The genealogy platform MyHeritage released a new AI-powered feature called Deep Nostalgia and it turns totally still photos into animated faces. Before someone asks, there’s no magic here. The tool uses pre-recorded videos of facial movements, selects the one that works best for the particular still photo, and applies it to create a “real-life” moving pic.
The idea behind Deep Nostalgia was to give people the opportunity to upload photos of their deceased relatives and revive them in animated short videos. And it seems like people on Twitter went crazy about the whole thing this Sunday, as everyone was excited to get their hands on the viral animator.
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Not only did it deliver some very heartwarming impressions from those who saw their relatives coming to life once again, but it also became somewhat of a meme generator. It seems like pushing Deep Nostalgia to its very limit is the new big hit on social media, so let’s take a look at its most ingenuine applications.
More info: MyHeritage.com | Twitter | Instagram
Deep Nostalgia by @MyHeritage is a lot of fun. Here are results by Time-Travel Rephotography x Deep Nostalgia.
Time-Travel Rephotography: https://t.co/qkUwJ8P2Eb
Deep Nostalgia API: https://t.co/mQSCNDl8dh pic.twitter.com/6ncItlrDVQ— Xuan Luo (@XuanLuo14) February 27, 2021
#1 Now-Passed Mother In Law In Her Teens Is Adorable
My Heritage is using AI to re-animate still photos – in some cases giving some folks a video a look they've never seen – great grandparents, or deceased family. My now-passed mother in law in her teens is adorable. #DeepNostalgia pic.twitter.com/4g1KZPysKw
— TomGimpel (@TomGimpel) March 2, 2021
#2 Rasputin
Rasputin#DeepNostalgia pic.twitter.com/8AhPTH0qru
— Bartek Walkówka (@Balcus89) February 28, 2021
The mind-bending technology for animating photographs was licensed by MyHeritage from D-ID, a company that specializes in video reenactment using deep learning. The Deep Nostalgia feature uses several drivers prepared by MyHeritage. Each driver is a video consisting of a fixed sequence of movements and gestures.
According to the FAQ section on the MyHeritage website, Deep Nostalgia can very accurately apply the drivers to a face in your still photo, creating a short video that you can share with your friends and family.
It does so because the driver guides the movements in the animation, creating an illusion that the people in the photographs blink, smile, and turn their heads.
#3 A Great Grandma
My great grandma coming back to life…#DeepNostalgia #MyHeritage pic.twitter.com/HlSsV0fc5B
— Finding Family (@findingfamily3) February 26, 2021
#4 Old Relative
This is AMAZING. @MyHeritage Deep Nostalgia Tool animation really brings my Grandmother's picture to life! THX YOU #RootsTech2021 #Genealogy #DeepNostalgia #RootsTechConnect pic.twitter.com/VUqzcPDgy7
— Christian Cortez (@Bud_Cortez) February 26, 2021
Recently, MyHeritage’s Deep Nostalgia tool created a lot of buzz on social media. The PR representative for the technology told us that it generated 4 million images animated of users’ loved ones in heartfelt memories, so far. However, the internet soon realized that pushing the feature to see its very capabilities is something equally as exciting as reviving old photographs.
For example, Rebecca Wragg Sykes, an Honorary Fellow at the University of Liverpool and author of the critically acclaimed bestseller “Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art” found Deep Nostalgia a perfect tool to create an animated Neanderthal reconstruction.
Bored Panda reached out to Rebecca to find out what she thinks of the AI tool’s potential to reimagine our ancient ancestors. “I’d seen the Deep Nostalgia tool being used for some early 20th century photographs, but it was when Adam Rutherford shared an animated version of the Cheddar Man reconstruction (a roughly 10,000-year-old human from Somerset, UK) that I got excited about the potential for doing this with a Neanderthal reconstruction.”
#5 Hide The Pain Harold
I'm in tears – what an incredible experience to see my great-great-great grandfather come to life. Technology will save us all. Thank you so much @MyHeritage #DeepNostalgia pic.twitter.com/xFGmfCVAac
— Josh Mcloughlin (@JoshMcloughlin) February 28, 2021
#6 Mona Lisa
#DeepNostalgia on the Mona Lisapic.twitter.com/YmHmtm2eqn
— Esther Willemsen (@2tongig) February 27, 2021
#7 Dynastic Statue
This thing is too much fun – Early Dynastic statue from Mari at the Louvre #MyHeritage #DeepNostalgia pic.twitter.com/YsOAIgVbpB
— George Heath-Whyte (@GHeathWhyte) February 28, 2021
#8 Christiano Ronaldo Statue
So I wanted to know how the recent #DeepLearning facial animations services do with busts and decided to give that botched Christiano Ronaldo statue a spin. What ensued can only be summarised as #DeepNostalgia –> #DeeplyDisturbed. Sweet dreams! 😉 pic.twitter.com/g2J0LV5DAi
— Jan Smeddinck 🇪🇺🌍 (@smeddinck) February 27, 2021
#9 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
While Mozart is coming up with his next joke! pic.twitter.com/YQfgIy7pjf
— Attila (@attilalondon) February 27, 2021
Thus, Rebecca used the 2012 reconstruction by the Kennis brothers of a Neanderthal from Spy Cave, Belgium, and she said she was hugely impressed. “It’s one of the most emotionally engaging sculptures because of the way he’s smiling (apparently originally based on Sean Connery’s winning grin and twinkling eyes!).” Meanwhile, “The animation added so much more by giving the static expression life and nuance.”
