David Fincher Admits to Using AI for a ‘Thrillingly Stupid’ Fix in Se7en 4K Release: “if you see it, we didn’t do our jobs”

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Debating the use of AI in movie production arises due to concerns about displacing human creativity and employment opportunities for actors, scriptwriters, and crew members. Critics fear that AI may not be able to replicate the emotional nuances and personal touch inherent in human filmmaking. Additionally, there’s a concern that excessive reliance on AI could lead to a proliferation of formulaic movies, lacking originality.

Though these concerns are entirely reasonable and well-founded, it’s worth noting one angle of AI development that many movie creators are just beginning to ponder, which may not impact upcoming productions – the correction of errors in previously released films.

David Fincher recently spoke about the modifications made to the Se7en for its 4K and IMAX release during an interview. Contrary to his earlier statements that he wouldn’t make significant changes, he rectified a minor camera blunder in a bar scene with AI assistance. The problem was a late camera pan that followed a character too far and exposed more of the bar than planned. Fincher seized the opportunity to adjust it in the updated version of the movie.

Fincher mentioned that the actor’s performance in that particular scene was exceptional, so he decided to keep the take despite a camera error that partially obscured the actor’s shoulder. The intricate details of the actor’s jacket, such as its wrinkles, were difficult to replicate accurately. To address this issue, Fincher asked if they could use footage from other takes to fill in the missing part of the jacket, enabling him to edit out the problematic camera movement.

We selected three or four photographs from our collection that featured a jacket we found appealing. Using AI technology, we incorporated the jacket into a new image. Then, we extracted the background from where the camera had been positioned in one of these photos and merged it with the other images to create a seamless composition. The result is an impressive solution to a problem, although one that might not be immediately noticeable. If you look closely, however, you may realize that we’ve manipulated the image subtly. Yet, most viewers won’t even notice this alteration. What remains is a sense of admiration for how modern technology allows us to correct such issues effortlessly.

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It’s clear that this small adjustment serves as an excellent demonstration of AI functioning effectively as a tool, without supplanting human creativity in job roles. By utilizing AI for this task, time was saved significantly. In all probability, if AI wasn’t accessible, the scene would have remained unchanged due to the requirement for additional reshoots.

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2025-01-05 12:14