How A.I will change the VFX picture in the future
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning have profoundly changed many facets of our daily lives, improving convenience, effectiveness, and decision-making in various ways including personalised recommendations, virtual assistants, healthcare, education, autonomous vehicles, financial services, social media, and more.
Beyond the ordinary, the VFX (Visual Effects) industry and movie production have greatly benefited from AI and machine learning. These technologies have completely revolutionised how visual content is produced, enhanced, and rendered. With the potential to reshape VFX production, AI/ML and deep learning are significantly impacting computer graphics research.
Deepfake
Deepfake technology, utilising artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning techniques, notably deep neural networks, is used to create highly realistic and often convincing fake media content, such as videos or photos. While deepfake technology has garnered attention for its potential misuse in generating false information, malicious content, or fake news, it also offers legitimate and advantageous applications in various industries, including VFX (Visual Effects) production.
For instance, in the 2018 movie “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” Harrison Ford, now 76, was portrayed as Han Solo when he was 35 years old. This transformation was achieved using artificial intelligence and machine learning tools. Several other examples have been created using these technologies to automate specific processes.
3D Assets and Animation
The general public now perceives 3D animations, simulations, and renderings as possessing a nearly flawless photorealistic or artistic fidelity. With adequate resources in terms of artists and funding, producing various effects, even those that were once challenging, has become feasible. This includes overcoming the uncanny valley for photorealistic faces.
To meet the growing demands of VFX film production, the industry has recently focused on developing more affordable, efficient, and flexible pipelines.
Dynamics and Fluid Simulations
The integration of AI approaches into VFX pipelines is enhancing the effectiveness, realism, and creativity of dynamic simulations. AI can accelerate computation times while maintaining or even enhancing simulation quality for optimised fluid and smoke simulations. Machine learning algorithms can learn patterns from previous simulations, reducing the need for time-consuming and resource-intensive simulations by producing accurate approximations.
AI can also assist in predicting realistic behaviours of different materials in various conditions, aiding in tasks like cloth-to-crowd simulation. This technology enables the creation of large crowds with complex interactions and behaviours through AI-powered crowd simulations.
Camera Tracking and Match Moving
Match-moving, for instance, allows CGI elements to be seamlessly integrated into real-world footage while preserving accurate scale and motion. Tracking camera placement within a scene is often a manual process and can consume more than 5% of the allocated time for the VFX pipeline.
By utilising metadata from the camera during acquisition (lens type, camera movement speed, etc.), some software developers have introduced algorithms for more precise camera movement tracking. It is claimed that this approach has increased match-moving efficiency by 20%. The developers demonstrated this by training the system using in-house server data.
Rotoscoping
AI has played a transformative role in the rotoscoping process, a key aspect of the visual effects (VFX) industry. Rotoscoping involves tracing over live-action footage frame by frame to generate mattes or masks for compositing. This process is used for selectively applying effects or isolating subjects from backgrounds. The use of AI brings several advantages to the process, including speed, efficiency, accuracy, consistency, and cost-effectiveness.
So, Should VFX Artists Be Worried or Embrace AI?
The potential threat that AI might pose to the careers of VFX artists could cause anxiety for many. However, at present, we are unable to definitively express our thoughts on this matter. As artists, we may suggest that instead of viewing AI as a threat, we should learn to embrace and utilise it. Many artists can streamline their workflows and create visuals for their clients that might not have been achievable without AI. This advancement may also allow internal artists and idea compositors to better visualise directors’ project desires.
Sources:
AI in Animation –
https://variety.com/2023/artisans/news/elemental-a-i-aided-vfx-1235636902/amp/
AI and ML in Film and VFX –
https://www.katexagoraris.com/artifical-intelligence-and-film-ind
Deep Fake –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wrald_EZgDQ
Synthetic Reality –
Deepak Tiwari
Good job
Anjali Adesh Jain
Wonderful explanation Kshitiz.. thnx for sharing.. keep it up..
Kshitiz
Thankyou Anjali ji for your kind response
Kshitiz
Thankyou Mr Deepak. Appreciated your words.
Shivam
Very Informative content. Glad to read this Mr Kshitiz
Kshitiz
Thanks Shivam. Glad you like it.
Adamya Jain
Incredibly explained! Mind boggling!!..
Kshitiz
Thanks Adamya. Appreciated
Ravi Prakash
Nice article covering the concerns of vfx artists. After reading this, they will surely embrace AI and use it as a tool rather than viewing it as a threat.
Kshitiz
Thankyou Ravi. Very well connected. That’s the whole objective of the article. Thankyou for recognising it.