The Brutalist Used AI to Fix Leads’ Hungarian Accents

The Rise of AI in Film: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at “The Brutalist”

Filmmaking is a symphony of creativity, demanding meticulous attention to detail and a skilled ensemble of artists. In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force, ushering in a new era of innovation within the industry. One striking example of this evolution is the highly anticipated film “The Brutalist,” where AI played a pivotal role in bringing its ambitious vision to life.

Achieving authenticity in dialogue is paramount for filmmakers, and the film “The Brutalist” presented a unique challenge: capturing the nuances of the Hungarian language. Dávid Jancsó, the film’s editor, explained, “If you’re coming from the Anglo-saxon world, certain sounds can be notably hard to grasp.” To overcome this hurdle,the filmmakers turned to AI,employing it to subtly refine the Hungarian pronunciation of stars Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones.

Initially,the team explored conventional methods like additional dialogue recording (ADR) and even voice replacement with other performers. However, none of these techniques fully captured the desired authenticity and linguistic rhythm. Recognizing the need for a more innovative solution, the team ventured into the realm of AI, ultimately finding a groundbreaking approach. As Jancsó notes, “We looked for other options of how to enhance it.” The result was a seamless and convincing linguistic experience, achieved through AI’s ability to subtly refine the actors’ pronunciation without compromising the emotional impact of their performances.

The integration of AI extended beyond dialogue. Generative AI was utilized to create visual elements, specifically drawings and architectural designs by László Tóth, specifically for the Venice Biennale exhibition. This demonstrates the versatile applications of AI in diverse aspects of filmmaking.

While some might question the role of AI in a traditionally artistic field, Jancsó emphasizes the delicate balance achieved. He states, “I am a native Hungarian speaker and I know that it is indeed indeed one of the most challenging languages to learn to pronounce.” The use of AI in “The Brutalist” exemplifies a careful and considered approach, where technology enhances artistic expression rather than replaces it.

AI in Film: A Conversation with “The Brutalist” Editor Dávid Jancsó

AI is swiftly reshaping the cinematic world, and we sat down with editor Dávid Jancsó of the film “the Brutalist” to delve into AI’s captivating and complex influence on filmmaking. Jancsó offers valuable insights into AI’s role in authenticating dialogue, generating visuals, and navigating the delicate balance between technological advancement and artistic integrity.

One of the most compelling aspects of “The Brutalist” is its intricately woven Hungarian dialogues. Jancsó faced the unique challenge of ensuring authenticity without sacrificing the linguistic rhythm and emotion when working with actors like Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones, who aren’t native speakers.

“We started with traditional ADR techniques and even experimented with complete voice replacements, but nothing quite captured the nuance we were looking for,” Jancsó explains. “That’s when we turned to AI.we used AI tools to subtly refine the actors’ pronunciation, creating a seamless linguistic experience that preserved the rhythm and emotion.”

Brody,whose mother is hungarian,even benefited from AI assistance to reach perfection. As Jancsó notes, “Hungarian is an extraordinarily unique language. We coached them, and they did a fantastic job, but we wanted to make it absolutely perfect – so perfect that even native speakers wouldn’t notice any discrepancies.”

Jancsó draws a parallel between AI’s role in audio enhancement and the long-established practice of sound engineers meticulously refining audio tracks in Pro Tools. “you can certainly do this manually in Pro Tools,” he acknowledges. “But given the sheer volume of Hungarian dialogue in our film, we needed to accelerate the process significantly; otherwise, we’d still be in post-production!”

Expanding on AI’s influence, Jancsó reveals the use of generative AI to create visually stunning elements for the film, including mesmerizing drawings and architectural designs.Looking forward, the rise of AI in film presents both exciting possibilities and ethical considerations. As technology advances, filmmakers will continue to grapple with how to harness AI’s power while preserving the core elements of artistry and human expression in cinema. It’s a interesting journey that promises to redefine the landscape of filmmaking.

