David Tolchinsky, Media School dean and scholar, has an extensive background in horror film scoring, production, and playwriting.
As Halloween approaches, he’s looking at how artificial intelligence is shaping horror movies, from the filmmaking process to the characters on screen.
Tolchinsky says that horror films can be used as a mirror for society.
“I think what makes horror films really interesting is they reflect what is it that we're struggling with as a society, and how are we all feeling,” Tolchinsky said. “The more kind of conservative and fearful we are, the more the monster looks like a monster."
Horror films get our hearts racing, but Tolchinsky said something deeper may be happening, too. He said the genre can carry underlying social themes and “create important conversations.” He pointed to Jordan Peele’s “Get Out,” a horror film with racial trauma at the core of its plot.
Tolchinsky said these hidden messages give viewers a way to work through deep-rooted emotions in an unexpected way.
“I'm really interested in that aspect of horror, and also just, you know how horror can kind of rehearse trauma,” Tolchinsky said. “By seeing trauma on film and working through that, it's actually a very safe way to understand and deal with your own trauma.”
Although AI is ever present in today's world, the idea of a “super-computer” can be seen as early as 1966 in Star Trek. Usually depicted as a villain or an evil entity, AI characters are not new to the film industry, and Tolchinsky thinks they will continue to be included.
In his own creative work and films, Tolchinsky said he uses AI strictly as a tool and keeps it separate from personal brainstorming. He said it can help with gathering information, getting editing advice, and finding the best routes for outreach, but it shouldn’t take over the filmmaker’s role.
“I think it's just you lose what's so wonderful and unique about being a human, but sure, use it as a tool to polish, to do research,” Tolchinsky said.
