Week 1 – Introduction the Investigative study Module and Digital Deepfakes
What was covered in the lecture:
This week we take a look at what this module is all about, what is the assessment of this module and started to think about our own ideas.
Overview of this module
This essay is a research project. It will include:
– A clear research question
– Aims and objectives
– Literature review
– Research plan (methodology)
– Both practical research and contextual/theory reading
– Reflection on your findings and written analysis in the essay
– Ongoing documentation of your process (visual + written) in your digital sketchbook
Steps:
– Identify an aspect of visual effects for your research area.
– Write a short proposal with a focused research question.
– Draft the first chapter (either the literature review or the methodology).
– Design your research method.
– Do the practical work and/or reading (literary) research.
– Write the full essay with findings and conclusions.
The Workshop Activity:
“CGI is for losers”
Why do some directors, filmmakers or studios say “no CGI” ?
It’s interesting to think about why some filmmakers say “no CGI.” For example, Christopher Nolan often says this, but those films still use digital cleanup, set extensions, and wire removal.
In my opinion, when people say “CGI is for losers,” they mean some filmmakers take shortcuts with CG instead of using practical effects. That can make a film feel cheaper if it relies too much on VFX. For example, using a CGI deer instead of filming a real deer just because it’s easier to control the scene. With practical effects, audiences feel more effort and craft in the shot. However we need to keep in mind that it might harm the storytelling.
Also, heavy VFX can age fast as technology moves on, even if the story is strong. By avoiding obvious CG, a film can feel more timeless.
Also, I feel that sometimes if you build a scene for real, it feels more impressive.
If CGI is used a lot and not done well, it can look cheap and even hurt the box office. Some audiences don’t like VFX heavy films at all and they may avoid the movie because they expect a sci-fi look they don’t enjoy.
In my opinion, who is saying it also matters. From an actor’s view, acting against green screens and imaginary objects is harder. From the filmmaker’s side, “no CGI” can mean they invested heavily in real sets and made everything look convincing without leaning on CG.
I think people often take CGI for granted. They just think there’s no VFX when, in fact, there’s a lot of invisible work in every scene. Saying “no CGI” can be a back handed compliment to great invisible VFX which were done so well that no one notices. Invisible VFX, and other kinds of VFX, are powerful tools to support the story.
A deepfake is a fake video or audio made with AI, often using machine learning that looks or sounds real.
Most deepfakes are face swaps, lip-sync edits, or voice clones.
The AI learns patterns from many images or audio clips of a person and then generates new frames or sound that copy that identity. Sometimes it looks strange (uncanny) and easy to spot, but the tech is getting better and can be very convincing.
When can deepfakes be helpful?
They can support accessibility and healthcare. For example, researchers at the University of Southampton use this tech to help people who lost their voice hear themselves again.
Why can deepfakes be dangerous:
Deepfakes can spread disinformation on purpose. A video of a famous person or politician saying something they never said can mislead people, affect votes, and influence important decisions. Because deepfakes can look very real, it’s sometimes hard to tell if a clip is true or not, especially if you don’t know what to look for.
Is it Ethical?
It depends on permission and purpose. If you use someone’s face or voice without permission, or to trick people, it’s not ethical. It should not be used to fake someone’s words or actions in a way that invades privacy, hurts their reputation, or misleads the public. If the person agrees and it’s clearly labeled as AI/synthetic, it’s more acceptable. If it confuses or harms people, it isn’t.
What About Actors?
Rob Legato, an effects supervisor, told the Hollywood Reporter that in the future, actors involved in big-budget blockbusters might need to have a variety of facial expressions digitally scanned, in case something were to happen.
Example:
Peter Cushing originally played Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars: A New Hope (1977). In Rogue One (2016), the filmmakers brought Tarkin back by using actor Guy Henry on set and replacing his face with a detailed CGI version of Cushing. This created a realistic digital likeness for several scenes. The result looked convincing, but it also raised ethical questions about using a deceased actor’s image and getting proper consent.
AI in compositing – and how will it affect the industry in the future, especially juniors.
How AI tools change compositing work: fewer repetitive tasks, more creative time, but possibly fewer junior roles.
Possible angle: what new skills juniors need and how pipelines are shifting.
The Weekly Activity:
Title: AI and the Future of Junior Compositing
Main Research Question: How are AI/ML tools reshaping entry‑level compositing roles in VFX, and what skills should candidates have to secure a junior compositor position (UK/EU/USA/CANADA)?
Sub‑questions:
– Which junior tasks are most affected?
– What portfolio evidence now matters?
– What skills now junior must have?
– Do studios reduce, re‑label, or upskill these roles?
– Maybe AI will bring artists more benefits than challenges
Claims:
1) Outsourcing was the first wave and AI is the second wave (and may follow a similar pattern)
– Idea: The first big change for junior comp was outsourcing of roto/paint/plate-prep to lower cost countries. AI now automates parts of the same work across UK/EU/Canada/US, so the effects on entry routes may repeat.
– Why it matters: It explains why there are two times less “gateway tasks” first geographically and now technologically.
2) Skill shift: less “no brainer” tasks and more problem-solving, communication and decision making
– Idea: Juniors now need to show judgement (when/why a method), not only clicking tools. Soft skills + technical reasoning matter more.
– Why it matters: Hiring teams want juniors who can spot artefacts, explain choices, and take feedback.
