Thesis Workshop Blog Posts

In all honesty, the feedback that I received from my Proof-of-Concept demonstration was very mixed. While I was personally satisfied with how my script took shape in spoken word, the classmates felt as though the inclusion of multiple overlapping voices was jarring and inhibited clarity. Since the scene I recorded involves the two main characters talking with each other in the midst of a rambling college lecture, my aim in including the professor’s continuous speech among the background sound effects was to make listeners feel as though they were in the classroom themselves. Perhaps it would have been more comprehensible if I did not voice three out of the four parts. This is not to say that the feedback was entirely negative, however. It seems that the dialogue was appropriately realistic and engaging, and people expressed interest in where the story was leading after this scene. This is what is most important for the script itself, so I was glad to hear that I achieved a certain level of quality with the story itself. If I were to produce another audio-based deliverable, I would likely choose another scene where there are less words being spoken overtop of each other. I would like to focus mostly on the script itself going forward.

While I have not yet officially formed my committee, I have begun to send emails of inquiry to the professors that I have chosen and plan to meet with them in-person once we return to campus. If I can, I would be more than happy to sell the larger story which surrounds this project to a studio, or perhaps partner with them so that I retain some amount of creative control.

(I was under the incorrect assumption that this entry was due once we returned from break, I sincerely apologize for my delay and hope that this is still acceptable)

The article AI Generated Cinema details the relatively brief, yet surprisingly rich, history of films written, co-written, or generated entirely by AI in terms of their performance at various competitions and their reception in the broader public eye. It offers an interesting glimpse into a world with which I am somewhat unfamiliar, as the communities with which I primarily identify plainly despise the use of AI in anything creative, so I do not often feel as though my conscience “permits” me to consume such media. Reading now about the success of films such as Sunspring and The Safe Zone, I have become curious with witness firsthand the evidently well-received instances of human and machine collaboration in the creative space, which many of us seem to believe is impossible.

In this way, witnessing a perspective that is notably more positive than what I am used to has been refreshing, but I am still interested in exploring why so many are hesitant about embracing AI technology within certain sectors, namely those that require a creative touch. The supposedly dangerous encroachment of AI is a central topic of my story, and while I have mainly focused on exploring science fiction tropes through a critical lens during this course, I believe that grounding my arguments more firmly in information surrounding the more tangible role of AI in our daily lives will increase the relevancy of my claims. This article has more than anything pointed me in the direction of valuable reference material to further expand my arguments.

For my Proof of Concept, I submitted a short audio recording of an early scene of my script being read out by myself and a friend. While I want to save the bulk of my feedback analysis for next week’s post, I will say that my decision to make the audio composition lean towards immersive did not seem to go over very well. I am happy with what I produced, but in order to ensure comprehensibility, I will have to reduce some of the auditory clutter which I included as an attempt towards realism

ARTICLE:https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-54752-2_3

The Evolution of Voice Over: From Human Narratives to AI-Enhanced Experiences provides an insightful, if heavily abridged, overview of the advancement of voice over techniques across various media formats and how voice over has been implemented throughout history. Arriving at the modern era, the article discusses examples of how AI is currently revolutionizing the practice, painting the melding of human creativity with AI in a largely positive light, yet still encouraging readers, especially those aspiring to use the technology in their own work, to take care in preserving the sanctity of a genuine human voice within the industry, echoing the concerns of many media consumers who would rather not see AI implemented in these fields at all.

In all honesty, I was hoping that this article would go into far more depth in regards to the actual techniques and processes involved with enhancing voice work with AI. I found the whole thing to be very cursory, but some of the cited examples of AI implementation now have me considering whether or not to implement some elements of AI in my Proof-of-Concept assignment. Using an AI voice for the robotic character that will be shown may prove interesting, and as AI continues to appear more frequently in media and creative outlets, knowing how to produce and style it to appear authentic will no doubt serve my versatility in the job market.

