A new documentary titled Eno will have its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, which will take place from January 18 to 28, 2024. Directed by filmmaker Gary Hustwit, the aforementioned project will showcase the life and career of the legendary British musician, Brian Eno.
Interestingly, Variety reports that Hustwit used generative AI in the documentary. By doing this, every audience who will witness it would experience it differently. Eno stated, “The use of randomness to pattern the layout of the film seemed likely to override any hagiographic impulses.” Furthermore, this is not the first time Hustwit and the singer have collaborated. Back in 2018, Eno provided music for Hustwit’s directorial, Rams. This project was based on the life of German industrial designer Dieter Rams.
According to Gary Hustwit’s official website, the synopsis of Eno reads, “Rich with access to hundreds of hours of never-before-seen footage and unreleased music. Gary Hustwit’s forthcoming documentary Eno employs groundbreaking technology to accomplish something that’s never been done before. A feature film that’s never the same twice. Hustwit and creative technologist Brendan Dawes have developed bespoke generative software. Designed to sequence scenes and create transitions out of Hustwit’s original interviews with Eno. And Eno’s rich archive of hundreds of hours of never-before-seen footage, and unreleased music.”
It further reads, “Each screening of Eno is unique, presenting different scenes, order, music, and meant to be experienced live. The generative and infinitely iterative quality of Eno poetically resonates with the artist’s own creative practice, his methods of using technology to compose music, and his endless deep dive into the mercurial essence of creativity.”
Was Brian Eno aware of generative AI?
According to Variety, Brian Eno was well aware of generative AI. Furthermore, Gary Hustwit said that the process of using the technology was completely organic. Hustwit said, “I was basically getting bored of showing films because they’re the same every time you show them. My background is, before films, in the music industry.”
He further commented on the use of generative AI in the upcoming project by saying, “I just was dreaming of a way for film to be more performative, where even if you’re playing the same song every night in a band, you can change it so it’s always a little bit different. It’s been something that is totally organic to his process.”
In addition, Eno said, “The kind of music I wanted to hear came out of thinking about the kind of world I wanted to be in. Music is a way of discovering answers to the question, ‘What kind of world do I want—or not want—to live in?”
He ended his statement by saying, “I don’t want to be remembered primarily as a 25-year-old in makeup when I feel there are other parts of my life just as worthy of attention.”
Born on 15 May 1948 to William Arnold Eno and Maria Alphonsine in Melton, Suffolk, Eno’s career began in 1970. Furthermore, he has two siblings, his brother, Roger, and his sister Arlette.
Throughout his career, he has released more than 15 albums. In addition, he has produced for bands such as U2, Coldplay, Slowdive, and more.
