Indiana Jones 5 VFX artists ominously praise the contributions of machine learning

VFX Supervisors Andrew Whitehurst and Robert Weaver of Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light and Magic have revealed that machine learning was essential to the de-aging scenes in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the leaders of the visual effects team opened up about the role machine learning played in rendering the ground-breaking 2,350 VFX shots depicting a youthful Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones for scenes in the fifth installment of the film franchise. Weaver explained:

“There are absolutely components to it that we rely on. Definitely. And that’s part of the evolution of us doing more successful digital human performance. [To teach the computer] we primarily relied on the older Indy films and that target age. But we also captured present day.”

Whitehurst broke down the process of training the machine learning model to recognize and reconstruct three-dimensional images of Ford as a younger man, with a combination of film and photos from the past and performances by the legendary actor in the present. The VFX team relied on ILM Face Swap technology, which combines machine learning and CG assets.

“We shot a lot of reference material, as well as the actual shots from the film we were making. We went and deliberately set up the cameras and got Harrison to perform as he is now. We learn, the computer learns, but I think it’s also worth saying that even within feeding the footage, you need to be careful and select your footage, because some footage might skew results in a way that actually isn’t helpful for a particular shot. So there’s a lot of kind of skill and judgment in terms of selecting what you are going to use as reference.”

The team painstakingly compiled material of Ford at the desired age for the scene and used it to create photorealistic renderings of Jones for high-octane action sequences, including breathtaking chase scenes on a train and in a tuk-tuk. According to Weaver:

“That curation process that Andrew was just talking about was incredibly important. Artists would make determinations as to what is helpful.”

Some might say that Whitehurst and Weaver seem oblivious to the fact that fans and critics alike heaped criticism on the de-aging scenes in the film. The reality is that today’s moviegoers are well versed in de-aging technology through products like Reface: Face-Swap App and AI Avatar Generator and FaceApp, which are downloadable on any mobile device. As a result, audiences have very exacting visual standards and are quick to spot some of the more clumsily rendered images, as in the case of Ford’s younger doppelganger.

Nevertheless, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a cinematic milestone that ushers in a new era for creatives to explore artificial intelligence technology as they traverse new filmmaking frontiers.

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3s victorious VOD release reveals why James Gunn was wrong to hype The Flash

It’s been a funny weekend for James Gunn as evidence proves that, while his own filmmaking instincts are second to none, his perceptions of superhero movies made by other people might not be as top-notch. The good news is that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 recently arrived on digital, and its VOD release has only increased the love for the cosmic team’s last MCU ounting. The bad news? The Flash has slipped out of the box office charts completely after just four weeks.

All in all, it’s clear that Gunn’s once proud proclamation that The Flash will go down as one of the finest entries in all superhero cinema is not going to wash. But, you know what, it seems Gunn could’ve slapped that description on another movie under his purview and he would’ve been bang on the money.

According to those who’ve revisited the latter film from the comfort of their own couches, The Flash might not be one of DC’s best movies but Guardians 3 is being dubbed perhaps the finest work of Marvel Studios to date. In a provocative Reddit post on the r/MarvelStudios sub, Redditor u/DontCallMeJR88 declared: “I think GOTG3 might be the best Marvel movie ever made.”

I think GOTG3 might be the best Marvel movie ever made
by u/DontCallMeJR88 in marvelstudios

The fan’s argument is that Guardians 3 is such an emotional rollercoaster ride that it manages to beat out the OP’s previous personal favorite, Avengers: Endgame, to the top spot, calling Gunn’s film “as close to perfect as it’ll ever get.” Although many of those in the comments didn’t necessarily agree with it being the absolute best, many nonetheless accepted that it was something special indeed. As the most upvoted comment put it, “This felt like the pixariest marvel movie, and I mean that as the highest compliment.”

All in all, then, it might not have been exactly modest if Gunn had gone around telling us Guardians 3 was one of the best superhero films ever, but it turns out it would’ve actually been much closer to the truth.

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The first signs of life from the Blue Beetle marketing team in 3 months is a meme about avocados

Believe it or not, there really are less than seven weeks to go until Blue Beetle hits theaters, although you’d easily be forgiven for being caught completely unawares seeing as the marketing campaign has been virtually non-existent.

The social media era has been a massive positive for Hollywood studios looking to mass-market the newest releases, with trailer and TV spots galore bombarding timelines all over the planet to raise as much awareness as possible that a blockbuster is incoming. Unless of course we’re talking about Warner Bros., which hasn’t done a great deal to shout about Blue Beetle from the rooftops.

In fact, ever since the first trailer dropped on April 2 and found itself pinned to the comic book adaptation’s official Twitter feed, no new footage had been unveiled until a matter of hours ago. Not only that, but the handle had only posted three tweets in total since the full-length promo dropped, one of which was a retweet of an article published in a magazine.

Shaking off the cobwebs, then, Blue Beetle‘s marketing department has roared back into life and returned with a vengeance just 39 days before it hits theaters, to post… a silent visual meme about avocados.

Feeling like a superhero in the produce aisle. #BlueBeetle Only in Theaters August 18 pic.twitter.com/jUVxaxbhFb

— Blue Beetle (@bluebeetle) July 9, 2023

“Feeling like a superhero in the produce aisle” is not a tagline destined to propel the former HBO Max exclusive to a mammoth haul at the box office, but at least it’s something. After all, not even James Gunn has a clue when the second trailer is destined to arrive for public consumption, and he’s the co-CEO of the whole damn studio.

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An acclaimed revenge thriller takes on the fight of its life and emerges victorious as one of Netflixs biggest hits

Critical acclaim is by no means a barometer of which movies are in line to find success on the world’s biggest streaming service – something that’s being proven right now by the platform’s number one title – but Catch the Fair One has the rave reviews to go along with its newfound popularity.

The hard-hitting revenge drama may have released at the beginning of 2022, but it was only recently made available to Netflix subscribers in a myriad of international markets. Wasting no time at all, the crime thriller boasting a Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score of 94 percent has become one of the most-watched features on the global viewership rankings.

Image via IFC Films

Per FlixPatrol, Catch the Fair One has barreled its way straight onto Netflix worldwide Top 10 after scoping out a plum position in 21 countries around the world, and it’s one definitely worth watching if you’re fortunate enough to be in one of the countries where it’s available at the push of a button.

Real-life professional boxer and actress Kali Reis headlines as Kaylee, a pugilist who used to be at the top of their game, but is now a drug addict living in a shelter and working as a waitress. Years previously, her sister Weeta had been forced into a sex trafficking ring and vanished off the face of the planet without a trace.

Of course, Kaylee hasn’t given up hope, but she gets a lot more than she bargained for when she discovers a trail that could end up leading directly to a reunion with her sibling.

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