Dec 15, 2024
Baby Face
Creating “Baby Face” with AI: Blending Creativity and Technology
“Baby Face” is a whimsical animation project I created to explore the intersection of AI tools and creativity. The concept was simple yet intriguing: imagine baby versions of iconic Hollywood actors brought to life through expressive animations. Here’s how I brought this idea to fruition, step by step, using state-of-the-art AI tools.
The Process
Generating Baby Versions of Hollywood Actors
Using MidJourney, I crafted adorable baby-like images of famous Hollywood actors. This tool’s ability to generate high-quality, imaginative visuals was pivotal in setting the tone for the project.
Sourcing Reference Videos
To animate these baby versions, I scraped short video scenes of the actors from YouTube. These clips served as the driving performance references for syncing animations.
Animating with Runway ML’s Act-One
The core of the project revolved around Runway ML’s Act-One feature, which allowed me to sync the generated baby images with the reference videos. Act-One translated the actors’ facial expressions and movements into expressive animations for their baby counterparts.
Editing and Refining
After generating animations, I used After Effects to stabilise the reference videos by tracking the center of each subject. This step was crucial for ensuring smooth syncing in Act-One. Finally, I edited all animations together into a cohesive video.
Nuances and Tips for Using Act-One
Steady Reference Videos: Act-One performs best with stable footage. Tracking the subject’s centre in After Effects greatly improved animation accuracy.
Clear Facial Features: Ensure that input images have well-defined facial features (eyes, nose, mouth) to avoid misinterpretations by the AI.
Patience is Key: Refining input videos and images can take time but is essential for achieving polished results.
Final Thoughts
“Baby Face” showcases how AI tools like MidJourney and Runway ML can be combined to push creative boundaries. From generating imaginative visuals to animating expressive characters, this project highlights the endless possibilities of AI in storytelling and content creation. While challenges like syncing and refining inputs required patience, the end result was a delightful animation that brought my vision to life.
