David Bridges
The creative team behind the film The Brutalist, which is emerging as a strong contender for the Academy Awards and is currently being distributed by A24, has employed cutting-edge AI technology to modify actors’ dialogue and generate visual elements featured in the epilogue. This insightful revelation was shared by film editor Dávid Jancsó in a recent interview with RedShark News, highlighting the innovative approaches being utilized in modern filmmaking.
This epic drama narrates the journey of a fictional Hungarian architect, portrayed by Adrien Brody, who faces the challenges of creating meaningful art within the unpredictable landscape of American capitalism and the eccentric personalities that dominate it. To ensure that the Hungarian pronunciation of both Brody and his co-star, Felicity Jones, was as authentic as possible, Jancsó revealed that the production team utilized AI technology from a company known as Respeecher to enhance the actors’ speech.
Through the advanced capabilities of Respeecher, the filmmakers were able to modify the actors’ vocal performances to align closely with the pronunciation of native Hungarian speakers. However, Jancsó emphasized that this innovative process did not surpass what could have been achieved through traditional dialogue editing methods. “You can accomplish this in ProTools yourself, but given the extensive amount of dialogue in Hungarian, we needed to expedite the process significantly; otherwise, we would still be in post-production,” he explained, highlighting the efficiency gained through AI.
Furthermore, generative AI played a crucial role in the creation of architectural drawings showcased near the film’s conclusion, as noted by Jancsó. These strategic decisions were driven by the budgetary limitations faced by the production team. The Brutalist spans over three hours and features a star-studded cast, period-appropriate costumes, and intricate set designs, all produced for a budget reportedly under $10 million.
In the wake of a year marked by strikes from various Hollywood unions protesting against the potential replacement of workers by AI technologies, the acceptance of such innovations remains a contentious issue. The complexity of the debate intensifies as there are numerous applications for AI within the industry. Director Brady Corbet clarified in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, “Our goal was to maintain the authenticity of Adrien and Felicity’s performances in a different language, rather than to replace or alter them, always with the highest respect for the craft.”
Respeecher has previously been utilized to generate new dialogue for Darth Vader in Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, indicating a growing trend toward the adoption of similar tools to reduce production costs. The demands of filmmaking are substantial, and as studios seek to integrate AI into their processes, employing these advanced tools will likely continue to be a practical strategy for saving both time and financial resources.
Brandon Fletcher
