Most of the creators who deal with motion picture media have at least once wished to be on the same level of amazement and expertise as what Hollywood can bring out seemingly without effort. But there is effort, and there is so much technology, both digital and hand-made, in one place that a casual user can never wrap their head around. But you don't need big effects to craft a compelling story. Smaller studios have made legends by relying on tried and tested easy effects, great sound crafting, and excellent shots. But there is still the feeling of wonder, of curiosity, and amazement at what lies behind those big doors few ever walk through. What sort of AI technology have the giants made, and where do they invest their endless pools of money? Well then, we have dug through some stories, and here is what we found.
Employment-Based Digital Replica
Or shortened as an EBDR, this is essentially a technology that allows for the replication of actors for the purpose of shooting a film. You can think of it as a digital stunt double of sorts, and it just so happens to be one of the two digital replications allowed by SAG-AFTRA deal, which was struck after the 2023 Hollywood protests. Per the agreement, even if the EBDR technology means the actor needs less physical presence on the set, they would still be paid a full wage while the EBDR is being used. Besides that, this technology allows for immaculate changes to the actor's body like we've never seen before. Poses, face changes, and much more. It's a perfect digital puppet powered by the actor's many fine details. You can slot them in any costume without spending hours of daily prepping and makeup.
Metaphysic Technologies
You might be unfamiliar with Metaphysic, but this company offers some of the best AI Face Swap and Video Face Swap technology—or at least technology impressive enough to be scouted by Hollywood production teams. This implies that the best film editing tools are slowly slipping out of Hollywood's grasp, which opens space for other groups to cooperate with companies such as Metaphysics when creating their projects. Keep in mind that this technology is not your regular Face Swap or Deepfake but a result of a company training unique models for one type of job. The most notable use is in the 2024 film titled "Here." The plot of the movie needed to show the aging process of the main characters, so there was a need to de-age and age Hank and Wright. We will try to explain what the team had done without diving too far into the technical side.
- Fewer Actors: The main reason for using the technology is to avoid casting more actors who might not match the likeness of the main ones. The story took course over 60 years, meaning that there would be several changes as the story progressed.
- Real-Time Change: The decision to keep only two actors means that the CGI team would have their work cut out for them in the postproduction when they will need to go frame by frame and manually change the age of actors. With AI from Metaphyiscs, the process could be done live inside the very recording instead of having to be processed later, saving a lot of time and resources, and along with the CGI team to work on other important things.
- How It Was Trained: The AI used is a custom model built by Metaphysics, but not before all legal papers and rights were signed for the process. The AI was trained on countless older films in which the actors participated under different lighting and even makeup. Even the skin texture and sweat were taken into account. With this massive data pool of angles and facial movements, the editing process was nearly instantaneously cut to almost nothing.
Metaphysic In Other Films
"Here" was the most notable instance where a movie used a significant portion of AI to shave off the editing process without sacrificing quality or authenticity, but Metaphysics seems to have made its mark in at least two other movies. We couldn't find any more data about the usage of AI, but if our assumption is true, then Metaphysics seems to be the leading party in Hollywood for AI. But unlike in "Here," where the choice was purely cosmetic, the other uses have not landed with grace.
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024): Here, the long-expected use of the AI comes true - a likeness of a deceased actor has been returned to the big screen. Furiosa had borrowed the power of the AI to return the deceased actor Richard Carter back to the world. This fulfilled prophecy has rumbled the nerves of Unions, and for the right reason.
- Alien: Romulus (2024): Much the same as in Furiosa, this movie had also brought back a departed actor. The directors have chosen to bring Ian Holm to play his signature role, a decision that has sparked controversy across the internet. Whether it was a necessary decision for the creative image or the project or a cheap way to avoid auditions is still unclear.
Invisible Changes
We only know so much about the use of AI in Hollywood because of the influence of unions and protests in Hollywood, as well as some interviews and shared words. There could be far more we simply don't know of or don't perceive. But as far as Deepfake and Face Swap go, the old predictions are proving true. Now, even social media cn access the lesser forms of this technology and, in the spirit of independent small studios, use their limited technological resources to push creativity forward and create films that resonate with people. It doesn't matter how fancy the big towers get because a human with enough will and determination will find an accessible and economical way of creating his own tool. Until then, stay strapped in and watch for the news of AI in big media companies for inspiration.
