Exploring Authentic Anonymity in Documentary Film through AI
Summary
An artistic research exploration of how AI can be used to anonymise real people in documentary footage while preserving authenticity and credibility. Traditional anonymisation techniques — heavy blurring, pixelation, strong voice distortion — remove exactly what is central: facial expressions, body language, emotional intensity and relational dynamics, and introduce stigma that misrepresents ordinary learning processes. Working with extensive video recordings from an ongoing artistic research project on roleplay and embodied methods in documentary education at the TV School in Lillehammer, and with MishMash partner Reimagine as key collaborator, the project maps and tests existing AI tools for visual and audio anonymisation, and begins experimenting with tailored models that keep the environment but transform the appearance of participants. Outcomes include an overview of viable approaches, a preliminary anonymisation workflow, and a plan for a larger project towards a publishable video essay.
Work Package
Primary WP: WP2
Duration
2026
People
- Project leader: Mette Nyseter