Practising is everything so we tried using Google’s experimental Bard AI project to generate article-style text and here is the latest version:
“Robert Krasker BSC (August 21, 1913 – August 16, 1981) was an Australian-born Jewish cinematographer who worked in British and European cinema. He was known for his use of light and shadow to create atmosphere and mood in his films, and he was influenced by a variety of different styles and movements, including New Objectivity, film noir, Italian neorealism, and British social realism.
Krasker was Australian-born to naturalized Australian parents who had emigrated from eastern Europe. His father was from Romania and his mother from the Austro-Hungarian empire. They were both educated in Paris, and they moved from there to London and then to Western Australia. After Robert Krasker’s father died in an accident in Shark Bay, the family travelled between Australia and Paris several times, finally all returning to London before the start of World War Two.
Krasker studied art in Paris and optics and photography in Dresden, Germany. In 1932, he moved to London and began his career as a camera operator. He made his debut as a director of photography in 1943 with the film The Gentle Sex.
Krasker’s most famous work is perhaps his collaboration with director Carol Reed on The Third Man (1949), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. The film is set in post-war Vienna, and Krasker’s use of lighting and shadows helps to create a sense of mystery and unease. He also worked with Reed on the films Odd Man Out (1947), Trapeze (1956), and The Running Man (1963).
Krasker’s other notable films include Brief Encounter (1945), Another Man’s Poison (1947), and Alexander the Great (1956). He worked on over 50 films during his career, and his work is often praised for its beauty and its sense of realism. He was a respected member of the film community, and he was known for his generosity and his willingness to help young filmmakers. He was a mentor to many aspiring cinematographers, and he was always willing to share his knowledge and expertise.
Krasker died in London in 1981 at the age of 67. He is considered to be one of the greatest cinematographers of all time, and his work continues to be enjoyed by audiences around the world. However, he has not received the same level of recognition in Australia as he has in other parts of the world. This is a shame, as he is a true Australian cinematographic icon.
I hope that one day Krasker’s work will be rediscovered and appreciated by Australian audiences. He is a talented and accomplished cinematographer who made significant contributions to the art of filmmaking. His work should be celebrated and remembered, not forgotten.”
Then we asked Bard to create a treatment for a documentary on Robert Krasker and here is what it came up with:
“Title: Robert Krasker, BSC: A Cinematic Master
Logline: This documentary tells the story of Robert Krasker, one of the greatest cinematographers of all time, and his work in American, British and European cinema.
Synopsis: The documentary will explore Krasker’s life and career, from his early days in Australia to his work on some of the most iconic films of the 20th century, such as The Third Man, Brief Encounter, and Trapeze. It will also examine his influences, his techniques, and his legacy.
Interviews: The documentary will feature interviews with Krasker’s friends, colleagues, and family members, as well as film historians and critics. These interviews will provide insights into Krasker’s personality, his work ethic, and his creative process.
Archival footage: The documentary will also feature archival footage of Krasker at work, as well as clips from his films. This footage will help to bring Krasker’s work to life and show how his cinematography helped to shape the look and feel of some of the most memorable films of all time.
Narrator: The documentary will be narrated by a well-known actor or actress. The narrator will provide context for the film and help to guide the audience through Krasker’s life and career.
Themes: The documentary will explore the following themes:
- The art of cinematography
- The importance of light and shadow
- The power of film to create atmosphere and mood
- The legacy of Robert Krasker
Target audience: The documentary will appeal to a wide audience, including film buffs, cinephiles, and anyone interested in the art of cinematography.
Production values: The documentary will be produced to the highest standards, with high-quality cinematography and editing. It will be a visually stunning and informative film that will celebrate the life and work of one of the great masters of cinema.”
Then I asked Google Bard to tell me its reference sources for Robert Krasker and here is its reply:
“Here are some resources where I can get facts about Robert Krasker:
- Wikipedia: Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit. It is a good place to start for general information about Krasker.
- IMDb: IMDb is an online database of films, television shows, and video games. It includes information about Krasker’s filmography, as well as reviews and ratings of his films.
- British Society of Cinematographers: The British Society of Cinematographers is a professional organization for cinematographers. Their website includes a biography of Krasker, as well as a list of his films.
- British Film Institute: The British Film Institute is a national institution dedicated to preserving and promoting British film culture. Their website includes a filmography of Krasker’s films, as well as essays and interviews about his work.
- Google Scholar: Google Scholar is a search engine for academic research papers. It can be used to find articles about Krasker’s work.
I can also access and process information from the real world through Google Search and keep my response consistent with search results.”
Although those websites are the most obvious ones they are not necessarily the best, most complete or the most accurate. All that is, after all, what The Robert Krasker Project is for so I asked Bard to use Google Search and look further including here. It replied in the negative. Pity!
Links
- Google – Bard – Currently experimental artificial intelligence aka AI text-generation project.
- Noam Kroll – AI Screenwriting: Why The Studios Are Wrong About Using ChatGPT To Write Scripts During The WGA Strike
- Noam Kroll – Can ChatGPT Write A Good Screenplay? Here’s How It Performed With Story, Character, Dialogue, and more…
- Rolling Stone – Why Striking Hollywood Writers Fear an AI Future – “In an experiment with Open AI’s ChatGPT software, for instance, filmmaker Noam Kroll learned that it needed inputs for genre, protagonist, antagonist, conflict, setting, and plot developments in order to even get started on a script. When he instructed it to come up with its own pitch, he still had to feed it a string of specific story “beats” — events driving the narrative — that the chatbot could then flesh out as actual scenes. The overall result, he found, was fairly generic. “It can write in clichés and tropes, but sorely lacks the emotional depth and originality that a great screenplay needs,” Kroll concluded.”
- Wikipedia – DALL-E
- Wikipedia – Midjourney
- Wikipedia – OpenAI
- Wikipedia – Stable Diffusion
The Robert Krasker Project 