dear mom

Innovative AI short-film winner of Runway AIFF24

PRACTICE

Sound

Generative

Post

PROJECT

Runway AIFF24

Location

Los Angeles, CA

Year

[SS24]

Credits

Created and prompted by Katie Luo and Johans.
Sound designed by Johans.

Accolades

Runway AIFF24 Winner

Abstract

Dear Mom is a letter from a daughter to her mom imagining if she had met her mom at her own age—20 years old. The film is about unconditional love and gratitude written through a reflective and personal letter from the filmmakers to their moms.

Dear Mom received an award at the 2024 Runway AI Film Festival and has been screened internationally at various film festivals including Runway AIFF in New York and Los Angeles, Flux Festival in Los Angeles, and BIFAN in Bucheon, Korea.

It continues to be screened in festivals and inspire the evolving new wave of AI filmmaking.

a beginning

Katie and I intended to make this short for Runway’s GEN:48; however, after a silly time zone confusion, we submitted late.

The first day we met we talked about putting together something that would mean something to each other and that was thoughtful yet abstract. We then came to the idea of writing letters to our mothers wondering what it would be like to meet them in our time, at the same age. We merged and edited our letters together to adjust the flow to our taste.

After writing the letters, we used a table to separate sections of the letter and describe how we wanted each part to look and transition between scenes. This approach greatly aided us in prompting, seeking inspiration, and editing.

Immersing ourselves in the depths of SCIL105, our computer lab, we began generating content and scavenging for images and found footage to use as prompts or to composite with our initial creations.

This thorough and methodical process allowed the complex imagery to achieve its final appearance.

Immersing ourselves in the depths of SCIL105, our computer lab, we began generating content and scavenging for images and found footage to use as prompts or to composite with our initial creations.

This thorough and methodical process allowed the complex imagery to achieve its final appearance.

Katie has been developing and experimenting with this technique in her schoolwork for several classes we took together. Her attention to detail and curiosity led her to merge 3D renders, motion graphics, and found footage into AI abstractions, dynamically transforming the image and creating a unique look.

Her expertise, combined with my passion for texture and degraded footage, made working on this project both satisfying and enjoyable.

Although we have been friends for years and have collaborated on a few projects, this piece marked a significant moment in our friendship and collaboration. It truly reflects our shared skills and values in both areas.

Her expertise, combined with my passion for texture and degraded footage, made working on this project both satisfying and enjoyable.