Gallery: This Is What a Computer Sees When It Watches The Matrix
Photos by Ben Grosser012001-grad
Artist Ben Grosser wrote a program to watch movies. Here, it trains its gaze on *2001: A Space Odyssey*. See the full scene with audio [here](http://vimeo.com/79080562).
Photos by Ben Grosser02americanbeauty-pad-1
Sometimes there's an eerie congruity between the scene being watched and the machine's record of watching it. Here, delicate lines trace the floating bag scene from *American Beauty*. See the full scene with audio [here](http://vimeo.com/79080563).
Photos by Ben Grosser03matrix-pad-1
Here it's watching *The Matrix*. As Grosser notes, the output helps us detect broad changes in cinematic style. Newer films have more cuts and more frenzied action. See the full scene with audio [here](http://vimeo.com/79080564).
Photos by Ben Grosser04inception-pad-1
*Inception* is no exception. By the end of this scene--the one in which Ellen Page is being introduced to the idea of creating dream worlds--the machine's studied nearly the whole frame. Mostly because, by the end, everything is exploding like crazy. See the full scene with audio [here](http://vimeo.com/79080565).
Photos by Ben Grosser05anniehall-pad-1
Training the program on *Annie Hall*, we see evidence of a calmer era in cinema, at least visually speaking. Longer shots and fewer cuts result in a sparser result. See the full scene, with audio, [here](http://vimeo.com/79080566).
Photos by Ben Grosser06taxidriver-pad-1
*Taxi Driver* is even sparser yet. See the full scene with audio [here.](http://vimeo.com/79080737)
