The film "Dark Side of Industrial Lodz" tells the story of how industrialisation has shaped Lodz, affecting the environment, health and the present-day lives of its inhabitants. The film material was made based on a lecture by Dr Marcin Szymański, recorded on 23 October 2024. Then, in close cooperation with the researcher, the lecture text was transformed into a script and, in a further step, using only archive materials and contemporary shots of the city, into a film.
The author of the visual concept and the script is Stefan Brajter. He is a well-known photographer from Lodz, a creator of rephotography, i.e. compilations of old photos and contemporary ones, as well as many educational films about Lodz, such as on the one on occasion of 200 years of Piotrkowska Street. What was most unusual in the creation of the film about the impact of industrial sewage on our city was the very extensive use of generative artificial intelligence tools. As the author says:
In the process of creating the film, I used many generative AI applications. To generate the dubbing speaker's voice, I used tools from ElevenLabs. I animated the photos using applications such as Hailuo AI, Minimax AI and Kling AI, and I created the music using Udio AI Music Generator. I admit that it was an interesting challenge and during the creation of the film for the University of Lodz, I experienced many creative surprises. Although the final effect is satisfactory, it cost more work than one might have expected.
This type of approach to the production of a popular-science film opened up the knowledge contained in it to another possibility of expanding the audience. The film's dialogue track was translated into English and German (using AI but under the supervision of flesh-and-blood translators) and ElevenLabs' tools made it easy to generate dubbing speaker for these languages. This way, the film began to function in three language versions, which we encourage you to watch and share.
Polish version of the film
English version of the film
German version of the film
The films were created as part of the project "Podążaj za ciekawością. Jak inspirować nauką?" implemented thanks to funding from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education under the programme: "Organizowanie i animowanie działań na rzecz środowiska akademickiego".
Edit: Michał Gruda (Centre for External Relations and Social Responsibility, University of Lodz)
The mission of the University of Lodz is to conduct reliable research and actively disseminate facts and research results so as to wisely educate future generations, be useful to society and courageously respond to the challenges of the modern world. Scientific excellence is always our best compass. Our values include: courage, curiosity, commitment, cooperation and respect.