I spent my production day on the script for the Independent Study course. By the end of the day today, I will have enough of the script completed to begin voicing/editing the Proof of Concept from which the script will be produced. I have not yet met with my committee members, as I spent the majority of last week in bed with a leg injury. I am planning to schedule some meetings this week in regards to requesting my chosen professors’ participation in my committee.

ARTICLE: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373946333_The_Evolution_of_Voice_Over_From_Human_Narratives_to_AI-Enhanced_Experiences

In seeking a resource which would help me to further define the exact processes by which AI operates and the classifications between different models, I found the article The Three Types of Artificial Intelligence to be just what I was looking for. Though brief, it offers several valuable examples of how each type of AI, those being ANI, AGI, and the still-hypothetical ASI, function in real-world scenarios and how the differences between them are defined. Even aside from the contents of my project, I feel far more informed in my navigation of AI technology as its prominence increases in our society, as well as classroom discussions pertaining to the topic.

I was still, however, immediately interested in this article for what it had to say about ASI, or artificial super intelligence, a futuristic, yet unachieved model that can replicate the sophistication of the human mind. This type of AI is what is most often implemented in depictions of robots in science fiction, and it is thus very relevant to the contents of my story. Now that I am more familiar with the processes by which ASI may operate in the real world once it is achieved, the realism of my robotic characters will surely be further improved. In addition, further understanding the types of AI which have already been realized will no doubt allow me to add depth to the background details.

I have made decent progress in drafting my script over the past few days. I am moving way from the outline phase and trying to catch up with where I feel that I should be at this point in the semester, and I plan to have a full draft finished by the end of this month

WRITING EXERCISE-

“Science fiction is significant in studies of human culture as it is an ancient and enduring form of literature that has been part of what Brian Aldiss called our “cultural wallpaper” since the origins of recorded history” (Menadue, 2017); This notion has been the central driving force of my research thus far in our class, as I have strived towards realism in my script above all else. Specifically, I aim to draw from real life concerns about the advancement of AI technology in order to make the “scares” present in my story more realistic. Scientists “sometimes…assume that fiction, particularly dystopian science fiction, can have a very powerful, and inevitably negative, impact on an ignorant public, driving ‘the masses’ to dread the potential of science and technology”, (Kitzinger, 2010), and while this should be a cause for dire concern in a normal setting, I hope to capitalize on the surveys and available information that I have found which essentially tells me exactly which beats I need to hit in order to illicit a reaction

SOURCE-

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://eztuir.ztu.edu.ua/bitstream/handle/123456789/6479/142.pdf

The article Artificial Intelligence in Military Application-Opportunities and Challenges not only provides extremely insightful perspective into the rapid integration of artificial intelligence technologies into military spaces, a central point of concern for many Americans, but an extremely detailed review of the three types of AI and key moments in its advancement over the years. One of the main reasons for my persistent interest in exploring topics related to AI for my project is the fact that I did not possess a clear understanding of its history and the processes by which it operates before undergoing research for this course. Looking deeper into the topic was something that I’ve always wanted to do, but have never found the time for.

Thus, somewhat unexpectedly, this article has been the most informative yet in terms of enriching my understanding of what each different major AI model does and the logic behind their programming. This article provides incredibly valuable foundations for my main arguments and areas of interest, and additionally, the discussion of military applications for the technology informs the manifestation of yet another public fear which surrounds it. Given that the implementation of AI technologies within military sectors is another key conflict of my story, it helps to understand how these processes are actually carried out.

