INCOGNITO by Alekya Malladi, Gesthimani Roumpani, Yanrong Yang. Advised by Natasha Sandmeier and Nathan Su.

Architecture and it's ability to frame visual narratives has impacted film and entertainment for decades. With the evolution of design techniques and software, a new form of digital storytelling can aide how architecture is used to test design process and pedagogy. University of California Los Angeles Architecture and Urban Design M.Arch students Alekya Malladi, Gesthimani Roumpani, Yanrong Yang use film to dissect architecture and AI in their project, Incognito.

Advised by UCLA's IDEAS Entertainment Studio advisors Natasha Sandmeier and Nathan Su, the group explains how their film "serves as an exposé on memory, spatial reconstruction, and the role of contemporary media in delivering fact and fiction." Archinect connected with the trio as they share their perspectives on working through the pandemic and what their future holds as they enter professional practice. "Our interactions with professionals in the architecture industry have shown us that establishing a clear identity and intent across our application materials, website, and portfolio, helps our application stand out."

Archinect's Spotlight on 2020 Thesis Projects: 2020 has been an extraordinarily challenging year for architecture graduates. Students were displaced as schools shut down, academic communities had to adapt to a new virtual format, end-of-year celebrations were canceled or changed dramatically, and now these students are graduating into an extremely challenging employment market. To support the 2020 class we're launching a summer series of features highlighting the work of thesis students during this unique time of remote learning amid COVID-19. Be sure to follow our 2020 thesis tag to stay up to date as we release new project highlights.

...the film “Incognito” challenges the idea of objective or infallible memories, suggesting that memory is not a record of the past; it is a creative act that weaves together an experience and an environment with its associated senses and emotions.

Please briefly describe your thesis/final project and your inspiration.

Motivated by the impending collaboration of humans and AI, the film Incognito challenges the idea of objective or infallible memories, suggesting that memory is not a record of the past; it is a creative act that weaves together an experience and an environment with its associated senses and emotions. In the year 2023, a young girl goes missing in Salton Sea, California. The police officer on the case and AI analyst AVA, are collecting evidence and data to stitch stories and spaces together. The success of their investigation depends on the accuracy and balance between human, digital, and object-imprinted memories. This film serves as an exposé on memory, spatial reconstruction, and the role of contemporary media in delivering fact and fiction. How far is the truth from a series of stories put together in a well-strung narrative?

This film serves as an exposé on memory, spatial reconstruction, and the role of contemporary media in delivering fact and fiction. How far is the truth from a series of stories put together in a well-strung narrative?

How did your project change as studios transitioned to remote learning?

During the Winter quarter, when we first decided our project would have the form of a criminal investigation, we envisioned a final result across multiple media. With that in mind, world building for us took place in both the physical and digital world, with the creation of 2D and 3D assets that would support our fiction - not only as part of the film, but as a series of tangible objects that would be curated and displayed as evidence for the investigation. Transitioning to remote learning meant we had to creatively pivot in order to deliver that content in a solely online format. If we’ve learned anything since March, it’s that we need to be nimble and adjust to new realities while simultaneously designing them.

Other than this shift, by the time we were required to transition we already knew how to work as a team and had established a workflow that allowed for cohesive end results. In-person studio tutorials are still irreplaceable, but the ability to communicate effectively with our instructors and one another proved to be the most valuable asset in this sudden turn of events.

Any tips for students working through their final projects?

Reflecting on our projects at UCLA and the evolution of our workflow, we would say that it’s never too early to start producing. Even when the concept is still vague, we found that creating original content and experimenting with techniques drove the discussion with our instructors and helped shape up a clearer direction in all aspects of the project, saving us a lot of time during the final push. Consistently aiming for small targets within a short time frame is another thing that kept the team motivated, and the project on schedule.

INCOGNITO film by Alekya Malladi, Gesthimani Roumpani, Yanrong Yang. Advised by Natasha Sandmeier & Nathan Su of UCLA's IDEAs Entertainment Studio program.

In the entertainment industry, specifically visualization and animation, it seems that production has not slowed down - maintaining the optimism for those of us interested in transitioning.

As recently graduated students, how do you feel about the architecture industry right now and job prospects?

Graduating amidst a global pandemic is not something school could have prepared us for. Although job openings are limited, our interactions with professionals in the architecture industry have shown us that establishing a clear identity and intent across our application materials, website, and portfolio helps our application stand out. The fact that our final project is a film facilitates an unconventional discourse compared to more traditional formats, which became even more relevant after our transition to remote learning. In the entertainment industry, specifically visualization and animation, it seems that production has not slowed down - maintaining the optimism for those of us interested in transitioning. Overall, creativity cannot be held up by any pandemic, and that means that the prospects of independent artistic pursuits are always an option for professions like ours.