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Why Luke Skywalker's CGI is so much better
Aside from technological advancements, one possible explanation is the fact Lucasfilm hired a deepfake YouTuber whose impressive video showing his own de-aging of Skywalker went viral.
Shamook announced last year that he'd been hired as a "senior facial capture artist."
Lucasfilm confirmed the new hire (via IndieWire).
"[Industrial Light and Magic is] always on the lookout for talented artists and have in fact hired the artist that goes by the online persona 'Shamook,'" a Lucasfilm representative said in a statement.
"Over the past several years, ILM has been investing in both machine learning and AI as a means to produce compelling visual effects work, and it's been terrific to see momentum building in this space as the technology advances," the representative said.
Shamook and Lucasfilm didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.