The age of immersive technologies has created a growing need for processing detailed visual representations of ourselves as virtual and augmented reality is growing into the next generation platform for online communication. A natural simulation of our presence in such virtual world is unthinkable without a photorealistic 3D digitization of ourselves. In visual effects and gaming, compelling CG characters can already be produced using state-of-the-art 3D capture technologies combined with the latest real-time rendering engines. However, the creation of high-quality digital assets are still bounded by expensive and time-consuming production pipelines, and creating photorealistic results still requires authoring tasks that can only be achieved by skilled digital artists.

This seminar will open up the question in whether a deep learning-based synthesis approach could potentially displace conventional graphics rendering pipelines, as well as promote awareness of modern technology’s capability to manipulate videos, at a time in which social media is susceptible to the spread of doctored videos and fake news.

Venue: EG02 Lecture Theatre, E Block, Ground Floor, UNSW Art & Design, Cnr Oxford Street & Greens Road, Paddington, NSW 2021