The use of artificial intelligence in any field of art is one of the most controversial topics. Artistic circles are reluctant to approach this issue, regularly pointing out a number of concerns and potential abuses that technology may lead to. Of course, on the other side of the barricade there are enterprises and start-ups responsible for AI that see a huge profit in it.
A certain impasse and discord prevailing in artistic sectors, mainly focused on actors, can be seen, on the one hand, after actor strikes, and, on the other, after film competitions that involve the use of artificial intelligence. So it is a unique landscape, but still extremely interesting from the audience’s perspective.
Nevertheless, this technology should not be perceived in such a narrow spectrum. The case of Tom Hanks and the latest movie Here shows that thanks to generative artificial intelligence, we are able to turn the dreams of many viewers into reality. What exactly are we talking about?
AI used in film production
Last Friday, the production entitled Here. Out of time directed by Robert Zemeckis. The production’s plot describes the fate of several generations of people who experience many of the most important moments of their lives in one place, over time.
We are talking about the theme of time and place, and therefore the need to characterize individual actors in a way appropriate to their age in the film.
Some of the main roles are played by Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, actors who do not belong to the youngest generation (68 and 58 years old). Taking into account the premise of the film, which presents the story of the characters over 60 years of their lives, the producers could have decided to systematically select other actors or traditional attempts at characterization.
However, they chose a third and quite non-obvious option, namely using artificial intelligence to modify the actors’ faces. This is one of the first film productions that openly used the benefits of new technology. How exactly does it work and who is responsible for it?
Artificial intelligence instead of traditional CGI
A face reconstruction and modification model based on machine learning is one of the latest projects of Metaphysic. It was this company that, when developing its model, decided to rejuvenate the main characters of the film Here.
This process required first collecting relevant data about Hanks and Wright’s appearance in their younger years. It was necessary to collect photos that showed the characters’ faces from different angles, in different lighting and general environmental conditions. This work seems extremely tedious, but it turned out to be worth the price.
It turned out to be possible to almost instantly rejuvenate the actors without the need for long work on more “traditional” CGI effects. Additionally, this process does not require frame-by-frame manipulation, but rather applying a layer on existing video material. This is a huge saving of time and, consequently, money, and the effects? These are apparently also satisfactory.
This is not the only and probably not the last such case
The director of the film emphasizes that it was impossible to create it three years ago. It all came down to costs, not the AI itself, but rather the need to employ hundreds of artists and CGI specialists. According to Zemeckis, this could be a more expensive venture even than Marvel’s production.
Of course Here. Out of time, is not the only film that uses the benefits of AI to rejuvenate an actor. Similar technology was used during filming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny from 2023. At that time, a tool called Flux was used, which, using AI and infrared, was able to significantly rejuvenate the already experienced Harrison Ford.
The model prepared by Metaphysic is even more attractive because it does not require the use of additional tools. The key here is the appropriate number of frames and materials presenting the actor from different perspectives.
The example of the film mentioned today shows that even if part of the film industry resists with all its might, it will not stop progress. In view of this, it seems necessary to maintain certain legal and ethical standards so that such technologies do not get out of control. This seems to be the most important thing in this situation.
