Is this a triumphant confluence of art and technology, or an unnecessary solution to a non-existent problem?
At least, thats the hope.
How is this to be accomplished?
AI does some work on actor Jesper Barkselius’s face.
Through everyones favorite hot-button topic, generative AI.
This isnt the first time the visual dubbing process has been used in a major film.
That makes it notable, but notable doesnt always mean good.
What Are The Positives?
Filmmaking is expensive, sometimes prohibitively so for smaller studios.
Saving money on a production is good, but there could be a cost in other areas.
A representation of the TrueSync process as seen in one of the videos on theFlawless web site.
Is It Really Still The Actors Performance?
Because I want to see and hear the actors original performances.
If given the choice of subs, dubs, or vubs, Im still going to choose subtitles.
I enjoyedFall(2022), but even before I knew the movie used visual dubbing, I felt that certain parts of the dialogue were strange. Like characters angrily saying “freaking” instead of something more R-rated.
For the same reason.
I want to experience 100% of an actors performance.
But thats not true.
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly(1966) is one of the greatest movies of all time, and all of its dialogue is dubbed regardless of the version you watch. The lips don’t always match the words, but it doesn’t matter. Even if visual dubbing existed back then, it wouldn’t make it a better movie.
The performers didnt say those words on set while they were acting out that scene.
In the case ofWatch the Skies, itisstill the actors voice, but from a different performance.
Vubbing is actually two separate performances linked with something generated by AI (i.e.
Prey(2022) is an interesting case. It was filmed in English, but the actors recorded a dub in Comanche. The best option would have been to film in Comanche and offer an English dub. But since it was filmed in English, that’s the one I gravitate towards even though it can feel strange. Again, it’s not about the lip movements, my choice is based on which is the original performance.
their mouth movements).
It isnt 100% authentic.
Also, its important to note that different languages have different nuances.
I’m not trying to tell anyone how they should feel, but for me, the less AI (and CGI), the better. At least when it comes to things that can be done practically, or for things that don’t need to be altered at all.
They have different rhythms, and different emphases on different parts of speech.
Its not just about mouth movements.
And what about when the original actor cant record dialogue in the language being dubbed?
Traditional dubbing is good for people who need it, but its not a 100% authentic experience.
And if the actors lips are altered by vubbing, then it is even less authentic.
Theres Nothing Wrong With Traditional Subs Or Dubs
I watch subtitled movies often.
The experience is different, but it is no less enjoyable.
I think subtitled is the best way to watch foreign-language films.
I understand that not everyone can read subtitles while watching a movie.
Im not advocating that dubbing be eliminated.
Watching and hearing a movie in its original language is the better choice in that situation.
Part of the joy of watching movies is immersing yourself in an experience that is foreign to you.
Language is a large part of that.
But, dubbing is a perfectly viable option for someone who cant read or who weirdly hates subtitles.
There are many great voice actors out there who do phenomenal work.
Truthfully, I do enjoy dubs in certain circumstances.
This extends beyond just dubbing.
Both are primarily in English, yet, based on their options, they shouldnt be.
And they both feel weird throughout.
The TrueSync tech is impressive, but its not anywhere close to perfect.
Even just the trailer forWatch the Skieslooks slightly odd at times.
Is it more uncanny than a lot of the CGI overused in movies of all budgets these days?
No, probably not, but its an additional factor that makes it feel less real.
Subtitles are good, and traditional dubbing is a fine backup.
And that kind of thing is definitely where visual dubbing is headed.
Why would native speakers of a language exclusively talk to each other in a language foreign to them?
The Future Of Filmmaking?
Still, if visual dubbing gets more eyes on smaller international films likeWatch the Skies, then fine.
Im happy to see more filmmakers have a better chance at success.
But its part of the slippery slope of generative AI.
Flawless is already rolling out software to tweak actors performances in additional ways.
Changing an actors delivery here, creating a new performance in a different location there.
Every new possible tweak and alteration is another step towards the Ship of Theseus.
Towards actors being little more than props for generative AI to fix in post.
