The Machine Cinema Times - August 1st, 2025
... still wondering if robots have celluloid dreams.
Edited by Fred Grinstein. Pod Digest by Ant Neely
In this issue:
Real Creative “Pick of the Week”
“Overheard in Basecamp” for the week July 24 - July 30, 2025
Too busy to read? Link to the NotebookLM podcast below.
“GenTalk” July 30, 2025
Real Creative “Pick of the Week”
Each week the Machine Cinema members + the Real Creative team obsess over social feeds in search of the world's best AI creative video, gaming, and music projects. This week one project stuck out:
The viral video “Bunnies on a Trampoline” shows what appears to be adorable security footage of several rabbits bouncing around joyfully on a backyard trampoline at night. However, upon closer inspection many realized the video was AI-generated. The original and video has over 200 million views, sparked widespread discussion online, and hundreds of videos reacting to the bunnies and new AI animals jumping on trampolines.
Created by TikTok user @rachelthecatlovers, she is a creator on TikTok, and while bunnies at night was her first breakout video she was at it again a couple days later with AI videos of raisins and late night bird cams.
You can find this and over 300 AI filmmakers and their projects over at realcreative.ai which features some familiar faces from the Machine Cinema community.
Overheard in Basecamp – Week of July 24-30, 2025
Our Machine Cinema Basecamp is a firehose of activity and even the most diehard members of our community can feel overwhelmed sometimes. This weekly digest of hot topics discussed, links and articles shared and discussed is here to make sure you never miss a beat.
If you’d like to join the conversation, this link is your invitation.
Full disclosure, we had our robot friend help us pull all this together and sometimes they are prone to making harmless mistakes.
Too busy to read? Click to have a listen.
🧭 The Trump AI Doctrine: Open Source Meets Ideology
A U.S. policy manifesto stirred heated discussion about its muscular push for open-source AI and rapid deployment—paired with ideological constraints. The group parsed its promise and peril:
Praised for embracing open-weight models and compute access to boost domestic AI leadership.
Criticized for its environmental deregulation and ideological filters excluding climate, DEI, and misinformation topics.
Seen by some as strategic resilience, others as digital colonialism in disguise.
Quote: “It’s the equivalent of saying: ‘Build now, maybe think about the impact later.’”
📺 The Barbell of Attention: Short vs. Super Long Form
A debate over Andreessen’s “barbell format” thesis led to a lively exploration of media habits:
3–5 hour podcast formats (Fridman, Rogan) vs. TikTok-like micro-content may dominate, but middle formats (e.g., traditional TV) are far from dead.
Longform remains sticky when tied to gaming, audiobooks, or serialized binge culture.
Critique: Andreessen oversimplifies and frames media in investor-speak for future plays.
Quote: “Audiences want good content. Period. If it’s 2 minutes or 20 hours—they’ll watch it.”
🧠 Is Craft Dead—or Just Changing?
A philosophical storm erupted over the future of artistry and craft in the AI age.
Some argued craft is losing value, while vision, taste, and POV are becoming dominant.
Others stressed workflow literacy still matters—if only for now.
Consensus: artists who know what to say (not just how) will lead the future.
Quote: “AI is a craftsman, not an artist. If you weren’t a good artist before, it’s hard to say how much AI will help you.”
🤖 Robotics, DIY Dreams & Folded Sleep
From TikTok-controlled robots to folding-arm horror, the next wave of home robotics sparked both awe and dread:
Jokes flew about bedtime robots mistaking humans for laundry.
More seriously, members mused on glasses-enabled co-building and high-tech Amish barn-raising.
The massage bot space is heating up—$125M raised and counting.
🎙 AI Podcasting with Cartoons? Yes, Please
Multiple members showed interest in podcast formats using simple avatars and real voices.
Hedra and HeyGen were tested for lip sync; Midnight Gospel was a vibe reference.
Prompt tuning, realism vs. motion quirks, and best stack debates followed.
🎨 Recraft: The Verdict Still Out
Asked if Recraft is any good, the jury’s still out—no deep discussion followed, but the tool is on the radar.
📚 Real Talk on AI Literacy Gaps
Why aren’t more people learning these tools? Is early adoption an advantage or just a personality trait?
Some argued tool expertise will soon be irrelevant.
Others insisted workflows, taste, and execution still matter.
A strong throughline: if everyone can create, the challenge becomes standing out, not just producing.
🎞️ Aleph Watch: Aesthetics and Access
Runway’s Aleph drew praise for its multi-angle shots—especially useful in music videos.
Slow rollout continues. Some questioned how many tiers Runway will gate it behind.
Comparisons to Luma Modify and other tools surfaced. Excitement remains high.
🛠 Link Drop
Tools & Industry
Film & Art Projects
Thought Pieces
GenTalks Community Call 7/24 - recap
Our GenDojo Community Call is a weekly digital get together to connect on how we are all making our way through this new era for creative industries and AI among other emergent technologies. Each week we invite artists, builders, thought leaders to share their knowledge, their works in progress and their ideas on this emergent space. If you’d like to be added to the recurring invite please DM.
This week’s GenTalks was a rich cross-cultural and cross-medium conversation spotlighting two artists reimagining human storytelling through digital proxies: Singaporean generative artist Nice Aunties and Japanese virtual human producer Sara Giusto. Both happened to join us live from New York (a happy accident, not a collaboration—yet).
Highlights
1. Nice Aunties: Antiverse as Activism
Nice Aunties’ playful yet poignant “Auntiverse” recasts the often-dismissed figure of the Asian auntie into an imaginative multiverse of social, environmental, and spiritual stories.
Shared her storytelling process, from childhood memories to architecture to AI.
Showcased “Auntlantis,” a vivid narrative arc about ocean pollution, and “Going Home,” a moving visual allegory about palm oil deforestation.
Emphasized working across Midjourney, Runway, Luma, Kling, and Krea for style consistency and visual fidelity.
Noted her recent collaboration with L’Oréal, placing an “auntie” sculpture in Paris HQ to honor longevity and beauty.
2. Sara Giusto: Virtual Humans & Social Influence
Sara introduced us to Imma, a Tokyo-based virtual influencer with 3M+ followers and brand campaigns with Coach, IKEA, BMW, and more.
Shared how her team of 15 creatives build Imma’s personality and presence through traditional CGI—not AI video (yet).
Framed Imma as a storytelling vessel for real-world issues, from domestic violence to gender equity.
Addressed critiques about virtual models taking jobs: “It’s not about replacing people—it’s about telling stories in new ways.”
Reflections & Hot Quotes
“I think every celebrity would want to be a virtual human at this stage.” – Sara Giusto
“What can aunties do? Can aunties change the world?” – Nice Aunties
“Even if Kim Kardashian was virtual, would we really care?” – Sara Giusto
“The body is just a temporary physical situation... like a bag being zipped.” – Nice Aunties
Community Reactions
Audience members resonated deeply with the cross-cultural reach of “auntie” identity—spanning Ethiopia, queer culture, and more.
Conversations touched on AI ethics, labor, and the psychological toll of data annotation jobs.
Final questions explored the future of physical embodiment: would Imma ever become a robot? (Sara: “Yes, 100%.”)