This being my most ambitious and abstract animation project so far, I would like viewers to have an open mind about what is happening on-screen. I think this story has many elements that would be easier to understand if they were plastered with explanations, but the joy in watching a movie or reading a book is wondering where these events are taking us without knowing what they mean. I want the viewer to catch up to the universe of the animation on their own, without holding anyone’s hand and pointing out the ups and downs of the story.
The short animations by Jan Svankmajer (Darkness, Light, Darkness (1989), Dimensions of Dialogue (1982)) and Norman McLaren (Begone Dull Care (1949), A Chairy Tale (1957)) provide little to no explanation as to the events that are unfurling on screen. The artists may have created their artworks with a certain message in mind, but it is ultimately up to the viewer to come up with their own interpretation of the work. While their animations are much more abstract than CTRL, I aim to emulate their bravery and determination in perplexing their audiences and shrouding each scene in so much mystery.
In this animation I want to place further into doubt concepts that are already quite difficult to define. Consciousness, identity, free will – these are all extremely rich subjects from which confusing stories can sprout.
Combining the highly speculative sphere of Artificial Intelligence and the familiar world of humanity creates a delightful mix of fiction and reality that gives enough freedom to come up with many strange and far-fetched ideas, while the audience still believes “this could happen in a not-so-distant future”.
Overall, I have taken the liberty of creating a rather abstract animation, for I want the audience to ask more questions than provide answers to them, since there are very few certainties when it comes to discussing consciousness and AI.
Media Lab is a production course with great liberty. The only constraint is to follow the topic. Otherwise, you are free to create a video, a website, an animation, an art slideshow or whatever you may come up with. Despite students already having a certain set of skills and knowledge of various programs, workshops are still offered for those looking for alternate softwares or techniques that may prove useful in future works. Those with an ambitious appetite will be happy to see that they can bite as much as they can chew, if not more.
Sandro Quattrini's CTRL 