Interview first published: https://www.stashmedia.tv/jordan-clarke-meets-an-ai-who-wants-to-be-famous/ 

Jordan Clarke: 

This is a story about an A.I. that wanted to be famous, also written and performed by an A.I. (paraphrased and edited by a human) and visualized by a human (me), flipping the norm of what we see in the AI-driven art world today. 

I knew from the start that I wanted complete control over absolutely everything, which meant doing everything myself from the writing/prompting to all the animation and compositing, as well as the sound and editing. 

I feel like, until recently, this unilateral control would not have been possible. However, the tools (both AI and traditional) are getting to the point where a single person is now able to achieve what only a team and render farm could have just a few years ago. 

On top of this, my budget was minimal and my timeframe was somewhat limited as my subject matter was very current and I wanted to get this project made and out within a couple of months so that it was still a part of the *zeitgeist*. 

A lot of people in the creative field are worried about the effect that AI will have, but I feel it will allow more individuals to create exactly what is in their head without a budget or the need to hire a team. I think it’s very exciting. 

From a technical perspective, the resources and tutorials online allowed me to achieve exactly what I wanted for each shot and corresponding script. If you type ‘how to make a person crumble into particles’ into YouTube, you will find a Houdini tutorial for it. This is why I suggest learning at least a bit of Houdini, as it can literally make almost anything you envision possible. 

Another technique that I found super useful was editing in Davinci Resolve before even starting the project. I take my story and type it out in text blocks as shots in Resolve. I then start editing the written work to the music. 

From there I start blocking out shots in Cinema 4D with basic mocap and replacing the written words in Resolve. I’m basically editing the video throughout the entire animation and design process. 

I think being the editor and the writer, as well as an animator and 3D artist, is a huge advantage as it allows me to take advantage of little gems and new techniques I find while working in Cinema 4D along the way and incorporate them into the story. This would not be possible in the same way if I was working with a team. 

A lot of people in the creative field are worried about the effect that AI will have, but I feel it will allow more individuals to create exactly what is in their head without a budget or the need to hire a team. I think it’s very exciting.