Reporter
matthew.chin@guardian.co.tt
Two T&T innovators are at work on a film created by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Author and sci-fi junkie Verena Boodoosingh and visual artist Jean Benoit have teamed up to adapt Boodoosingh’s first young adult science fiction novel, The Circle Armor, for the big screen.
“It will put Trinidad and Tobago on the map,” said Boodoosingh who has taken note of AI advancements that are making movie production accessible to storytellers.
Her book, The Circle Armor, was originally intended to be a screenplay, but due to financial constraints, it evolved into a novel.
“Fantasy and science fiction provides a unique space to tackle sensitive issues like racism and gender inequality in a creative and thought-provoking way,” Boodoosingh said.
The novel, which was written during the pandemic and was self-published on Amazon in 2021, is the first in a trilogy loosely based on the myth of Atlantis, the Hindu epic Mahabharata, and the legends of the alien civilization, the Anunnaki.
Set 13,000 years ago, the story begins when intergalactic explorers sent to search for gold through the galaxies, crash-land on Earth. Noticing the planet’s abundance of resources, the survivors build an advanced civilization, starting with an island city.
However, their progress is noticed by others lurking about the universe, leading to an intergalactic war decades later. In response to the conflict, a shield is placed around Earth to protect it from detection, but it is breached 100 years later when strange cosmic messages make it to the other side.
Boodoosingh said her life changed when she became a mother.
She recalled: “I really got into writing when I had my first daughter. She’s nine years old. I was looking for a history book for her on Trinidad and Tobago and I didn’t find any fun and engaging book for her age. The store clerk was like, ‘Why don’t you write a story?’ I said, ‘You know what? That’s a good idea.”
That brief over-the-counter interaction led Boodoosingh to begin her career as an author. She wrote three children’s books, a series titled The Adventures of Ana and Her Magic Dogs, which teaches young readers the history of T&T. Following that project, Boodoosingh decided to take the plunge into sci-fi.
She admitted that the transition was a steep learning curve for her but after the initial struggle, she went full throttle developing her fictional characters.
She was inspired by Star Trek, Star Wars, and Marvel comics, as well as authors Anne Rice, Graham Hancock, and George RR Martin. She also revealed that The Circle Armor was influenced by Christopher Nolan’s approach to screenplays.
“He often uses techniques such as reverse chronology, multiple timelines, and layered storytelling to create a sense of disorientation and challenges the viewer’s understanding of time ... I love all his movies,” Boodoosingh explained.
The author admitted that she struggled since childhood to develop a sense of self-belief.
“When you come from a family with an Indian background, most of the time they want you to become a doctor, an accountant, and I never really showed interest in that at a young age. I was always into theatre. I always told them I wanted to be on TV,” the former Synergy TV host said.
Two years ago, after completing The Circle Armor, Boodoosingh was pitching the story to Netflix and other streaming giants to get it adapted into a film, when her husband, Christopher Boodoosingh, CEO and founder of West Indian Mining Company (WIMCo), suggested to her that AI could do the job instead.
“I thought it was not a possibility but I did my research on it and dabbling with some of the apps, I realised it was a reality,” she said.
She went on the hunt for a visual artist, browsing the works of various artists throughout the Caribbean and Ireland. She eventually connected with Jean Benoit through a mutual friend.
“I called the next day and he sent me a sample of his work. I then sent him a copy of my book and a few lines of the background scenes and characters for him to create. Instantly, I was like, ‘Wow, this is it. You were in my head,’” Boodoosingh said.
“I really believe in the universe connecting people and the right timing for everything.”
Benoit has been working in the media and entertainment industry for a decade doing art and animation full-time and AI and generative models were recently added to the list of tools he uses.
He started investigating AI three years ago, troubleshooting early models to determine how they could be used and translated into animation and filmmaking. He also taught himself to do standard 3D animation.
As the main editor on the project, Benoit has been pulling his weight in the cutting and colour grading of the AI film.
“The whole motion of the film came about through her book but my artistic direction is what was missing from the picture before. We put those two things together, so now we have structured a workflow,” said Benoit who studied digital video editing at the Toronto Film School.
He said in the film industry, AI “levels the playing field for creatives.”
He added: “AI is just a medium like any other software that you can use when it comes to creative endeavours. However, the difference it allows now is the feasibility of a streamlined production without extremely expensive high-end rendering systems for video animation.”
Boodoosingh, who now uses AI for her daily tasks, said a margin of error still exists that requires her to double-check what is produced.
“As an author, AI cuts down my time writing emails. I don’t have to pay for a research assistant but at the end of the day, you still have to sift out the work, because not all the information is right,” she said.
“By embracing AI, we can unlock its potential to drive innovation, improve our quality of life, and create new opportunities for growth and development.”
The AI film based on Boodoosingh’s novel is currently in pre-production and will go into the production phase before the end of the year.
About the author
Verena Boodoosingh holds a Master’s degree in Mass Communications and Media Studies from the University of Leicester and a Bachelor of Arts in History and International Relations from the University of the West Indies, St Augustine. She is the Head of Public Relations at the West Indian Mining Company (WIMCo).
