My video, “Still in the Trenches,” captures the psychological stress and sacrifice of soldiers on the frontlines of World War I through music and visuals created solely with the help of AI tools. It tries to communicate the psychological intensity and sacrifice of frontline soldiers through original lyrics, visual imagery, and a cinematic soundtrack.
- Script and Music Creation: I started by creating the lyrics on ChatGPT, where I attempted to get into the mind of a soldier facing the brutal conditions of life in the trenches. I followed that up by using Suno AI to create the music, using tone and pacing adjustments around the emotional trajectory of the lyrics. What I came up with was a gritty, introspective song called “Still in the Trenches.”
- Visual Creation and Animation: I created historically accurate imagery from Stable Diffusion with an eye for detail for WWI trench life—mud, barbed wire, helmets, and heartfelt portraits of soldiers. All scenes were matched with the tone of the lyrics. I utilized Runway to add slight camera movements and transitions that invoke cinematic movement for turning these stills into motion clips.
- Editing and Final Assembly: I edited all media on DaVinci Resolve, syncing each visual segment with the song’s beat and music. Transitions, timing, and pacing were tweaked to provide a seamless experience.
Closing Touches and Credit: The concluding shot features a title card that gives credit to the AI tools utilized: ChatGPT, Suno AI, Stable Diffusion, Runway, and DaVinci Resolve.
Using a combination of these tools enabled me to craft a customized and historically authentic piece that was clear, emotive, and deep.
