Gallery: This Is What a Computer Sees When It Watches The Matrix

  • Image may contain Texture and White
    Photos by Ben Grosser
    01

    2001-grad

    Artist Ben Grosser wrote a program to watch movies. Here, it trains its gaze on *2001: A Space Odyssey*. See the full scene with audio [here](http://vimeo.com/79080562).
  • Image may contain Animal Invertebrate Insect Drawing and Art
    Photos by Ben Grosser
    02

    americanbeauty-pad-1

    Sometimes there's an eerie congruity between the scene being watched and the machine's record of watching it. Here, delicate lines trace the floating bag scene from *American Beauty*. See the full scene with audio [here](http://vimeo.com/79080563).
  • Image may contain Nature Outdoors Art and Drawing
    Photos by Ben Grosser
    03

    matrix-pad-1

    Here it's watching *The Matrix*. As Grosser notes, the output helps us detect broad changes in cinematic style. Newer films have more cuts and more frenzied action. See the full scene with audio [here](http://vimeo.com/79080564).
  • Image may contain Diagram Plan Plot Art and Drawing
    Photos by Ben Grosser
    04

    inception-pad-1

    *Inception* is no exception. By the end of this scene--the one in which Ellen Page is being introduced to the idea of creating dream worlds--the machine's studied nearly the whole frame. Mostly because, by the end, everything is exploding like crazy. See the full scene with audio [here](http://vimeo.com/79080565).
  • Training the program on Annie Hall we see evidence of a calmer era in cinema at least visually speaking. Longer shots...
    Photos by Ben Grosser
    05

    anniehall-pad-1

    Training the program on *Annie Hall*, we see evidence of a calmer era in cinema, at least visually speaking. Longer shots and fewer cuts result in a sparser result. See the full scene, with audio, [here](http://vimeo.com/79080566).
  • Image may contain Plot
    Photos by Ben Grosser
    06

    taxidriver-pad-1

    *Taxi Driver* is even sparser yet. See the full scene with audio [here.](http://vimeo.com/79080737)
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