The Making of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The video discusses the creation of the film 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button', focusing on the technical challenges and breakthroughs in computer visualization. The main character, Benjamin Button, is digitally created for the first hour of the film. The project involved innovative techniques like the facial action coding system and motion capture alternatives. The team overcame significant challenges to create a realistic digital human, requiring extensive collaboration and new technologies.

What was the main challenge faced by the team in creating the film 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'?

• Finding a suitable actor for the role

• Securing funding for the project

• Writing the screenplay

• Creating a realistic digital human head

Who was the director that believed in using a single actor for the role of Benjamin Button?

• David Fincher

• Ron Howard

• Christopher Nolan

• Steven Spielberg

What was the outcome of the initial screen test for Benjamin Button?

• It was a failure and the project was canceled

• It was successful but the studio still had doubts

• It was successful and the studio greenlit the movie

• It was inconclusive and required further testing

What technology did the team decide to abandon in favor of a new approach?

• 3D printing

• Augmented reality

• Marker-based motion capture

• Virtual reality

What was the key breakthrough technology used to capture Brad Pitt's facial expressions?

• Augmented reality glasses

• 3D printing technology

• Virtual reality headsets

• Contour and facial action coding system

What was the purpose of creating a lighting system for the film?

• To create dramatic effects

• To reduce production costs

• To simplify the filming process

• To ensure Benjamin's head matched the scene lighting

Why was the eye system crucial for the digital character of Benjamin Button?

• To reduce the number of digital effects needed

• To ensure the character's eyes conveyed warmth and humanity

• To allow the character to see in the dark

• To make the character's eyes change color

What was the 'digital Botox effect' encountered during the process?

• A smoothing of facial expressions that removed subtle nuances

• An enhancement of facial features

• A distortion of the character's face

• A change in the character's skin tone

What did the team ultimately call their process of capturing Brad Pitt's performance?

• Expression capture

• Emotion capture

• Motion capture

• Performance capture

How many people were involved in the creation of the digital Benjamin Button over two years?

• 250

• 100

• 200

• 155