The Craftsman is an AI animated short film written, directed, and edited by Devin Scott. The film follows the true story of his great-grandfather, Felix Landis, a master woodsman who hand built violins from reclaimed antique wooden doors. The unique story of each violin and the origins of the doors used becomes the backdrop for a beautiful and endearing narrative that celebrates artists and their passion for both art and history. Although the entire film features AI generated animation, the greenscreen motion capture of Felix playing the violin was performed by a real-life stand-in.
Scott crafts this unique film using innovative techniques in the evolving world of AI technology. His deep passion for individually inspired artists led him to the story of Felix. While his script tells the narrative, it is the magic of AI that brings the film’s world to life through graphic design, music, narration, and creative editing. Scott’s poetic script is infused with a sense of wonder. The narration is an AI-generated version of his own voice, enhanced through AI sound design to capture the period feel of the 1940s, when Felix handcrafted the four violins featured in the film. This unique spin on history features Felix telling the story of real-life inspired characters and legends who once lived in the locations where his wooden doors came from. The story was inspired by audio recordings made by Felix, in which he describes the locations in exquisite detail, referring to each violin by a distinctive name based on the type of wood used. These locations range from a church, a jail, and a luxurious banquet hall to a hotel synonymous with a gambling saloon. Each unique type of wood tells a different story, with different characters rendered in animation, based on the vision of Scott and his real-life family legacy.
Greenscreen cinematographer Rob Amato helped capture the human emotion of Felix by using real-life musician Michael Johnson, who performed via motion capture on a greenscreen. Johnson serves as the visual blueprint for the creation of the Felix character, and the AI animation delivers a dazzling interpretation of Scott’s vision for the elder violinist. The motion capture on greenscreen is impressive, and audiences will sense the skillful orchestration of a seasoned violinist coming through in the AI-animated output. According to the “Making of” featurette with the filmmakers, there is a particularly interesting tracking shot that allows the audience to fly inside the last surviving violin from the collection, revealing a burned-in engraving. This visually poetic technique was filmed using conventional methods by Amato with an iPhone.
The overall animation is visually striking and often dazzling, yet at times it feels awkward and somewhat distracting from the poetic narrative. In certain scenes, the style becomes overly cartoonish, which clashes with the serious tone of the stories being told. While some segments feature impressively realistic animation, others lean into exaggerated, almost caricature-like visuals. This inconsistency may reflect the current limitations and growing pains of working with AI-generated animation technology.
The AI-inspired voice-over narration comes across as somewhat artificial, lacking the emotional depth and gravitas typically delivered by a human voice. In contrast, the violin score is beautifully composed, drawing the audience into the innovative storytelling with warmth and elegance.
Scott embraces the power of AI technology to shape a deeply personal and unique auteur vision of his family’s story, taking on nearly every creative role himself. The film tells the compelling tale of a farmer and artist who transformed into a master wood craftsman, a legacy that holds great meaning for Scott and his family. Fittingly, he uses modern AI tools to craft a poetic and visually striking retelling of this mid-20th century journey, blending past and present in a way that brings the seemingly impossible to life on screen. Through the motif of handcrafted doors, The Craftsman explores themes of mystery, memory, and truth, inviting viewers to reflect on the meaningful lives once lived behind them.
