A generative documentary about artist Brian Eno, with 52 quintillion possible iterations, so that no viewing is the same twice.
Content Advisory:
Generative AI is used to construct a documentary about electronic music artist Brian Eno in real-time with Eno. Brian Eno is best known as a founding member of Roxy Music, a creator of ambient music, and a producer of Talking Heads, U2, and Peter Gabriel. Director Gary Hustwit incorporates over 500 hours of new and archival material into a generative system named B.R.A.I.N. 1 to create an overview of Brian Eno’s career that is different each time it is played.
Eno Synopsis
Eno is a semi-experimental documentary about Brian Eno directed by Gary Hustwit. The film is generated in real-time by a console named B.R.A.I.N. 1 and the film periodically features loading screens as it chooses which clip to play. The footage ranges from newly shot interviews with Brian Eno to archival footage from his five-decade-long career. The version I watched included behind-the-scenes footage of Eno recording 1984’s “The Unforgettable Fire” with U2, as well as an intermission interstitial featuring David Byrne.
My Thoughts on Eno
As Brian Eno is already known for creating generative music and art, it is not surprising that he would agree to be part of a generative documentary about his career. I don’t pretend to fully know how the algorithms work to decide which scenes get precedent, but the final product ends up being a coherent documentary. As such, Eno can be viewed as an example of how AI can be used as a tool for filmmakers to create films that change every time.