated voice.  So, this video is very much an AI product.  I hastily assembled the film clips that appear in the video.  That was my humble contribution.   

I find consolation in the fact that an AI program cannot love a film the way that I do.  I asked ChatGPT if it loved Laurel and Hardy.  It replied, "As an AI language model, I do not have the capacity to love or hate.  However, I can appreciate the work of Laurel and Hardy as a classic comedy duo from the early 20th century."  A film historian should have true feeling about the topics that they address.  Otherwise, they could easily be replaced by AI. 

 

Additional notes

Evidently, AI understands humor.  Take a look at the following exchange in which an AI program created a joke. 

I omitted from the video a passage in which the AI program described the methods for creating rain on a movie set.  Let me now offer that passage. 

Creating rain on a film set is no easy task.  Filmmakers must carefully consider the logistics of creating rain, including the type of rain effect they want to achieve, the size of the set, and the safety of the actors and crew.

One common method for creating rain on set is to use a rain tower, which is essentially a large tower with multiple nozzles that spray water in a controlled manner. Rain towers can be adjusted to create different types of rain effects, from a light drizzle to a heavy downpour.

Another method for creating rain on set is to use rain curtains, which are essentially large sheets of fabric that are hung vertically and sprayed with water.  Rain curtains can be used to create a variety of rain effects, from a light mist to a heavy rainstorm.

Regardless of the method used, creating rain on set requires careful planning and coordination. Filmmakers must ensure that the rain falls in the right place at the right time, and that the actors and crew are safe and comfortable during filming.

This is a good opportunity to clear out my rain images folder.