Opus Cope

David Cope was commissioned to write an opera in the 80's when he suffered a major composer's block. This sparked interest in an algorithmic partner named EMI, Experiments in Musical Intelligence, that could generate compelling works in the style of western classical music composers. Widely recognized as a pioneer of artificial creativity, David wields a body of work that spans art, astronomy, and literature, in addition to music. Featuring excerpts from the completed opera, the algorithmic composer imagines creativity through human and machine perspectives.

Director Bio

Jae Shim is an independent filmmaker whose interests and tastes gravitate towards the irreverent, profound, and romantic.

Jae's creative approach closely mirrors that of Werner Herzog’s 'ecstatic truth' where the line between documentary and fiction is blurred, imploring the auteur to go beyond mere observation to arrive at a greater reality. In 2016, he was selected as a finalist for the Warner Bros. Emerging Film Directors Workshop for his short story 'Happy Death Co.' which centered around fake funerals in South Korea.

Jae eventually stumbled upon the groundbreaking work of David Cope who famously experimented with artificial intelligence and music. Nothing short of a dream project, he embarked on a five year journey with the algorithmic composer to make a film about the creative process itself. 'Opus Cope: An Algorithmic Opera' imagines David’s world as a “documentary” and marks Jae’s feature film debut.