I’ve dedicated my life to communicating stories. When I was about seven years old, I set up a book publishing shop under our pool table in the basement. Not only did I write the stories, but I also bound the pages using glue and cardboard. Soon after, I became captivated by making flip books, changing the image slightly on each piece of paper to give the illusion of movement when the pages were flipped through.
Early Beginnings in Storytelling
In the eighties, handheld video cameras and VHS consoles hit the market. When I was in seventh grade, I made my first short film using a VHS camera and two VCRs to edit. This sparked a passion, leading me to create multiple shorts in high school and even a comic book for my friends.
My storytelling journey continued in college, where I earned a film degree and began making music videos, shorts, and a feature film. After college, I moved to New York City, starting a career in television without knowing anyone. I’ve worked every job on a TV set, always striving to find better ways to tell visually compelling stories. Being Gen X, I adapted to the evolving technology, from loading super 8, 16mm, and 35mm cameras to now with the capability to shoot 4K with your phone. It’s kind of crazy when you sit back and think about it.
Enter AI: A New Frontier
The evolution of storytelling technology has been rapid, but nothing compares to the game-changing impact of AI storytelling. I started my experience with AI storytelling out of the frustration most storytellers face: the lack of resources to bring a vision to life in a meaningful way. I’ve written many scripts, but only a few have ever been made into films due to the high costs and challenging industry gatekeeping. It got me thinking about AI in film and how I could incorporate it. I wondered if AI could be used in graphic novel creation.
Discovering MidJourney
A little over a year ago, news about AI-generated images by MidJourney caught my attention. Around that time, I had just finished a 26-page horror script that required expensive visual effects. With a family to support, shooting a film wasn’t in the budget. The old way of pitching to production companies didn’t appeal to me. I wanted to use AI in the film.
With the discovery of MidJourney, the idea of turning my horror script into a graphic novel using AI-generated images got me very curious. I felt a rush of excitement when I saw the first image of the main character in the film, Rip Van Winkle as a demon. I thought this could work; it can help with graphic novel creation. Images created from my prompts were thrilling. It was similar to seeing my films projected in college. I was determined to improve my skills through research and trial and error. My AI storytelling journey had begun!
AI Storytelling
Working with MidJourney involves a unique workflow of prompts and creations. You wait to see the images generated and then refine your text to get closer to your vision. Each image is specific to the moment, and even identical prompts can yield different results, adding an organic feel to the creative process.
I spent about a year creating images for my script, working during my free time. Though I couldn’t draw more than stick figures, MidJourney enabled me to produce beautiful illustrations, effectively becoming my team of illustrators for just $10 a month. Consistency in character appearance was challenging, but by including specific details like age and hair color in my prompts, I achieved excellent results.
Bringing the Vision to Life
By the end of the year, I had completed my graphic novel. Printing the first copy for feedback was a cathartic and fulfilling moment. Completing this project allowed my script to be both read and visually experienced, marking a significant milestone in my creative journey.
Moving Forward: A New Beginning with AI
As I embarked on this new path, a friend in publishing was impressed by my work and joined the project as an editor. Together, we are expanding the story and preparing it for the market. This is just the beginning of an exciting journey, not only with MidJourney but also with ChatGPT and other creative AI tools. These technologies enable us to tell stories in dynamic and innovative ways.
Join us as we navigate this self-publishing graphic novel journey. Follow the progress of “Catskill Killer” at catskillkiller.com and witness how AI continues to revolutionize storytelling. I’m all in with AI and MidJourney, and I couldn’t be happier. The future of storytelling is here, and it’s incredibly exciting.