I’m happy with the result but much of the process is manual so I may have to spend some time slapping together some automation for the next installment.
From: https://www.torontocitylife.com/sectionb/2022/03/25/2-brush-pass/
I’ve been thinking about producing a more immersive rendition of /sectionb. I’ve also been thinking that producing a “Parapsychological Spy Thriller” via conventional means is not be the correct approach. It needs to be a little more artsy, interpretive, associative. Unfortunately, illustration and animation aren’t really my thing.
Although I can draw some basic proportions and I try to pay attention to composition and colour, I can’t produce the type of visual output that modern artificial intelligence can. But as it happens I also dabble in code so it wasn’t long before I was fucking around with Stable Diffusion and similar software. Unfortunately, if I wanted to use the AI to produce short films the still images it spat out would need to be animated using something like morphing — doable but laborious.
By one propitious circumstance a fairly recent upgrade to Stable Diffusion by Deforum popped up in my search results one day and as soon as I saw a few samples I got giddy. Not only is the animated output of DSD dream-like and trippy, which is very apropos for /sectionb, it also improvises around the periphery of supplied prompts/themes in surprising ways, which is also quite apropos.
Initially I tried adding voice narration but it just didn’t fit so instead I converted the text to subtitles/closed captions, chucked in some original music, and after that the video basically just produced itself.
… in which Brock and Rebekah put on a convincing performance and a deep secret is revealed.
… in which inspiration opens locked doors and an escape plan is hatched.
… in which Section B runs up against some closed doors in their pursuit of a hastily retreating Shindan Academy.
… in which the premises of Shindan Academy are unsuccessfully penetrated. An intriguing twist emerges.
… in which Section B receives agency assistance of an unnerving nature.
… in which a new acquaintance offers to help put Section B’s broken plans back together again.
Hunkering down somewhere along Queens Quay.
... with pictures
... with sounds
... with videos
... with opinions
... that's shorter
... that's longer