WHOSE CHILD ARE YOU? A HYBRID DOCUMENTARY JOURNEY

Creating Whose Child Are You? was a journey that blended traditional documentary techniques with cutting-edge AI tools, starting from a powerful childhood memory of the protagonist, Silvio. This story emerged from a vivid scene he often shared with us, a memory we began to visualize, laying the foundation for a hybrid documentary that combines authentic footage with AI-driven storytelling techniques.

The process began with intensive brainstorming sessions in ChatGPT’s VocalMode, where we explored every facet of the narrative—Silvio’s character, the village setting, and the broader themes we wanted to highlight. ChatGPT served as a collaborative partner, helping us build a script and detailed shooting plan. Each session refined the tone, structure, and pacing of the documentary, setting a clear blueprint for the filming.

In the pre-visualization stage, we used MidJourney to create early images that shaped the aesthetic direction. These visuals provided an imaginative starting point and added an abstract layer that complemented the documentary’s authentic foundation, offering a sense of the tone we envisioned. AI tools like MidJourney allowed us to explore new artistic layers, fusing real-life footage with an imaginative dimension.

The filming itself was guided by this clear vision. With a script shaped by our interactions with ChatGPT, we approached each shot ready to weave real footage with planned AI enhancements. We aimed to capture genuine moments that would anchor the film, creating a base that AI would later complement, not overshadow.

In editing, transcripts became vital tools. We repeatedly returned to Silvio’s interviews, reflecting on his words and fine-tuning the narrative. ChatGPT helped us test different story angles by analyzing these transcripts, ensuring Silvio’s reflections were presented authentically. This phase allowed us to explore and reframe narratives, adding depth to the storytelling.

To illustrate Silvio’s inner reflections, we introduced an additional visual layer with AI-generated images. Runway Gen-3’s text-to-video feature was key to transforming abstract ideas into symbolic, dreamlike scenes. This effect, which began as text-to-video, allowed us to craft surreal elements that deepened the emotional landscape without losing the real foundation. In the film’s second revision, Runway’s updated image-to-video capability allowed us to animate old photos of Silvio and other key figures, bringing these memories to life in a new way. For instance, we merged separate childhood photos of Silvio and Cinzia to create a moment where they appear together, capturing their early connection in a way that added emotional resonance to their shared history.

Topaz was essential in enhancing the quality of AI-generated images, bringing them up to cinematic standards. The challenge of regenerating images multiple times underscored the importance of our aesthetic sense, refining each visual until it perfectly aligned with the film’s immersive and layered tone.

Ultimately, Whose Child Are You? represents a fusion of documentary realism and artificial intelligence. By combining ChatGPT for brainstorming, MidJourney for early visuals, Runway Gen-3 for text-to-video and image-to-video capabilities, and Topaz for image refinement, we created a unique storytelling approach. This hybrid method allowed us to bring out Silvio’s reflections in ways traditional techniques alone couldn’t achieve, crafting a viewing experience that feels as emotional as it is visually immersive.

Through this project, DocuFusion AI explored an innovative storytelling path where AI enhances real stories, layering memories with abstract, dreamlike visuals to create a new, resonant narrative form.