The above images were AI generated in Microsoft Copilot using the following prompt: “please create an image of [character name] from [film title] as a cyborg”
Analysing film in real-time enabled me to further evaluate the connection between notions present in future thinking, cyberculture and science fiction that were conceptualised in the selected texts. I will provide a critical self-reflection on my ability to do this effectively during the live screenings of The Matrix (1999), Ready Player One (2018), and Arrival (2016), taking into account how my first experience with live analysis influenced my approach.
Live Analysis Experience:
In my Future Thinking & Live Film Analysis blog, I mentioned that moving forward with my live analysis, I aimed to: pre-generate my posts, further implement the use of AI generative tools, and focus more on my interactions with my peer. I accomplished these goals in varying degrees.
Firstly, I unintentionally approached The Matrix and Ready Player One screenings as I did with my 2001: A Space Odyssey and Her screenings – that being, they were not pre-generated due to scheduling conflicts. This was slightly discouraging as after the successes of pre-generating my Ghost In The Shell posts, I believed this to be the best method of analysis moving forward. Upon reflection, however, I do not believe this negatively impacted my experience, as I was already familiar with both films – this allowed me to go into the screening with an idea of what concepts I wanted to examine and therefore, in a sense, these posts could be considered pre-generated. This, paired with the ability to edit posts on Discord, not only allowed me to go back to theses initial thoughts after the screening to add in academic resources, but also allowed me to comprehend the links between the film and the subject content more clearly.
For example, during The Matrix screening, I discussed the notion of decisions using Barbra Stollberg-Rilinger’s Cultures of Decision-Making to further my discussion of Neo’s choice of taking the red pill, which influenced the future events of the film whilst simultaneously offering an alternative history in which he remained inside the Matrix. In another post during my Ready Player One screening, I implemented William Gibson’s notion of cyberspace to discuss the negligence of the real world compared to the virtual paradise of the OASIS. I also continued to accompany a majority of my post with images and video clips of the specific scene I was addressing and to link the sources I used to strengthen my points:
Original Posts:
Edited Posts:
During my Arrival screening, I decided to purposefully pre-generate my posts by watching the film in my own time and connecting certain themes present in the film with the subject concepts. Once again, this benefited my analysis as it strengthened my examination and comprehension of the text through the inclusion of academic evidence, making it easier to find the films connections to the subject materials. For instance, in one post I implemented Vannevar Bush’s concept of the Memex to discuss the novum of the heptapod language and its non-linearity, and in another, I was able to discuss how the film subtly addressed the anthropocene through the depiction of the extraterrestrials and the emphasis placed on human responsibility:
I was also able to connect the concept of a cybernetic organism to each thread by drawing on Donna Haraway’s A Cyborg Manifesto and Marshall McLuhan’s Understanding Media to discuss that the character’s within these texts can be considered cyborgs through their use of technology as a way to enhance their human capabilities:
Implementing AI Generative Tools:
The video below discusses my implementation of AI generative tools during my live screenings:
ChatGPT and Claude ideation prompts and features post:
Microsoft Copilot created images:
Peer Interactions:
Unfortunately, my peer interactions remained much the same as they did with my pervious screenings, in the sense that I was unable to complete them in live-time. However, I did make a conscious effort to not simply restate my own analysis points (as I did during previous screenings) but instead attempted to interact with and be open to exploring different perspectives, as well as offering my own input for these observations:
Through this contribution to my peer’s analysis posts, I essentially gained a deeper understanding of the films as I was able to view the texts through their interpretations and connections to the subject materials. Therefore, I believe my engagement with other students improved in comparison to my previous response posts as it benefited my overall viewing experience and offered further insights into the points my peer’s were addressing. This remains a skill I will be able to improve upon in the future.
Final Thoughts…
In retrospect, I believe my real-time analysis of the selected film texts and my exploration of future thinking, cyberculture and science fiction was effectively executed. Although much of my approach remained unchanged, my prior experience with live screenings had a positive impact on these efforts, enabling me to achieve my goals of pre-generating posts, utilising AI and engaging more adequately with my peers.
Discord Threads:
Discord Responses:
The Matrix: Eliza, Sophie, Lucas, Brad, Lydia
Ready Player One: Mitchell, Sean, Deane, Jade, Mabel
Arrival: Steph, Jazzy, Ngoc Minh Luu, Alice, Ell
References (blog & posts):
Bould, M (2021) The Anthropocene Unconscious, Institute for Interdisciplinary Research into the Anthropocene, WordPress, available at: https://iiraorg.com/2021/11/03/the-anthropocene-unconscious/ [Accessed 22nd May 2024]
Bush, V (1945[2024]) As We May Think, The Atlantic, available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1945/07/as-we-may-think/303881/ [Accessed 22nd May 2024]
Haraway, D (1985) ‘A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century‘ in ‘Simians, Cyborgs and Women: The Reinvention of Nature’, Routledge (pp.181) available at: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/english/currentstudents/undergraduate/modules/fictionnownarrativemediaandtheoryinthe21stcentury/manifestly_haraway_—-_a_cyborg_manifesto_science_technology_and_socialist-feminism_in_the_….pdf [Accessed 22nd May 2024]
McLuhan, M (1964[2001]) Understanding Media, The MIT Press, (pp.98 & 4) available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uow/detail.action?docID=4643237&pq-origsite=primo [Accessed 22nd May 2024]
Moore, C (2022) Anthropocene [YouTube video lecture] University of Wollongong, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQacwpj2WHA&ab_channel=ChristopherMoore [Accessed 22nd May 2024]
Moore, C (2020) BCM325 Future Cultures: Cyberculture Series (4 of 4) Cyberspace [YouTube video lecture] University of Wollongong, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYkOCLH-uWs&ab_channel=ChristopherMoore [Accessed 22nd May 2024]
Moore, C (2022) Death [YouTube Video lecture] University of Wollongong, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiBS36T9OKg&ab_channel=ChristopherMoore [Accessed 22nd May 2024]
Myers, T (year) The Postmodern Imaginary in William Gibson’s Neuromancer, Johns Hopkins University Press (p.181) available at: https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/21645/pdf?casa_token=Bt2xdCoj4AEAAAAA:98BlRpIZQNsAFwlPLmzOy-6me-CwKBBMsN8jGbPifOWFLTo5jNq2JFR-thrfJvoosC_2AbHoqYc [Accessed 22nd May 2024]
Stirling, B (1992) The Hacker Crackdown, Bantam Books (p.11) available at: http://www.dvara.net/HK/hackcrac.pdf [Accessed 22nd May 2024]
Stollberg-Rilinger, B (2019) ‘Cultures of Decision-Making’ in Critical Terms in Futures Studies, SpringerLink (p.7) available at: https://www.ghil.ac.uk/fileadmin/redaktion/dokumente/annual_lectures/AL_2015_Stollberg-Rilinger.pdf [Accessed 22nd May 2024]
Ulubay, G (2020) “Arrival” Isn’t a Horror Movie but it’s Terrifying in its Own Right, Medium, available at: https://gabrielleulubay.medium.com/review-arrival-denis-villeneuve-2016-6ebf2b3a52ab#:~:text=Arrival%20suggests%20that%20our%20lives,and%20far%20beyond%20our%20understanding [Accessed 22nd May 2024]
Alana Nestorovski 