What must a synthetic image achieve to behave like cinema? AI Cinematic Realism (AICR), presented whole for working AI filmmakers: the Ideational Frame, the three strata, a century of craft translated into the latent space, conscious assembly, the maker as moral agent, and the forty-point rubric.
AI Cinematic Realism (Second Edition): A Reader’s Map to the Book
AI Cinematic Realism reframes synthetic video beyond “looks real” or “deepfake” anxiety, asking instead whether an AI image feels true: coherent, intentional, ethical, and emotionally plausible. This reader’s map condenses the book’s framework, craft grammar, rubric, and pedagogy into a practical guide for makers, critics, and educators.
AI Cinematic Realism (Second Edition) — The Framework in Brief
The definitive overview of AI Cinematic Realism (Second Edition), from its author: the Ideational Frame, the three strata, the craft grammar, the four pillars of conscious assembly, the forty-point rubric, and intentional seeing — a complete working language for synthetic cinema.
A 40-Point Rubric for Evaluating AI Cinematic Realism: A Practical Instrument for Critics, Scholars, Filmmakers, and Educators in the Post-Camera Era
A 40-point rubric for evaluating AI-generated cinema across eight criteria — from perceptual realism to ethical accountability. Built for critics, scholars, and filmmakers who need a shared, repeatable vocabulary for assessing synthetic cinema beyond impressionistic judgment.
AI Cinematic Realism (AICR): A New Language for Cinema — Video Guide & Slide Deck
AI Cinematic Realism (AICR) reframes the central question of synthetic images — from "is it real?" to "is it true?" This video guide and slide deck walk through the framework: the three strata of realism, the manifesto, and a practical field guide for making AI-generated cinema that feels true.
AI Cinematic Realism (AICR): A 12-Part Visual Framework for the Post-Camera Era
AI Cinematic Realism reframes the central question of AI-generated images — from "Is it real?" to "Is it true?" This article presents 12 typographic cards distilling the AICR framework: its three strata, manifesto principles, and commitment to emotional plausibility and accountable authorship in the post-camera era.
AI Cinematic Realism (AICR): From Indexical Trace to Ideational Synthesis
AI Cinematic Realism (AICR) proposes a new framework for the post-camera era, shifting cinema's guiding question from "Is this real?" to "Is this true?" Grounded in embodied cognition and a lineage of realist movements, AICR defines synthetic truth through the Ideational Frame, Three-Strata Model, and accountable authorship.
AI Cinematic Realism (AICR) – Explained
AI Cinematic Realism (AICR) is a framework that redefines cinematic truth in the age of generative AI — shifting the central question from "is this real?" to "is this true?" It covers the theory, practice, and ethics of synthetic cinema as a new, honest artistic medium.
The Emotional Truth of Synthetic History: AI Cinematic Realism in On This Day… 1776
AI‑generated cinema isn’t a degraded imitation of film—it’s a new mode of truth built from emotional plausibility, not photographic capture. This essay uses On This Day… 1776 to explore how synthetic imagery challenges assumptions about realism, showing how plausibility, authorship, and machine texture reshape what feels convincing on screen.
AI Cinematic Realism: A Video Introduction
A short video introduction to AI Cinematic Realism, based on concepts from my 2026 book. This guide includes the full transcript and slide visuals, offering an accessible overview of the shift from camera‑based truth to cinematic truth in the age of AI.