Ideas:
Maybe interview Alexander Williams – Dean & Director of Animation & VFX at Escape Studios – He talks a lot about how AI benefits VFX artists
Resources:
1. Artificial imagination: Industry attitudes on the impact of AI on the visual effects process
Narayan, A. D., Caillard, Duncan, Matthews, Justin and Nairn, Angelique (2022), ‘Artificial imagination: Industry attitudes on the impact of AI on the visual effects process’, Interactions: Studies in Communication & Culture, Special Issue: ‘The Human and the Machine: AI in Creative Industries’, 13:2, pp. 113–31, https://doi.org/10.1386/iscc_00056_1
2. The Rise of CreAltives: Using AI to enable and speed up the creative process
Pearson, Andrew. (2023). The Rise of CreAltives: Using AI to enable and speed up the creative process. Journal of AI, Robotics & Workplace Automation. 2. 10.69554/WLDX9074.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372028377_The_Rise_of_CreAltives_Using_AI_to_enable_and_speed_up_the_creative_process
3.Creativity and technology in the age of AI
Pfeiffer, Andreas. (2018). Creativity and technology in the age of AI. 10.13140/RG.2.2.16400.76804.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338840672_Creativity_and_technology_in_the_age_of_AI
4. The Hollywood Jobs Most at Risk From AI
Cho, Winston (2024), ‘The Hollywood jobs most at risk from AI’, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 January, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/busi-ness-news/ai-hollywood-workers-job-cuts-1235811009/. Accessed 23 April 2024.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/ai-hollywood-workers-job-cuts-1235811009/
5. Hollywood animation, VFX unions fight AI job cut threat
Asher-Schapiro, Avi (2024), ‘Hollywood animation, VFX union fight AI job cut threat’, Context, 9 April, https://www.context.news/ai/hollywood-anima-tion-vfx-unions-fight-ai-job-cut-threat. Accessed 23 April 2024.
khttps://www.context.news/ai/hollywood-animation-vfx-unions-fight-ai-job-cut-threat
6. The evolution of VFX-intensive filmmaking in 20th century Hollywood cinema: an historical overview
Venkatasawmy, Rama (2012). The evolution of VFX-intensive filmmaking in 20th century Hollywood cinema: an historical overview. Open Research Newcastle. Journal contribution. https://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1047912
https://openresearch.newcastle.edu.au/articles/journal_contribution/The_evolution_of_VFX-intensive_filmmaking_in_20th_century_Hollywood_cinema_an_historical_overview/28981499?file=54351380
7. The AI Takeover In Cinema: How Movie Studios Use Artificial Intelligence
https://www.forbes.com/sites/neilsahota/2024/03/08/the-ai-takeover-in-cinema-how-movie-studios-use-artificial-intelligence/
8. Drama at Disney: A Thematic Analysis of Creative Worker Identity Negotiation and Identification in the Documentary Waking Sleeping Beauty
https://iafor.org/journal/iafor-journal-of-media-communication-and-film/volume-7-issue-1/article-1/
9. WILL AI REPLACE VFX ARTISTS?
https://escapestudiosvfx.com/2023/12/16/will-ai-replace-vfx-artists/
10. The Impact of AI on VFX: Transforming Nuke Learning, Compositing, and the Future of Film Making
https://www.nukezerotohero.com/post/the-impact-of-ai-on-vfx-transforming-nuke-learning-compositing-and-the-future-of-film-making
11. The Magic of AI in VFX: Enhancing Visual Effects Like Never Before
https://numalis.com/the-magic-of-ai-in-vfx-enhancing-visual-effects/
12. THE CONVERGENCE OF AI AND VFX: SPEED, CONTROL, AND THE FUTURE OF CREATIVE WORKFLOWS
https://escapestudiosvfx.com/2025/03/20/the-convergence-of-ai-and-vfx-speed-control-and-the-future-of-creative-workflows/
13. AI in VFX: The Future of Automated Compositing and Rotoscoping
https://arenaparkstreet.com/ai-in-vfx-the-future-of-automated-compositing-and-rotoscoping/
Week 2 – Developing a Research Area and is Generative AI the Future of Image-Making?
What was covered in the lecture:
Each student presented his idea of RQ from the previous week.
AI developments:
We were discussing AI–generated photographs. You can find a summary under the next section.
The Workshop Activity:
AI developments
an AI-generated “photograph” that won
a photography exhibition
A generated image winning a photography exhibition raises many questions. The “artist” even declined the prize, saying it was made with AI, but they still wanted to give it to him.
So should AI images and photography compete? Is it art? And who gets the credit? the prompt writer, the AI, or the software creators?
It also makes me ask: what is a photograph? Today, even a “real photo” can be heavily edited in Photoshop or Lightroom and it’s still called photography, while AI isn’t. Maybe the issue is that AI has no actual lens. Does that mean only traditional, lens-based work is “real” photography?
On the other hand, to get a good AI image you still need knowledge of photography such key concepts and lighting principles. VFX also uses digital or even virtual cameras, so what’s different? In 3D software, like in real life, you must work with light and that’s the core of photography. Maybe that applies in 3D but not in pure image generation. Maybe AI is, in the end, a powerful calculator, and art isn’t something you can fully calculate.
Introduction: The Paradox of Photography
Today it’s very easy to take photos, but the easier it gets, the less we understand how it actually works. People use their phones, but the tech behind images is more complex, so it’s harder to see a unique photographer’s touch. Everyone documents everything in detail, which makes it feel like reality is captured better than ever however, is that really true?
The Weekly Activity:
VFX Research Template and Preparation
Potential area of interest – Investigative Study – V1 – Old Version
Potential area of interest – Investigative Study_V2 – New Version
Week 2 – Investigative Study template review, Propossal, and The WGA writers’ strike and VFX unions
What was covered in the lecture:
We went through past student essays
The Weekly Activity:
Written Proposal – Due for 22.10:
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