Another mind-bending and piece of high-tech creativity from our director and AI extraordinaire, Justin Hackney.*
Discover the inspiration and journey of creative development with Justin below:
"From as early as seven years old, Wonderland has been a beacon of inspiration for me. The insatiable curiosity of Alice and the dreamlike scenarios of Lewis Carroll’s universe have always resonated deeply within me. Just like Alice, I’ve always been driven to question everything, making curiosity my life’s driving force.
The concept of simulation theory has intrigued me since childhood, a cherished memory of mine involves my grandmother—a woman profoundly in tune with nature, yet also a passionate gamer. I can still picture her playing the original Tomb Raider. She paused, looked at me, and whispered, “One day, these virtual worlds will be as real as our own.” That sentiment set me on a path of endless wonder.
Over the years, we’ve witnessed films with breath-taking visuals and video game engines, like Unreal, pushing the boundaries of realism. Then came the AI revolution. Tools like Midjourney and DALLE3 now create photorealistic worlds, challenging even the most vivid human imaginations. Runway Gen2 has been particularly transformative for filmmaking. While I cherish its possibilities, I also deeply value human interactions and collaborations in the filmmaking process.
This project springs from my enduring passion for AI and the myriad questions it raises. Beyond showcasing the future of cinema, I aim to use AI as a lens to delve into pressing concerns surrounding it. While there’s a palpable apprehension about AI, I believe in channelling that concern into constructive dialogue.
Gpt4 - this helped me express my story ideas and play around with the narrative using ai to back and forth different ideas.
Midjourney - This was used to create my storyboards, my images that I would then bring to life.
Runway Gen2- This was used to animate the film, turning images into videos- I must have made thousands of clips picking and choosing the best moments for the edit.
Pikalabs- This was used to generate videos with young Alice and her father as runway has filters in place that prevent this.
Elevenlabs - this is used to generate the narration"
*Disclaimer: This trailer is a fan-made creation, inspired by a potential film idea and developed using advanced AI tools. Justin/Mad Cow Films don’t claim rights to “Alice in Wonderland” or the voice and likeness of Florence Pugh. These elements were used for artistic and educational exploration, without any intent for profit.
