Predicting Future Cameras using Artificial Intelligence (Midjourney AI).
Hello creatives,
It’s likely you’ve come across some of the wonderfuly creative (and some objectivley terrible) images that AI programs have created over the last few years. For the longest time, I’ve had a mild curiosity towards the encroaching AI tregectory, as it enters the video and photography space to a greater and greater degree. I have to admid that I never paided to much mind to these new programs, other than giving them the once over when they intercected with one of my existing creative software licences.
However, that changes today. I come to you astonished by a new AI tool that I’ve been using for the last few weeks to generate some incredible images.
What is Midjourney?
Midjourney is an independent research lab which has developed a priopety AI software that creates images based on text commands. Well, I should say, that it creates images from analysing a deep network of internet crawlled resources to search for visual patterns, but what I’m I, a computer scientist?
Anyway, it’s a great tool which is currently offering a free trial beta program which runs through Discord. Take a look at the link below.
Here’s an image of what Midjourney determined a GoPro Action Camera could look like in the year 3000.
Creating Cinema Cameras with Artificial Intelligence
The project was simple, I wanted to see what the Midjourney AI program would speculate future cameras would look like when given little to no direction. For each of the cameras, I supplied Midjourney a few pictures from the manufacueres websites, and then entered a simple command as to make the camera more ‘futuristic.’ Early trials bore suboptimal results, so In certain cercumstances I had to enter information as to the camera’s potential materials and year of creation. I also found it helpful to tell the program in some cases to put the camera on a tripod for better viewing. After about three hours I had a gallery that represented the future of filmmaking.
Or maybe not.
So the AI had some pretty interesting ideas as to what the future of cinema cameras would look like. There are some wild designs for sure, but here are some themes I observed throughout the test.
Midjourney really liked to put mulitple lenses on the cameras.
When given no art direction, Midjourney has a preference for computer rendered/steam punk style graphics.
The program really struggled with text of any kind.
Button sizes were tough, however button textures and placement were often promising.
I was pleased by the amount of different materials the AI tried to incorperate.
I’m not a computer programer, but I found this tool easy and intuative to use once I joined the Discord. I encourage you to check it out and design your own cameras.
If you do, make sure to tag me!
Josh Diaz is a filmmaker and video editor based in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
