Disney using AI technology and the positive outcome

Disney using AI technology and the positive outcome

Artificial Intelligence, AI for short, is becoming the staple with which studios such as Disney have begun to utilize, launching the world into the realm of science fiction and advancing to the point where the cinematic universe may never be the same. Artificial Intelligence is in essence computers that replicate human intelligence and in most cases can learn and analyze information and learn from experience. AI takes a lot of the human error out of decisions and can be used in everything from missile defense systems, to making art and movies. According to Markus Gross, the Chief Scientist who spearheads the Disney Research Studios division, or DRS, in an effort to be as efficient as possible, AI is even beginning to be used to help streamline the distribution process for movies and other digital products. Making movies the traditional way is becoming a thing of the past due to the strides in developing AI technology, implementing it, and incorporating it into the movie making process.

Markus Gross gave a speech recently about how AI is being implemented in Disney productions. He mentions that Disney has been working towards creating digital humans for the past ten years, the goal being that they are indistinguishable from the real thing with the ability to emote a believable emotional range and depth. Since the advent of motion capture or “mo-cap”, people and technology have been working in tandem to make the unreal seem as real as possible.

One of the first and possibly most notable uses of motion capture implemented was in the second installment of The Lord of the Rings movies The Two Towers released in 2002, where a character named Gollum, a humanoid-like creature who was anthropomorphized by the acting prowess of the now infamous Andy Serkis was brought to life via a motion capture suit. The motion capture suit as the name suggests is a full body leotard with motion sensors all over it that captured Serkis’ every movement and transferred that data to a computer while allowing him to act alongside his co-stars. Serkis’ movements and facial expressions were then applied to a digital rendition of the character capturing subtle nuances in the actor’s performance, expressions, and movements that an artist trying to create the entire character from scratch might have missed, especially upon animation.

Disney and other studios have used and improved upon this technology over the past 20 years and it has been used in blockbuster movies like Avatar, and Avengers Endgame to make the impossible seem possible and even seem real. Characters like Thanos and The Hulk from the Marvel Cinematic Universe who couldn’t possibly exist in real life are brought to the big screen in the most believable way imaginable, immersing the viewers in a story for the ages with technology like the Medusa Facial Capture system developed by DRS. Also used in the newer Star Wars movies and shows, DRS has developed technology that even helps to create believable human eyes. The medusa facial capture system even allows for AI to de-age someone realistically or alternatively age people, and in the context of storytelling this can have some incredible advantages. An actor reprising a role may need to be de-aged, or in order to show the progression of a story through time, a character may need to be aged in such a way makeup may not be able to completely or believably cover. Disney however, is working towards pushing these boundaries even further.

All of this work and effort in creating believable digital humans is important to Disney because they are storytellers. Bringing to life a story that is as believable and real as possible to enthrall and enamor the imaginations of those who watch it and to nurture their creativity is what Disney is all about. The only real way to do that however is through the emotions of the protagonist where the character is relatable to the audience and that requires a depth of emotion that animation has only scratched the surface of. The face is by far the most complex and important way in which people show emotions and relate to one another, and translating that to an animated character is no small feat, however with the development of artificial intelligence we are one step away from making that a reality, and at the rate Disney is going, it won’t be very long at all.

According to Gross, deep learning and AI are being implemented by Disney in order to make an animated human or character that can be directed in real time, where an order can be given verbally to the character and how it should move or which way to walk and it will execute those orders. The implications of which are amazing. It would cut down on so much time and money spent for someone to have to man a computer during a scene and physically change the direction the character is facing and then try to make it walk in a specific direction as realistically as possible. This would take an enormous chunk out of the technical side of animation making the process much more simple and streamlined. Gross even went so far as to imply that something as common as an iPhone can be used for motion capture in conjunction with AI in an uncontrolled environment, stating that the iPhone can make a motion capture scenario with relatively high quality due to the visual data that you can record.

Deep learning, a term by which we measure the incredible progress artificial intelligence has made in just the last decade has, as Gross stated, truly transformed the way movies are produced and will have an even greater effect on digital media in the future. AI and digital media will go hand in hand into this new age of digital and technological development, and with Disney’s research studio working towards newer and more improved ways by which AI is implemented, at the rate things are going even the sky isn’t the limit. 

ABOUT VEDETTE FINANCE

Tarek Anthony Jabre began his career in finance, dealing with FX currency trading, portfolio management, and private clients funds. In 2012 he founded Vedette Finance, a film development and finance company, based in Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.VedetteFinance.com