The feedback on my Pre-Production Binder was largely positive. The included excerpt of my outline was well-received, and my classmates were very receptive to the vision of my story’s world as defined through reference images and descriptions

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Saba-Javed-6/publication/378527284_EFFECT_OF_ARTIFICIAL_INTELLIGENCE_ON_THE_HUMAN_WORKFORCE/links/65df07c2adf2362b635aa3fa/EFFECT-OF-ARTIFICIAL-INTELLIGENCE-ON-THE-HUMAN-WORKFORCE.pdf

This article covers a good range of topics involving the use of AI and robotics technologies in the workforce, which is an issue that I would like to call attention to in my story, even if it is only in small capacity given the limited nature of the script. The data discussed in the article constitutes compelling evidence that artificial intelligence has already eliminated a notable portion of human job opportunities within the American workforce and how this automation poses special risk to workers belonging to marginalized communities. This evidences the fears of survey respondents discussed in my previous blog entries who indicated that they believed AI held the potential to reduce the amount of available jobs for the sake of profit and provided concrete proof that this is already occurring, strengthening the points drawn in these studies.

Specifically, a central goal of the AI company serving as the antagonist of my story is the mass-automation of labor, a movement which the protagonists are aware of and are attempting to thwart. Seeing data that proves the reality of this danger is reassuring in that I now feel more equipped to present this situation realistically, even if it only constitutes a small scene in the larger script. The data will also be very useful in supporting the claims I plan to make in my accompanying research essay.

As of now, I have not had the time to dedicate any significant attention to my training modules. However, the process of finding articles through Temple’s library service has become far easier with Kristina’s instruction, as she has visited my Colloquium class several times and advised us on how to best use the library’s various databases

All in all, I am satisfied with the course of my research thus far. This is due largely to the fact that I did not enter this class with a very clear idea of what sort of essay I wanted to devote my required research hours to or what topics I should explore in conjunction with my script. Through what could simply be described as poking around, I have discovered several interesting research phenomena which work well alongside the creative aspects of my project, and I am interested in exploring them further still. I am pleased with the number of sources that I have thus far collected and the fact that I had enough material of the actual script to bring even a small demo to life for last week’s class. As for the specific goal of my accompanying research and its implications for my script, I have largely focused on exploring how real-world, possibly unfounded concerns about AI and other sci-fi-like technologies can inform the direction of my script as far as enhancing its potency. I believe that this perspective has already begun to positively influence how I portray my characters and the world around them, and the content of my research report will likely focus on the perception of this type of media within the public eye and how actual scientific research is molded by it, if sufficient data is available. As we progress to the second half of the semester, I am excited to transition away from the outline phase of my script and into the first on-paper draft, which I will ideally begin soon

The feedback on the project treatment and initial media was welcome, as most of the comments appeared positive about the content of the outline. The questions I received pertained to the eventual inclusion of sound effects and the intended editing process in general, and while I did not initially plan to include a significant amount of music interludes/sound effects in the final reading, our in-class discussion was a valuable opportunity to consider different possibilities

The article Benefits or concerns of AI: A multistakeholder responsibility provides an incredibly insightful, interdisciplinary review of the overall perception of AI technology in our society, sourced from the examination of AI’s influence on both the arts and sciences and how these two distinct fields of study and commerce influence each other. The detailed approach taken to discussing the implementation of AI in various businesses and mediums of communication was very informative, as while I previously recognized that AI has come to have a sweeping impact on multiple facets of our daily life, witnessing the detailed dissection of concrete examples and studies has helped me come to understand with more clarity the sheer gravity of its presence, and more of the specific concerns that the population is expressing as its presence becomes only more significant.

Thus far I have made it clear that a fear of AI, whether truly founded or not, is a theme that I want to instill within my story. The discussions that I have found regarding fear which stems from science fiction media is helpful for informing my writing style and presentation, but as far as the actual content of my piece, more pragmatic or business-minded reservations such as those presented in this article are very helpful to observe

As of now, I have not been able to dedicate any significant amount of time to my training modules. This week is looking a bit lighter, however, so I should be able to begin them with full force at some point during the week’s latter half

The article Human Culture and Science Fiction: A Review of the Literature, 1980-2016 is, again, reminiscent of the research pertaining to the role of science fiction in influencing the public conscience discussed in my Week 2 blog entry, which is very quickly becoming a topic upon which my essay will heavily focus. This reading in particular emphasizes the timeless role of science fiction in our society, bridging the intellectual gap between sciences and the humanities and serving as a key fold in what is described as our “cultural wallpaper”, swaying our perceptions of the world unconsciously. This ties perfectly into past articles which I have explored, and the respondent data collected through this study yet again confirms that, while audiences ultimately view science fiction media with a certain degree of skepticism, they are still prone to at least consider what they have seen of it when examining real world science.

