Gentalks From Snoop Dogg to Richard Nixon, GenAI Storytelling pushing new boundaries
Mar 9, 2026
Halsey Burgan, new media artist and Emmy-winning interactive director behind In Event of a Moon Disaster, explores synthetic media and AI ethics. They discuss AI-powered storytelling, deepfake techniques and historical recreations. The conversation also covers media literacy, transparency, and practical AI tools reshaping music videos and content production.
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Why Jesse Abandoned Mocap For AI Music Videos
- Jesse pivoted from motion-capture animation to full AI-driven music videos after noticing early image models would soon obsolete his mocap studio.
- He closed his mocap doors, went all-in on AI, then made a Snoop Dogg video in about a week that replaced a monthslong, $1.5M traditional production.
AI Threatens Creator Discoverability On Platforms
- Many traditional YouTubers resist AI because it threatens discoverability and competition; AI can produce content faster and better, making organic visibility harder.
- Jesse predicts creators will struggle unless platforms verify or favor non-AI content, but platforms currently prioritize engagement over provenance.
Jesse's Multi-Model Workflow For Snoop Videos
- Jesse got early access to C-Dance and treated it like a kid in a candy store, using a mix of C-Dance, Cling, and other tools to assemble his Snoop videos.
- He describes juggling models: C-Dance had superior lip-sync and audio but grainier visuals, while Cling looked sharper but had worse audio and acting.