How Benjamin Button got his face - Ed Ulbrich

TL;DR

This presentation discusses the groundbreaking technology used to create a completely computer-generated head of Brad Pitt in the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

Transcript

[Applause] I'm here today representing a team of artists and technologists and filmmakers uh that work together on a remarkable film project for the last four years um and along the way they created a breakthrough in computer visualization so I want to show you clip of the film now hopefully it won't stutter um and uh if we did our jobs well you wo... Read More

Key Insights

• 😤 The team utilized a combination of different technologies from various industries to create the digital human.
• 🤕 The process involved capturing a 3D database of Brad Pitt's face and using image analysis and proprietary software to reconstruct a 3D head that matched his performance.
• 🫢 Lighting, eye, and mouth systems were developed to enhance the realism and accuracy of the digital human.
• 🪡 Challenges such as skin displacement and the "digital Botox effect" needed to be addressed to maintain the authenticity of the performance.
• 😤 The creation of the digital human required a significant amount of time, resources, and expertise from a large team of professionals.
• 💨 The breakthrough technology used in this project paved the way for future advancements in computer visualization and digital character creation.

Questions & Answers

Q: How was the team able to create a completely digital version of Brad Pitt's head?

The team used a combination of facial action coding and contour technology to capture a 3D database of everything Brad Pitt's face is capable of doing. They then used image analysis and a proprietary software to reconstruct a 3D head that matched Pitt's performance.

Q: Why did the team abandon traditional methods like prosthetic makeup and marker-based motion capture?

Prosthetic makeup was deemed inadequate for close-ups, and marker-based motion capture didn't capture the subtleties of the skin and facial expressions. The team wanted to ensure a high level of realism and accuracy, leading them to develop their own technique called "emotion capture."

Q: What were some of the challenges the team faced in creating the digital human?

The team had to develop a lighting system to match the lighting in each location, create an eye system to convey emotion, and address challenges like skin displacement and the "digital Botox effect" that could strip away the nuances of the performance.

Q: How long did it take and how many people were involved in creating the digital human?

It took 155 people over two years to create the digital human in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The team behind "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" used breakthrough technology to create a fully digital version of Brad Pitt's head for the first hour of the film.

• They abandoned traditional methods such as prosthetic makeup and marker-based motion capture and instead developed a new technique called "emotion capture" to accurately capture the nuances of Pitt's performance.

• The process involved creating a 3D database of Pitt's face using facial action coding and contour technology, as well as creating lighting and eye systems, and addressing challenges like skin displacement and the "digital Botox effect."