Pink Floyd’s renowned 1973 track, “The Dark Side Of The Moon,” garnered significant attention over the past two days, serving as a remarkable tribute to its 51st anniversary. Yesterday, the final piece, “Eclipse,” reverberated with delight among music enthusiasts in public spaces and Instagram narratives across the country (for evident reasons). Today, the band is in the spotlight for unveiling one of the ten champions of the movie’s 50th-anniversary video contest through the use of AI. Greetings to Pink Floyd’s consciousness and commitment to artistic authenticity… is there more to come?
James Cameron also shared his thoughts on AI, stating, “I forewarned you.”
Damián Gaume, a filmmaker from Argentina and Australia, crafted the victorious video for the track “Any Colour You Like.” Gaume’s triumphant submission was among the ten videos chosen—one for each of the album’s songs—by a panel of nine judges, which included Pink Floyd’s drummer, Nick Mason. “Pink Floyd has a tradition of engaging with emerging talents since our inception,” Mason remarked in a video introducing the competition, emphasizing the importance of visual elements complementing music, thereby enriching the discourse.
As independent animators and emerging filmmakers navigate uncertain terrain, they grapple with the looming question of when their artistry will be overshadowed by major studios and artists embracing the growing impact of AI. Several of these artists encountered backlash for employing dehumanizing technology in the independent horror flick “Late Night With The Devil,” and Pink Floyd is no exception, particularly given the exclusion of numerous handcrafted videos by the esteemed judging panel. (A compilation of these submissions, featuring contributions from the original Monty Python illustrator Terry Gilliam and the director of “The Lorax” and “Minions,” Kyle Balda, was curated by Twitter/X user @skymightdie and is certainly worth exploring.) It’s disheartening to witness influential figures neglecting to champion craftsmanship amidst the inevitable rise of AI.
In an exclusive glimpse into his creation, Gaume revealed that AI served as the “tool” in crafting his animation. He described utilizing Secure Diffusion and Grinder to generate initial visuals and leveraging prompts to “draw inspiration from the AI” and venture into uncharted territories. Nonetheless, upon observing the video, it becomes apparent that these concepts lack originality. The entire production exudes a familiar polish, with visuals lacking depth, underscoring AI’s tendency to recycle existing content. (Even if this was the video’s intended effect, it still comes across as lackluster!)
It seems that Pink Floyd themselves are merely a fragment of the larger picture. You have the option to watch Gaume’s film below or explore some of the winning entries crafted by human hands instead. The complete array of finalists is available for viewing on Pink Floyd’s YouTube channel.
Pink Floyd – The Great Gig In The Sky (50th Anniversary Competition Winner’s Video)
