Welcome to My AI-Generated Meltdown

Berlin, AI Experiments & the Art of Following the Absurd

Dear friends,

I’m not quite sure how it happened, but this week I found myself launching Berlin’s TV tower into space, resurrecting the graffiti-covered Trabant that’s been stuck in the Wall for 20 years, and, um… dodging King Kong’s total annihilation of the city I love so much.

I know, I know, I have no idea why one commits to causing havoc as soon as one has the tools, and honestly — this was never the intention.

All that said, sometimes you just have to follow your nose into the absurd and have as much fun as possible.

While I was making this scene (well, rather a scene), a couple of fellas looked at me, utterly befuddled. I felt bad for them — how could they have known they were about to be vanquished by the foot of King Kong?

In any case, this shoot was tremendous fun. Certainly, the biggest budget-no-budget clip I’ve ever filmed.

As you can probably tell, I’ve been leaning heavily into AI video these past couple of weeks. I’d seen plenty of clips online, but most were fully generated. I’ve been curious for some time about how I could augment real-life footage with AI. Despite how fast the tech is evolving, it’s still full of quirks — and for many use cases, it’s nowhere near VFX level. But that, for me, is exactly where the fun begins —

In gaming terms, this feels like playing an arcade game in the 1980s — addictive and defined by its limitations, but all the more fun for it!

What attracts me to it at this stage is that half the time ,when you put a prompt in, the AI generation is totally bizarre, as if Salvador Dali has squirrelled his way into the code.

It makes your head pop with the possibilities — and your stomach drop with the dread of what it all might mean for society.

Ach, but this week I’m not worrying about any of that. I’ve got chips to animate and launch into space. No, I never imagined a currywurst would play a leading role in one of my music videos.

I’m not sure if that means I’m diminished as an artist — or just learning that, in the end, what matters is curiosity, laughter, and the small ways we can put a bit of joy into the world.

I hope you enjoy the video, dear friends! And if you have a moment to drop a comment, I’d be thrilled

Have a great weekend, everyone!
Jim

P.S. Here is the Spotify pre-save for “Dreams Are All We Have” — released next Friday!