Evaluación externa videoensayo Vol. 22 N.2
Latencias de la imagen estadística
Roc Albalat
Sección: Videoensayos
Revisor/a A:
Si consideras que el video y/o el texto que lo acompaña precisa(n) de correcciones, ¿crees que pequeñas mejoras harían posible su publicación? Por favor, indica que mejorías sería aconsejables a tu entender.
[no se añaden]
Por favor, comenta los aspectos más relevantes (positivos y mejorables) del videoensayo evaluado (extensión máxima 300 palabras)
Hay un cierto carácter fantasmal que abunda en este proyecto, tanto en el sentido de que podemos ver los fantasmas de lo que vino antes con los experimentos fotográficos de hace un siglo, como en la creación, tanto entonces como ahora, de personas, seres humanos, que en realidad no existen. Se manifiesta esa latencia, el espacio y el salto entre lo real y lo irreal, y este proyecto nos da contexto y algunas implicaciones espeluznantes. Los efectos son desarmadores: me encontré encantado por la colorida multitud de muñecos de palitos que deambulaban sobre su día en la Alpha Pose, animado por la diversidad de rostros, hasta que me di cuenta de que ninguno de ellos es real. “El arte apenas ha comenzado a aprovechar el potencial de [estos inventos]”, claro que sí, pero lo que el videoensayo realmente expone son las cautelosas potencialidades de estas nuevas modalidades. Plus ça change, plus le meme chose, pero sólo son lo mismo si no podemos reconocer el pasado, cómo imágenes inventadas como éstas deberían hacernos preguntar cómo se materializan en primer lugar, a partir de qué conjunto de datos llegan a su significado. A mí me provocan estos ejercicios un miedo, gracias al proceso de desenmascarar las verdades debajo unas imágenes fals(ificad)as.
¿Cuáles son las modificaciones, observaciones o indicaciones que mejorarían la calidad del videoensayo? (extensión máxima 300 palabras)
El videoensayo nos pide considerar las latencias en estas imágenes; como tal, yo anhelaba que el videoensayo hiciera eso por nosotros. ¿Cómo sería congelar algunas de las imágenes de IA, permitiéndonos quizás permanecer en freeze-frame cuándo las gafas, o la barba incipiente, o los aretes, o las sonrisas están apenas a medio formar, o cuando los pasos en la Alpha Pose parecen extraterrestrial? La belleza del videoensayo es nuestra capacidad para manipular estas imágenes creadas, yo quería que la banda sonora inquietante continuara mientras me detenía a considerar el valor de la imagen en sí. Eso recuperaría estas imágenes construidas que, de otro modo, como el cine mismo, intentan ocultar las mismas suturas que lo hacen posible.
Revisor/a B:
Si consideras que el video y/o el texto que lo acompaña precisa(n) de correcciones, ¿crees que pequeñas mejoras harían posible su publicación? Por favor, indica que mejorías sería aconsejables a tu entender.
[no se añaden]
Por favor, comenta los aspectos más relevantes (positivos y mejorables) del videoensayo evaluado (extensión máxima 300 palabras)
Latencies of the statistical image is an incredibly visually stunning video essay with a rich soundtrack that takes full advantage of its source materials. This video essay effectively connects the historical photographic practices of Étienne-Jules Marey and Francis Galton with contemporary projects that utilize artificial intelligence, offering insight into the methods of their technical and conceptual production across time and space. Voice over, visual representations of works, and an apt soundscape connect these worlds, while chapters organize the piece into discreet sections. Marey’s voice over describes his research and is used prophetically to forecast the future and illustrate Alpha Pose (multi-person pose estimation system). This video is informative, thoughtful, well-researched, visually stunning, and sonorously engaging.
¿Cuáles son las modificaciones, observaciones o indicaciones que mejorarían la calidad del videoensayo? (extensión máxima 300 palabras)
The essayist might consider revising the Galton/StyleGAN2 section. The first part of the video essay is so strong with Marey describing what an extension of his research into the future might look like, which the essayist has capitalized on by using Alpha Pose to illustrate this thinking as well as showcase the project itself. This connection is missing from the Galton/StyleGAN2 chapter as a black screen literally separates this section into two parts. To be sure the StyleGAN2 project is visually stunning and engaging and connects to Galton’s thinking. However, the careful analysis executed in the Marey/Alpha Pose chapter is not as strong here. Consider revising.
Informe editorial
The reviewers recommend the publication of this piece. They highlight the phantasmal character in the project, both in the presence of those who were part of photographic experiments a century ago and in the creation of human beings that don’t exist. This latency and space between what’s real and not is explained in this project. The video essay exposes both the dangers and the potentials of these new technologies. They consider it an incredibly visually stunning video essay with a rich soundtrack that takes full advantage of its source materials. They highlight how it effectively connects the historical photographic practices of Étienne-Jules Marey and Francis Galton with contemporary projects that utilize artificial intelligence, offering insight into the methods of their technical and conceptual production across time and space. In their opinion, the voiceover, visual representations of works, and an apt soundscape connect these worlds, while chapters organize the piece into discrete sections. Marey’s voiceover describes his research and is used prophetically to forecast the future and illustrate Alpha Pose (a multi-person pose estimation system). This video is informative, thoughtful, well-researched, visually stunning, and sonorously engaging.
The reviewers have some suggestions. They consider that the video essayist might consider revising the Galton/StyleGAN2 section. While the first section is very strong, the second one could benefit from some revision. The first part of the video essay is so strong with Marey describing what an extension of his research into the future might look like, which the essayist has capitalized on by using Alpha Pose to illustrate this thinking as well as showcase the project itself. This connection is missing from the Galton/StyleGAN2 chapter, as a black screen literally separates this section into two parts. To be sure, the StyleGAN2 project is visually stunning and engaging and connects to Galton’s thinking. However, the careful analysis executed in the Marey/Alpha Pose chapter is not as strong here.
Moreover, they comment that at 1:12, the music stops, and the soundtrack might benefit from a more distinct and abrupt interruption at this moment, perhaps with a more pronounced film projector sound effect, and trimming the length of the black screen by a second or two. The reviewers consider this a minor note, as the piece utilizes sound so effectively throughout, but the essayist might consider emphasizing a dramatic moment here to underscore the connection between sound, movement, and on-screen visuals. They also comment that, while the video essay asks us to consider the latencies of the images, they longed for the video essay to do that for us. To explore how it would be to freeze some of the AI images, allowing us to remain in freeze-frame in certain key moments, such as when the glasses, the emerging beard, the earrings, or the smiles are half-formed. Since the beauty of the video essay is to experience our ability to manipulate these created images, creating those freeze-frames would allow maintaining the unsettling soundtrack while they pause to consider the value of the image. That would serve to recover these constructed images that otherwise attempt to hide the very sutures that make them possible.
