CSAILors! The year is 2014 or so, and the MIT computer science and artificial intelligence laboratory is the setting to a bitter struggle between man and machine. You risk life and limb to document the conflict and preserve it as a warning for future generations. Will we be successful in surviving against the onslaught of antagonistic artificial intelligence, or will we perish? In a distant future, when humanity once again stands on the verge of creating its own competition, how will your experiences shape theirs?
Your theme is to document a struggle between human and artificial intelligence, be it an epic struggle felt by all humanity, or a personal conflict. Your film should be approximately 2-4 minutes in length (although we will not penalize a movie for being too short). You may use any any narrative or visual style. Anything goes, be it news clips, 80s-style horror, claymation, or a music video. Be creative, but feel free to duplicate the style of your favorite films. Win the hearts and minds of your audience, and win the Olympics! Please include a reference or two to your team’s antagonistic AI, and remember that your movie must be finished in time for the premiere. Winners will be selected by popular vote, with the following awards (team points!):
- 1st place: 150 points(Congratulations team HAL)
- 2nd place: 100 points (Congratulations team Skynet)
- 3rd place: 50 points(Congratulations team Agent Smith, please email us a link if you would like your film displayed here)
Great films deserve recognition, and we will generously reward standout work with more points! Each award will earn your team 25 points, and the award categories will include the following (although more categories may emerge later):
- Best actor, or costume
- Best musical act, accompaniment, or soundtrack
- Best visual style, effect, or animation
All of the above-mentioned "worth-less" awards were swept up by Team GLaDOS. Congratulations! Please email us a link if you would like your film displayed here).
We will also reward participation by giving a small point bonus for each team member included in the credits in any capacity (writing, lighting, camera, acting, editing, etc.). There may or may not be a celebrity panel of judges to determine the winners, but there will definitely be a fancy premiere with snacks and panel discussion accompanying each film.
Finally, we emphasize that the film competition is an essential part of the CSAIL Olympics, and we encourage you to take it to new and surprising heights.