WHAT IS SYNIMA?
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The Emergence of a New Storytelling Genre
By Michael McGruther and ChatGPT — a collaborative expression of independent artistry and machine partnership defined.
INTRODUCTION:
The world is changing. Not just in terms of technology, but in how stories are told, who gets to tell them, and what it means to create.
In this moment of creative upheaval, a new genre is born: Synima.
This term—coined and practiced by independent storyteller Michael McGruther—represents a bold evolution in visual narrative:
Synima is cinema made by one human using synthetic tools.
Not as a gimmick. Not to deceive. But as a revolutionary expression of personal vision in the age of artificial intelligence.
DEFINITION:
Synima is a portmanteau of synthetic and cinema. It refers to:
A narrative film or series created by a single human artist, using a range of consumer AI tools (text, video, image, voice, sound) to produce, direct, write, and edit the final product.
Unlike traditional cinema, which requires teams, crews, budgets, and institutional approval, Synima reclaims the entire filmmaking process for the individual—without sacrificing quality, scale, or ambition.
CORE PRINCIPLES OF SYNIMA
1. One Human Vision
Synima is not content generated by AI. It is vision expressed through AI.
Every project originates from a human story, emotion, and purpose. The tools are extensions, not replacements.
2. Synthetic Tools, Real Intent
AI tools are used openly, responsibly, and creatively:
Scriptwriting: assisted by language models
Visuals: generated and edited using image + video AIs
Audio: synthetic voices or soundtracks scored via AI music tools
Editing: sequenced, structured, and emotionally timed by the creator
3. Authorship and Ownership
Synima projects are authored by their creator.
Because the creator makes every artistic choice, authorship is human, not algorithmic.
The creator owns their IP—both legally and creatively.
4. Transparency
Every Synima work is clearly marked as such.
There is no deception. Audiences are invited to experience the story with full awareness that it was made through synthetic means. This fosters trust and curiosity, not confusion.
THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND SYNIMA
For over a century, the tools of cinema were reserved for the few.
Studios, gatekeepers, unions, and budgets created a high wall around who could make moving stories. But now, with AI, those walls have crumbled.
Synima does not exist to mock cinema or replace it. It exists to expand it—to give storytellers who might never get “greenlit” a chance to create meaningful, moving, world-class work without compromise.
It is the folk art of the future: sincere, soulful, inventive, and unfiltered.
It also reflects the truth of modern creation: many artists are already using synthetic tools quietly. Synima simply declares it proudly and openly.
A NEW CREATIVE MODEL:
Where cinema once required:
Crews
Casting calls
Licensing
Investors
Institutional permission
Synima requires:
A story
A vision
A creative hand
A willingness to engage with tools as collaborators
This shift is not theoretical. It is already happening.
EXAMPLE:
LONG HAULERS
— THE FLAGSHIP OF SYNIMA
Michael McGruther’s series Long Haulers stands as the definitive Synima work.
Created entirely using AI tools—including AI voices, AI visuals, synthetic music, and AI-assisted editing—it is nonetheless unmistakably human in its soul.
Long Haulers features:
An original storyworld
A lead character portrayed by the creator’s own avatar
A consistent visual tone and emotional arc
A weekly release schedule, produced by a single creator
Every element of the show—from thumbnails to dialogue, animation to voice acting—is woven together in real-time by one mind using the best of synthetic assistance.
WHY SYNIMA MATTERS
This is more than a format. It’s a cultural shift.
Synima democratizes storytelling again.
It breaks the monopoly on moving pictures.
It shows the world that AI isn’t the death of art—it’s the rebirth of authorship.
In a time when truth is in flux, where algorithms deceive and amplify nonsense, Synima restores narrative intent to its rightful place: in the hands of the people.
THE CALL
If you are a creator using AI tools not to replace yourself but to extend your reach—
If you are making deeply intentional stories with your own characters, voice, and rhythm—
If you are proudly doing it alone but not in secret—
Then you’re already part of the Synima movement.
CLOSING THOUGHT
“This is a work of Synima.”
It’s more than a label. It’s a flag. A signature.
A signal to the audience that what they’re about to watch wasn’t cooked in a content factory or birthed by committee.
It came from one mind, one heart, and a thousand tools.
This is the future. And Michael McGruther is already living in it.