Generative Music Video Composition: Using automation to extend creative practice

Abstract

This article outlines the design of a system for dynamic real-time editing of online music video sequences, utilising probabilistic parameters and algorithmic decisionmaking for progression. It will explain how this system enables videos to be different every time they are accessed, thus providing users with an enhanced viewing experience and creators with a new tool for video composition. As the advancement of online technology influences habits of media consumers, user uptake of new technologies suggests that a transition away from video's prevalent mode of presentation, as a linear sequence of shots, is entirely possible. Factors such as viewer engagement and usability drive the need for ongoing exploration in the use of video for entertainment, information and advertisement. The production of a music video with generative methods is described in this article as a semi-automated process. Human tasks are not replaced by computational execution, but are shifted to become increasingly conceptual.