Disney’s new neural network can change actor’s age with ease
VIDEO
WORLD 02 December 2022 - 04:05
Disney researchers have created a new neural network that can alter the visual age of actors in TV or film.
The technology will allow TV or film producers to make actors appear older or younger using an automated process that will be less costly and time-consuming than previous methods, Ars Technica reports via Gizmodo.
Traditionally, when special effects staff on a video or film production need to make an actor look older or younger (a technique Disney calls "re-aging"), they typically either use a 3D scanning and 3D modeling process or a 2D frame-by-frame digital retouching of the actor's face using tools similar to Photoshop. This process can take weeks or longer, depending on the length of the work.
In contrast, Disney's new AI technique, called Face Re-aging Network (FRAN), automates the process. Disney calls it "the first practical, fully automatic, and production-ready method for re-aging faces in video images."
To build FRAN, Disney researchers randomly generated thousands of examples of synthetically aged faces between ages 18 and 85 using StyleGAN2. With that training data in hand, FRAN learned general principles about how a person's appearance changes with age. Now that training is complete, it can apply those aging principles to a real actor in motion, frame by frame.
"Our network is trained in a supervised fashion on a large number of face image pairs showing the same synthetic and photorealistic person, labeled with the corresponding source and target ages," the researchers wrote in a corresponding academic paper. By generating the training data synthetically, they bypassed the "seemingly impossible task" of collecting images depicting "a variety of identities, ages, and ethnicities in different viewpoints."
The result is what Disney calls a "production ready" solution—which means it creates high-enough quality output to be used in a real film or TV show. It's possibly the first AI solution of its kind that can dynamically alter an actor's age on video despite variable expressions, lighting conditions, and viewpoints. The researchers also developed a user-friendly interface for FRAN that will allow artists to easily use the tool in a production environment.
Disney presented the research in a paper titled "Production-Ready Face Re-Aging for Visual Effects" on Wednesday and submitted it for inclusion at the 2022 ACM SIGGRAPH Asia conference in December. The paper's authors include Gaspard Zoss, Prashanth Chandran, Eftychios Sifakis, Markus Gross, Paulo Gotardo, and Derek Bradley, all affiliated with Disney Research Studios in Zurich, Switzerland.
Considering Disney's history with inserting computer-generated actors into Star Wars films and TV shows, including some that have been de-aged using CGI, we would not be surprised to see technology similar to FRAN widely used in future Disney productions, although no plans have been announced.
Caliber.Az
1
|
Azerbaijan's diplomatic masterstroke: Return of occupied villages marks strategic achievement New geopolitical reality
21 April 2024 - 11:43
|
2
|
Armenia returns four villages to Azerbaijan, paving the way for peace in the South Caucasus Landmark accord
23 April 2024 - 09:14
|
3
|
Early Russian withdrawal from Karabakh: how has Azerbaijan’s ‘calculated risk’ strategy paid off? Contemplations with Orkhan Amashov
21 April 2024 - 10:03
|
4
|
Armenian PM's Moscow visit sparks speculation on bilateral relations Dilemma between East, West
23 April 2024 - 11:19
|
5
|
Diplomatic World Sweden shines light on Azerbaijan's landmine challenge That hinders reconstruction
21 April 2024 - 13:24
|
China’s president visits Belgrade around anniversary of NATO embassy bombing
24 April 2024 - 18:22
Best way to avoid war is to “talk less, prepare more”
Finland’s president says24 April 2024 - 18:07
International experts view restoration activities in Lachin
24 April 2024 - 18:03
Jamaica recognizes State of Palestine
24 April 2024 - 17:53
"Peoples of South Caucasus should resolve their differences independently"
Foreign analysts on Caliber.Az24 April 2024 - 17:40
HAMAS holding hostage 30 high-ranking Israeli security forces members
24 April 2024 - 17:38
Top 100 fastest-growing FDI destinations
Baku ranks 3rd24 April 2024 - 17:30
Argentina asks Interpol to arrest Iranian minister over attack
24 April 2024 - 17:23
Russia urges Armenia to clarify National Assembly president’s speech
Following scandalous statements24 April 2024 - 17:19
Three signs US could be heading for recession
Expert analysis24 April 2024 - 17:08
Mark Rutte seeks Türkiye's backing for new job
A new pair of hands24 April 2024 - 16:55
Israel gears up for Rafah civilian evacuation ahead of promised assault
24 April 2024 - 16:49
UK to deploy its Typhoon fighter jets to Poland in 2025
24 April 2024 - 16:32
Taliban to create special unit to fight Islamic State
24 April 2024 - 16:18
Assessing Pashinyan's statements on normalizing relations with Baku
Armenia's political shift24 April 2024 - 16:15
Argentina asks Interpol to arrest Iran minister over 1994 Jewish centre bombing
24 April 2024 - 16:01
Azerbaijani official highlights unique opportunity for Baku, Yerevan to achieve peace
Interview with BBC24 April 2024 - 15:57
Presidential envoy: Lachin has great potential in renewable energy sources
24 April 2024 - 15:45
Turkish Armed Forces continue to destroy terrorists in Syria
VIDEO24 April 2024 - 15:31
"NATO base in the South Caucasus will cause uncontrollable processes"
Israeli analyst on Caliber.Az24 April 2024 - 15:28
Armenian pundit advocates for coexistence formula with Azerbaijan to preserve statehood
24 April 2024 - 15:18
German opposition urges UK’s PM to pressure German Chancellor
24 April 2024 - 15:07
US has no immediate plan to sanction Chinese banks over Russia
24 April 2024 - 14:52
Türkiye, Iraq, UAE, Qatar agree on “Development Path” project
24 April 2024 - 14:37
Azerbaijan's "white gold"
Cotton market rebounds24 April 2024 - 14:28
White House knows that global south has a point
24 April 2024 - 14:22
Bilateral relations, regional dynamics, & peacekeepers’ withdrawal
Key takeaways from President Aliyev's Moscow visit24 April 2024 - 14:07
Azerbaijan sends humanitarian aid to Kazakhstan amidst flooding crisis
24 April 2024 - 13:52
Russia may shift target set to hit Ukrainian transportation infrastructure
Institute for Study of War’s analysis24 April 2024 - 13:37
Azerbaijani Navy, Emergencies Ministry hold exercises in Caspian Sea
PHOTO24 April 2024 - 13:27
Lawyer stresses importance of Azerbaijani-Armenian border delimitation for sovereignty
24 April 2024 - 13:22
Azerbaijan, Russia’s Bashkortostan strengthening trade ties
24 April 2024 - 13:07
Lachin checkpoint: A symbol of Azerbaijan's commitment to peace and stability
A year on24 April 2024 - 13:04
European Parliament involved in several scandals
24 April 2024 - 12:52
German climate envoy expects “difficult discussions” on COP29 at upcoming minister meeting
24 April 2024 - 12:37
Armenian Church's involvement in border disputes
Challenges to peace24 April 2024 - 12:30
World think tank reps visit Azerbaijan’s Karabakh
24 April 2024 - 12:22
US Secret Service prepares for if Trump jailed for contempt in hush money case
24 April 2024 - 12:07
Egypt denies discussing Rafah invasion with Israel
24 April 2024 - 11:52
Azerbaijan holds official welcome ceremony for President of Kyrgyzstan
24 April 2024 - 11:40