Again, this is a topic which fascinates me. Due to the fact that the findings of this study are so clearly laid out, citing examples of specific works of fiction and how they are interpreted by respondents, understanding and playing off of this perspective will help me to further realize authenticity in portraying the key, fear-inducing aspects of my world.

I have made some progress on my scripts plot diagram and still plan to have a full, three-act version completed by the end of the week. Aside from that, I will be correcting my source list in the Essay Outline assignment. In my haste, I accidentally listed copies of several sources as if they were new entries. I will have new entries to replace them as soon as I can, and I sincerely thank you again for your patience as I return to my feet.

1. I found the research report Questioning the sci‐fi alibi: a critique of how ‘science fiction fears’ are used to explain away public concerns about risk to be very interesting, and especially relatable in terms of how I view my own project. In summary, it discusses the ways in which the public conscience within western nations has been irreversibly altered by influential works of science fiction, namely titles such as Brave New World which deal with scientific processes that are not so farfetched as to be forever unattainable in reality, and how the average citizen’s impression of actual scientific research echoing elements of these stories may be soured by the fear of whatever negative outcome is reaped by the futuristic sciences depicted in fiction. Surveys and interviews conducted by the authors reveals that while many scientists feel as though science fiction stories containing themes of horror and disaster have subliminally discredited advancements in real sciences by instilling fear into the general public, most interview participants do not feel as though their perception of the content of science fiction media has significantly impacted how they view real-world advancements in science. While the adoption of certain terminology and imagery which was derived from science fiction media could be interpreted as dismissive of real scientific progress, it would seem as though intense concern from scientists is somewhat unfounded, which speaks to a mostly healthy balance of fact and fiction
2. This piece resonated with me because my initial reason for drafting this story in early 2021 was, admittedly, fear of what I interpreted as our society’s steady march towards a dystopia akin to those portrayed in films such as Terminator or Mad Max. In response to my concerns, which I admit were largely unfounded in concrete fact, I wanted to create a story that would take my audience through the progression of a dystopian society, the fall of which would give way to a more simplistic, peaceful way of life for earth’s few survivors among the ruins of what once was. The piece of the story that I aim to tell with my script details the beginning of the end, which was most strongly influenced by how I envisioned the end of the world based on my exposure to science fiction media. Seeing how real-life scientists are distressed by the spread of misinformation and excessive negative speculation surrounding certain potential developments, I now feel somewhat guilty imagining that my work may one day contribute to the subliminal spread of misinformation surrounding science that I ultimately do not hold mastery over. Still, I feel as though I have something interesting to say and will undoubtedly pursue publication of this story, though perhaps more delicately in certain areas

• I have made progress on my project in the way of conceptualizing my story and characters through character information sheets and plot diagrams, though my persistent illness has prevented me from doing as much as I would have liked. I am feeling better now and plan to get myself back on track by the end of this week

Week 2 Make-Up Activity

1. https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/ultimate-pre-production-checklist/
   1. This website offers a free, very detailed pre-production checklist for film and television that offers valuable guidance for those who will have a hand in multiple facets of a project’s creation
   1. https://milanote.com/templates/filmmaking/pre-production-plan
      1. Similar to the first linked website, this template looks to be a very detailed organizational tool for a director or significant producer on a piece of visual media
   1. https://www.wrapbook.com/blog/pre-production
      1. This website offers more detailed advice about what pre-production actually means, with informative, hands-on videos which are no doubt useful for familiarizing oneself with the proper process/terminology of each phase of production before any creative conceptual work is solidified