KyungHun Choi
Link: https://www.notion.so/AI-driven-Cinematography-2a8039eb6a2e808ca9dcfd48c01bc099
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This film explores the relationship between memory, distance, and family through a combination of personal archives and generative artificial intelligence.
The project is based on excerpts from personal journals written between 2021 and March 2026, focusing specifically on entries that contain the keyword “family.” These texts reflect an evolving emotional landscape shaped by familial conflict, financial instability, and a persistent tension between attachment and distance. Rather than presenting these experiences as a linear narrative, the film reconstructs them into a reflective and interpretive form.
As part of the creative process, the full set of journal entries was shared with ChatGPT, which was asked to read and respond in the form of a warm, reflective letter. This response became the foundation for the film’s narration. The intention was not to replace human interpretation, but to explore how artificial intelligence can function as an external observer—one that processes personal memory without direct emotional entanglement, yet still produces a form of empathetic reflection.
Visually, the film is composed of approximately 75 scanned family photographs. These images, depicting multiple generations—including grandparents, mother, and aunt in their younger years—serve as the primary visual material. Using generative AI tools, the still images were transformed into subtly animated sequences. The movement is intentionally minimal, suggesting the fragile and incomplete nature of memory rather than attempting full reconstruction.
The sound design incorporates period-appropriate Korean music, including “Hwangseong Yetter (황성옛터)” (1932) by Lee Ae-ri-su and “Tears of Mokpo (목포의 눈물)” (1935) by Lee Nan-young. These selections reinforce the temporal distance of the images while connecting personal family history to a broader cultural memory.
In addition, the project includes online interviews conducted with family members. These conversations provided further context to the visual and textual materials, while also highlighting the difficulties of communication within the family structure.
The film was produced using a combination of AI tools, including ChatGPT for narrative development, Gemini and Google Flow for image-based generative video transformation, and Adobe Premiere Pro for editing and post-production.
Ultimately, this work does not attempt to resolve familial conflict. Instead, it acknowledges the coexistence of warmth and distance, memory and absence. By revisiting the past through both human recollection and artificial interpretation, the film suggests that understanding does not always require reconciliation. Sometimes, it begins simply by looking—carefully, quietly—at who people were before they became “family.”
Source
Lee, A.-r.-s. (1932). Hwangseong Yetter (황성옛터).
Lee, N.-y. (1935). Tears of Mokpo (목포의 눈물).
Park, S.-j. (2026). Personal interview (1 hour 14 minutes 31 seconds).
Cho, G.-j. (2026). Personal interview (1 hour 31 minutes 37 seconds).
Choi, K. (2021–2026). Personal journals.