Use of digital doubles can help cut down both movie production time and cost.
In times of COVID-19, you know what can come in handy to actors? Probably a digital double.
Digital double can be termed as a virtual human or actor or virtual clone of an actor.
And actors can easily get their virtual clones in India thanks to ABAI, a Karnataka-based non-profit organisation that is working closely with the state government for the advancement of animation, visual effect, gaming, and Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) space (AVGC).
But what technology has ABAI brought in India?
It has got a 360-degree full-body scanner with 140 DSLR cameras that can capture a person in a fraction of a second.
ABAI claims that the whole body capture rig is not only the first of its kind in India but internationally as well as body scanners that are available currently have less than 100 cameras.
“Any character of a film can get scanned and within a couple of hours it is processed digitally. Basically, it converts a person into a 3D character but this digital character is hyper-realistic. When you animate a person, it does not look very real,” Ganesh Papanna, Vice President, ABAI, told Moneycontrol.
He added that along with creating a virtual clone of an actor, motion capture can be used.
Explaining motion capture, he said: “When a person wears bodysuit and acts like an actor, his/her actions are recorded. This digital data is then inserted into the digital double, and this way a digital double behaves just like the actor.”
According to Papanna, the use of digital doubles can help cut down both production time and cost.
“For example, a digital double can be used if there is an extensive shot or an action sequence or a bike-riding stunt, or even a complex dance sequence, where an actor could take more time to shoot or may not do it at all. If an actor is not available for a few days and the shooting is getting extended then instead of waiting for the actor and wasting lakhs of money, this novel technology can be used.”
What is more interesting is that the texture of the character can be changed too, from clothes and hairstyle to everything.
In Hollywood, the use of body scanners is quite popular. From Avatar and Fast & Furious to Logan, the use of digital doubles is common; not only for films but even for television shows.
Papanna also pointed out that the use of digital doubles will pick up in Indian film space because many actors avoid outdoor shoots and opt for indoor green mat shoots.
Another way digital doubles can help is that if an actor is no more, he/she can still be brought to life through virtual clones. And this has been done in Hollywood ventures like Fast & Furious when Paul Walker was seen in the seventh installment even after his death. Similarly, late actor Peter Cushing was seen in Star Wars’ franchise Rogue One.
Another interesting technology ABAI is getting is facial capture equipment which will capture an actor’s expressions as well.
India is witnessing innovations in the virtual production technology, which would help in cutting down the post-production process. And digital double is a major step in that direction.
Papanna said Indian actors have been getting digitally scanned internationally but now they can do it in India itself.