Call Ripley’s — This Woman Is Not Real!
by Dan Landis on August 19, 2008 at 11:25 am
This is Emily. Emily is a 27-year-old PR rep working in Los Angeles. She likes beef jerky and has a soft spot for videogame nerds. Actually, I completely made that up. In fact, everything about Emily is a complete fabrication. This image and the following video featuring “Emily” are completely computer-generated. Read more…
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Alter Ego’s Mind-Blowingly Realistic 3D Facial Animation (Video)
by Keane Ng on August 14, 2008 at 3:33 am
Computer-generated facial animations have always towed the line between creepily realistic and just plain bad. All the nuances and complexities of the human face probably make it the hardest thing to replicate convincingly in any medium, if not pixels and polygons. Some new tech developed by Pendulum Studios’ Alter Ego team, however, might be the first big step outside of the uncanny valley and into the Holodeck.
Using trademark “facial performance software” in conjunction with special motion-capture techniques, the faces Alter Ego renders are almost unbelievably detailed, extremely expressive, and look convincingly alive.
The implications for the movie industry are huge, of course, but the games industry’s going to be along for the ride as well, with Dark Sector and Silent Hill 5 making use of Alter Ego’s technology. With games like Heavenly Sword and Metal Gear Solid 4 out there and tech like this, could the age of the digital actor finally be on the horizon? See for yourself after the jump. Read more…
