Making actors look younger or older in movies is usually a difficult process. In recent years, companies have used technology and many hours in post-production for somewhat realistic results.
Now, Disney has revealed its newest technology called FRAN. It’s an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that makes actors look younger or older more quickly and more realistically.
Researchers at Disney say that FRAN (face re-aging network) is a neural network. Researchers trained it with synthetic faces so that the AI doesn’t have to search thousands of images of real people at different ages with the same pose, lighting and background.
FRAN uses its database to predict which parts of a person’s face to change. Then, it adds details like wrinkles and loose skin to make people look older or it removes them to make people look younger. The Disney researchers say that the system is fully automatic.
FRAN does have some limitations. Disney says that the tool can’t be used for very young ages, and it doesn’t work well with hair. The researchers have not trained FRAN to age someone’s hair yet.
In recent years, Disney has de-aged actors in several films and shows, particularly for Marvel and Star Wars.
It’s not clear if Disney will make FRAN available to the public.
VOCABULARY
- Process – a procedure; a series of actions that you do in order to achieve a result/finish something; operation
- Post-production – work done on a film or recording after filming or recording has taken place; the final stage of filmmaking
- Somewhat – to some degree; a little bit; rather; quite; sort of; kind of; fairly
- Realistic – accurately representing what is natural or real; lifelike; natural; true; seems real
- Reveal – to make known or show something usually secret or hidden; release; publicize; show; uncover
- Artificial intelligence (AI) – human intelligence in a machine. See more here.
- Researcher – a person who does research; a person who studies something to find new results
- Neural network – a computer system modeled/based on the human brain and nervous system; AI that works like a human brain
- Synthetic – an artificial substance or material; not natural; not from nature; fake; simulated
- Pose – a way of standing or sitting, especially in order to be photographed, painted, or drawn; position; (models pose for pictures)
- Database – an organized collection of data stored and accessed electronically
- Predict – to say or guess what will happen in future; forecast; imagine
- Wrinkle – a line or fold that appears on your skin as you grow older; line in the skin caused by old age
- Remove – to take out; to take away from or take off
- Limitation – weak point; flaw; limit; inability; shortcoming
- Age – to grow old; to make/cause someone to look older
- De-age – to make/cause someone to look younger
- Several – some; more than 2, but not many
- Particularly – to give special emphasis to a point; to indicate that what you are saying applies especially to one thing or situation; specifically; especially
- Available – able to be used: ready for use; accessible
- Public – general people, all people, citizens
Original story from The Verge below:
- English teachers looking for teaching ideas, check out my post on using easy news articles for lessons.
- English learners looking for study ideas, check out my post on using news stories for English practice.