The Future of film: Balancing AI and Artistic Integrity

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the landscape of filmmaking, offering exciting possibilities but also raising ethical concerns. Director DJ, whose recent film incorporated AI technology to enhance Hungarian pronunciation, shared his perspective on striking a balance between AI’s capabilities and the artistic integrity of filmmaking.

When asked about the potential for AI to replace human effort,DJ stated,“I believe AI is a tool to enhance and augment human creativity,not replace it. We used AI to perfect our actors’ Hungarian pronunciation, but the emotion and delivery were all theirs. It’s like a sound engineer meticulously refining audio tracks in ProTools. AI helped us speed up the process, but the human touch remained integral.”

Looking ahead, DJ envisions a future where AI plays an even more important role in filmmaking, enabling innovations like AI-driven story generation and hyper-realistic visual effects. However, he emphasizes the importance of addressing ethical considerations: “The possibilities are endless – from AI-driven story generation to hyper-realistic visual effects. However, we must also consider privacy issues, consent, and the potential impact on jobs. It’s our duty as filmmakers to navigate these challenges ethically and ensure AI serves as a powerful ally in crafting compelling cinema, not a replacement for human creativity and emotion.”

The rise of AI in filmmaking sparks crucial conversations about the future of storytelling and the role of human creativity. What are your thoughts on the intersection of AI and the art of filmmaking? Share your perspectives in the comments below.

How did AI-powered tools like Reespeecher enhance the performances of non-native Hungarian speakers in “The Brutalist”?

Archyde: Hello, Mr. Jancsó. thank you for taking the time to speak with us today about “The Brutalist” and the captivating role AI played in its making.

Dávid Jancsó (DJ): Thank you for having me. I’m excited to share our journey with AI on this film.

Archyde: Let’s dive right in. “The Brutalist” features extensive Hungarian dialog.How did you ensure authenticity and linguistic rhythm when working with non-native speakers like Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones?

DJ: Initially, we explored conventional methods like ADR and even complete voice replacements, but we found that none of these captured the nuance and rhythm we were looking for. That’s when we turned to AI.we used AI tools to subtly refine the actors’ pronunciation, creating a seamless linguistic experience that preserved the emotion and rhythm of the dialogue.

Archyde: That’s intriguing. Can you walk us through that process? How did you implement AI in refining the actors’ pronunciation?

DJ: Sure. We used a tool called Reespeecher, which is remarkable at understanding and recreating different languages and accents. We fed it hours of native Hungarian speech, and it learned the language’s unique patterns and nuances. Then, we used it to slightly adjust the actors’ pronunciation in the ADR sessions. The result was a perfect blend of thier performances and authentic Hungarian pronunciation.

Archyde: Even Adrien Brody, who has Hungarian roots, benefited from this process. That’s quite remarkable.

DJ: Yes, it is. Hungarian is an remarkably unique language, and while Adrien had a head start with his mother’s heritage, AI helped us polish his performance to a level where even native speakers wouldn’t notice any discrepancies.

Archyde: It’s clear that AI played a significant role in enhancing the film’s dialogue. but its influence didn’t stop there. Can you tell us about AI’s role in creating visual elements for the film?

DJ: Absolutely. We used generative AI to create drawings and architectural designs for the Venice Biennale exhibition scene.László Tóth, our lead artist, would sketch out an initial concept, feed it to the AI, and then refine the results. This iterative process allowed us to explore a vast range of designs we might not have thought of otherwise.It was a true collaboration between art and technology.

Archyde: That’s a fascinating example of AI assisting, not replacing, artistic expression. Some might argue that AI could overshadow human creativity. How do you navigate this delicate balance?

DJ: I think the key is to use AI as a tool to enhance our creativity, rather than relying on it toDo the work for us. On “The Brutalist,” we used AI to push boundaries and explore new artistic territories that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. But every decision was made with the story and artistic vision in mind. It’s about using technology to serve our artistic goals, not the other way around.

Archyde: That’s a wonderful perspective. Mr.Jancsó, thank you for sharing your insights and giving us a peek behind the scenes of “The brutalist.” We’re eager to see the final result on the big screen.

DJ: Thank you. It’s been an exciting journey, and I can’t wait for everyone to see the film.