In my need for fantasy in these desolate times, I've been playing with AI video generators to bring vintage photos to life.
Most of the experiments—some in the compilation above—have been eye-opening, to say the least. There’s something thrilling about seeing static images blink, come alive, and even make out.
It’s a kind of time travel, a digital séance, a surreal blend of science and spirit.
Of course, not everything goes smoothly. Limbs occasionally appear and disappear. Smiles stretch a little too wide. Eyes dart suspiciously like they’ve seen the code behind the curtain. The uncanny valley is real—and sometimes it’s more of a cliff than a valley.
Still, what I find most exciting about using AI in this way isn’t the polish—it’s the possibility. These aren’t perfect recreations. They’re experiments. They’re dreams rendered through math and machine. They ask what could have been or what might still be imagined.
But here's the thing: AI isn’t neutral. It doesn’t come to the table without baggage. It reflects the datasets it’s trained on—which often means it amplifies existing beauty standards, biases, and blind spots. So while I’m fascinated by what these tools can do, I also recognize their limitations—and their risks.
And let’s be real: not everyone is using AI to make art. Bad actors are already weaponizing AI video to spread disinformation, impersonate public figures, and commit crimes. Deepfakes are being used to manipulate elections, fake evidence, and exploit individuals—especially women and marginalized people.
The same tools that can resurrect memories can also rewrite reality in dangerous ways. That’s not a distant threat—it’s already happening. Pandora is out of her box.
That’s why I approach this work with both caution and creativity. Caution, because I don’t want to romanticize the tech or ignore its ethical implications. Creativity, because I believe in using new tools to tell old stories in fresh, possibly healing ways.
This is just the beginning of my AI journey. More experiments—and questions—are on the way. If you’re into curious reimaginings, occasional digital weirdness, and thinking deeply about where technology meets memory, you might enjoy what comes next.
Stay tuned. And stay critical.
Clint 🌈✌️
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FOR YOUR (SUBSTACK) CONSIDERATION
Why Good Men Love Open Relationships (Dear Black Gay Men’s Substack)
Probably This Week: A River, A Mustache, And A Core Memory! (Not So Fast)
ON THIS DAY = JULY 2
BIRTHDAYS
1869 = Liane de Pougy = French dancer and courtesan 🌈
1899 = Charles Laughton = British-American actor 🌈
1900 = Sophie Harris = English costume and scenic designer
1904 = René Lacoste = French tennis player, businessman, and polo shirt creator
1906 = Bruce Nugent = American writer and painter 🌈
1908 = Thurgood Marshall = American lawyer, activist, and jurist
1916 = Ken Curtis = American actor and singer
1922 = Pierre Cardin = Italian-French fashion designer 🌈
1925 = Medgar Evers = American soldier and activist
1927 = Brock Peters = American actor
1932 = Dave Thomas = American businessman and Wendy's founder
1937 = Polly Holliday = American actor
1939 = Paul Williams = American singer and choreographer
1941 = William Guest = American singer-songwriter and producer
1946 = Ron Silver = American actor, director, and political activist
1947 = Larry David = American actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter
1951 = Sylvia Rivera = American activist 🌈
1956 = Jerry Hall = American model and actor
1975 = Daniel Kowalski = Australian freestyle swimmer 🌈
1983 = Michelle Branch = American singer-songwriter
1984 = Johnny Weir = American figure skater and tv personality 🌈
1990 = Margot Robbie = Australian actor and producer
EVENTS
1698 = Thomas Savery patents the first steam engine.
1723 = Bach's Magnificat is first performed.
1897 = British-Italian engineer Guglielmo Marconi obtains a patent for radio.
1900 = Jean Sibelius' Finlandia receives its première performance in Helsinki.
1928 = The Jenkins Television Corporation (owned by Charles Francis Jenkins) goes on air with W3XK, the first television broadcasting station in the US.
1962 = The first Walmart store, then known as Wal-Mart, opens for business in Rogers, Arkansas.
1964 = POTUS Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits segregation in public places.
1980 = Airplane! is released in theaters.
1991 = Boyz N The Hood premieres in LA.
HOLIDAY + OBSERVANCE
PORTRAIT + QUOTES OF THE DAY
“Hollywood is a goofy place. But I like it. It's the perfect mummers' home. If one weren't a little mad one wouldn't be there.”
Charles Laughton
“They can't censor the gleam in my eye.”
Charles Laughton
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