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The Frost
Official release poster
Directed by	Josh Rubin, Jeff Synthesized
Written by	Josh Rubin
Starring	Matt Ellis Nate B Ed Kelly Mike DuBord William Sage Ashlyn Moore
Edited by	Robert McFalls
Animation by	Matt Sessions
Production companies	Waymark Creative Labs Latent Cinema
Running time	23 minutes

The Frost is a 2024 science fiction film by Josh Rubin and produced by Waymark Creative Labs. Considered a landmark in AI-driven filmmaking, the 23-minute narrative combines AI-generated imagery with traditional storytelling techniques that explore humanity's relationship with artificial intelligence. The Frost premiered in two parts, with Part One released in June 2023 via MIT Technology Review, while the full version debuted on September 15, 2024, at Singapore's Creator RenAIssance Programme, the country's inaugural AI film festival.

Plot

The Frost follows a team of scientists, led by Seth, as they embark on a perilous journey to investigate a mysterious signal originating from a remote mountain in the Thiel Province of Antarctica. Battling harsh, icy conditions, Seth and his team make their ascent, bringing them closer to a discovery that could fundamentally alter the future of humanity, challenging their understanding of technology, the natural world, and themselves.

Production

The Frost was produced by Waymark Creative Labs, a division of Waymark, an AI-focused media company.

The concept for the film originated from a series of cinematic stills generated by Production Designer Stephen Parker using DALL-E 2, exploring an icy, desolate world that would later shape the film's unique aesthetic.

The Frost was developed in two stages, reflecting significant advancements in AI technology. Part One, a 12-minute segment, utilized OpenAI's DALL-E 2 text-to-image model and D-ID’s AI animation tools, premiering in June 2023.

As AI tools advanced, AI filmmaker Jeff Synthesized, known for his expertise in integrating cutting-edge models, joined the team to leverage the latest AI advancements. His techniques brought consistency to The Frost's landscapes and character faces, elevating visual quality and continuity across the narrative in Part Two. This segment incorporated advanced image, video, and audio AI models, including Midjourney, RunwayML, LeonardoAI, Luma, Pika, Haiperai, Pixverse, and Eleven Labs. The complete 23-minute film, which combines Parts One and Two, premiered on September 15, 2024, at the Creator RenAIssance Programme in Singapore.

Rather than striving for photorealism, the filmmakers leaned into the unique, often uncanny aesthetic produced by AI. Stephen Parker told Inverse that "We found it far easier to get emotional shots of dogs than humans," underscoring the challenges in replicating nuanced human expressions, a limitation that ultimately became part of the film's distinct style.

Reception

Upon its release, The Frost garnered significant attention for its innovative use of AI in film production, earning praise and raising thought-provoking discussions on the future of filmmaking. Will Douglas Heaven, Senior Editor for AI at MIT Technology Review, described the film as "one of the most impressive—and bizarre—examples yet of this strange new genre," highlighting its pioneering role in AI-generated cinema. The film’s unique visual style, leaning into the uncanny and otherworldly aesthetic produced by AI, resonated with viewers and critics alike, who found its unsettling imagery well-suited to the mysterious, sci-fi narrative.

The film's premiere at the Creator RenAIssance Film Festival held at the ArtScience Museum in Singapore "attracted a considerable crowd of tech enthusiasts and filmmakers."The Frost: AI-Generated Film Pioneers New Frontiers," Lianhe Zaobao, September 29, 2024.</ref> This demonstrated a significant level of interest in AI-driven filmmaking and highlighted the growing audience for generative AI cinema.

Filmmaker Souki Mehdaoui remarked, "This is certainly the first generative AI film I’ve seen where the style feels consistent." The team faced challenges in maintaining visual continuity. Chris Stokel-Walker noted, "The wide shot would look different to the close-ups, and in turn, they would look different to reverse angles. In the end, the team hit on a workable solution that involved detailed prompts for DALL-E to create visual anchors throughout the different scenes, essentially building up the AI’s memory." While DALL-E does not have memory in a traditional sense, the effective use of prompts allowed for visual consistency across scenes.

The Business Times praised the cost-efficiency of the film, noting that its "low five-figure" budget demonstrated the potential of AI to significantly reduce production costs compared to a traditional live-action film, which would have cost tens of millions of dollars if shot on location in Antarctica."AI Films May Be What Your Business Needs," The Business Times, September 5, 2024.</ref> The article emphasized the potential of AI filmmaking to make high-concept visual storytelling accessible even on smaller budgets.

联合早报 (Zaobao) observed that "The Frost highlights both the advantages and limitations of AI in film, blending stunning AI-generated landscapes with an undeniably uncanny effect, particularly in dialogue scenes." This balanced perspective emphasizes the dual nature of AI's impact, acknowledging its artistic contributions while pointing out its current shortcomings.

Exhibitions

In November 2024, The Frost has been invited to be featured in The Age of AI, an exhibit opening in February 2025 at Bletchley Park. Known for its pivotal role in codebreaking during World War II, Bletchley Park now serves as a leading center for exploring the history and future of technology. The exhibit will examine advancements in artificial intelligence, with The Frost featured as a case study in the Creative Industries section. Expected to run for up to three years, the exhibit highlights The Frost's role in demonstrating AI’s impact on film and visual storytelling.

Significance

The Frost has been recognized as one of the early pioneers in AI-generated narrative cinema, with its ambitious production reflecting both the potential and the current limitations of AI tools. By expanding a short initial version into a complete 23-minute film, the project represents a step forward in the application of AI in storytelling, exploring themes of survival, human resilience, and the uncertain future shaped by AI.