Reimagining cinema: Exploring AI's Role in Disrupting Cinematic Conventions and Shaping Non-Cinema Narratives

Abstract

This thesis investigates how artificial intelligence (AI) technologies can be used to disrupt cinematic conventions and contribute to the creation of non-cinema; a term defined by William Brown to describe audiovisual works that exist outside the dominant frameworks of traditional film. Through a combination of theoretical exploration and practical experimentation, the study examines the creative possibilities and limitations of AI-generated filmmaking using tools such as ChatGPT, MidJourney, and Runway. Drawing on artistic research and the walkthrough method, the project documents the process of creating an original AI-generated short film and analyzes how AI can enable alternative narratives, aesthetics, and forms of representation. The findings reveal that while AI offers new opportunities for democratized, experimental filmmaking, it also reinforces certain mainstream aesthetics and ideological boundaries through platform governance and algorithmic norms. By critically engaging with both the tools and the theories surrounding non-cinema, this thesis positions AI filmmaking as a site of both creative expansion and systemic constraint.