When Warner Music announced Edith Piaf’s upcoming animated biopic co-produced by Seriously Happy, many online expressed skepticism and distaste for the production’s plans to use AI to recreate the French singer. In response, director Julie Veille and co-writer Gilles Marliac participated in an interview with Variety to explain the film’s development and intentions.
Both wanted to capture Piaf’s poetic spirit via 3D animation while making the film as realistic as possible. According to Veille, Piaf’s estate expressed no ill will towards the filmmakers over their planned use of AI, especially when they were promised that Piaf wouldn’t look as cartoonish. Veille stated that the process was emotional for everyone involved, especially when they started reproducing Piaf’s voice. “It was so moving for us and for them to listen to Edith Piaf’s voice being reproduced so authentically,” she remembered. Neither party stopped until they felt satisfied with the final product.
The duo utilized voice reconstruction programs and deep fake to make Piaf look as realistic as possible in animation. They spent nearly two years recreating her voice and used the deep fake tool on their drawings. The interview soon brought up people’s complaints about how technology like motion capture tried to create realistic animation, but it looked uncanny in the final product. Marliac promised that their technology would be different since they would not only be using “ the image of someone who’s no longer there,” but they would also be able to have greater control over how the face can fit onto the model.
When asked about their inspirations for this project, Veille expressed her awe and inspiration from Piaf’s work and determination. After reading the biography Le Dernier Amour d’Edith Paif, Veille was amazed by the work Piaf put in to avoid falling out of favor with the entertainment industry and contemporary patriarchy. To Veille, the film is meant to reveal Piaf’s life and accomplishments and “hopefully to reach younger generations who may not be familiar with her.”
There is no release date for this feature nor word on how the public’s reaction will affect the final product.
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