When asked about applying such an advanced technology to imagining Neanderthals, Rebecca said that it’s already been done through art, “increasingly digital, such as the stunning work of Tom Björklund—for nearly 160 years.” She added that some 3D modelling has been done based on skulls, but this particular Deep Nostalgia algorithm generated a much stronger impression.
#10 I Got All Emotional Looking At It
I just did my 3GGF and it's amazing. It caught me off guard. I got all emotional looking at it. #MyHeritage #DeepNostalgia pic.twitter.com/Zpg977Ltkp
— MJ (@MJoStout) February 25, 2021
#11 George Washington
George Washington from a wrinkly bill in my pocket looks pretty good. #DeepNostalgia pic.twitter.com/telektN3OT
— Adam T Perzynski (@ATPerzynski) February 28, 2021
#12 Great-Great Grandfather John Davis Kennedy In His Us Civil War Uniform
My great-great grandfather John Davis Kennedy in his US Civil War uniform. #DeepNostalgia animation filter @MyHeritage #MyHeritage I love it! ☘️☘️☘️💚💚💚 pic.twitter.com/l73j6ywND2
— 🌼A n n a ♡ K.🌼🐱🐾🌷💁 (@LadyAnnaKasper) February 27, 2021
#13 Old Relative
A company called MyHeritage is now offering a new service, Called Deep Nostalgia, that can animate people in old photos creating a short video that looks like it was recorded while they posed and prepped for the portrait [read more: https://t.co/TvjAQdSf9A] pic.twitter.com/5Mn3YLgi6W
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) February 27, 2021
#14 Rosalind Franklin
Rosalind Franklin, reanimated by running through Deep Nostalgia. She wants her DNA x-ray image back, Jim Watson. #WomenInSTEM https://t.co/woiL6zhgcK pic.twitter.com/k2IqETLyV8
— Tim Stearns (@StearnsLab) February 26, 2021
#15 Ludwig Van Beethoven
In these days of cultural limbo, bringing the past to life is becoming addictive – it’s the ultimate retro pastime. First Hadi Karimi colourised and made Beethoven 3D. Now he moves! #DeepNostalgia pic.twitter.com/z3jpRoXPD8
— Attila (@attilalondon) February 27, 2021
“The public reaction to seeing this particular Neanderthal gazing back at us thanks to the Deep Nostalgia algorithm has been very powerful. It suggests that animating images helps people connect emotionally with lives of people living tens or hundreds of millennia ago,” the award-winning book author concluded.
#16 Alan Turing
So glad to see finally #AlanTuring "alive"! Makes me feel even more connected to computer science and #AI. Via @MyHeritage https://t.co/FKYlBHELAR pic.twitter.com/lWbsYzcvR3
— Kristian Kersting (@kerstingAIML) February 27, 2021
#17 Nefertiti
#DeepNostalgia on Nefertitipic.twitter.com/fuulpuff1W
— Esther Willemsen (@2tongig) February 27, 2021
#18 Frederick Douglass
#DeepNostalgia Frederick Douglass (R), Abolitionistpic.twitter.com/bxyWqcDZ3L
— Esther Willemsen (@2tongig) March 1, 2021
#19 Marie Curie
#DeepNostalgia Marie Curiepic.twitter.com/Kucsa4bM7H
— Esther Willemsen (@2tongig) March 1, 2021
According to Gilad Japhet, the founder and CEO of MyHeritage, “You’ll have a ‘wow moment’ when you see a treasured family photo come to life with Deep Nostalgia.”
“Seeing our beloved ancestors’ faces come to life in a video simulation lets us imagine how they might have been in reality, and provides a profound new way of connecting to our family history,” he added.
#20 Napoleon Bonaparte
#DeepNostalgia on Napoleon Bonapartepic.twitter.com/8dsyyROU4D
— Esther Willemsen (@2tongig) March 1, 2021
#21 A Great-Great Grandmother
My 2X great grandmother Audrey Slaughter, this photo was taken on her discharge from Norfolk asylum in 1904. What an amazing animation @MyHeritage #DeepNostalgia #Genealogy pic.twitter.com/gGgOOdHrAN
— Kelly Owens (@KellyOw73205881) February 25, 2021
#22 Arcimboldo’s Feast For The Eyes
My contribution to the myheritage #deepnostalgia posts. pic.twitter.com/ejORicofb1
— Brandon McLeod (@BrandonSMcLeod) February 28, 2021
#23 Vincent Van Gogh
Generated with MyHeritage.#DeepNostalgia pic.twitter.com/gNX3wLHsS8
— Andrey Frolov (@kznsq) February 27, 2021
#24 Marie Antoinette
#DeepNostalgia on Marie Antoinettepic.twitter.com/9o0uoJ8Nxl
— Esther Willemsen (@2tongig) February 27, 2021
#25 Beyonce
Since that #DeepNostalgia thing is gaining popularity, I found something that #InternetNeverForgets pic.twitter.com/tB5ifB7THp
— Mark (@marcferns) March 1, 2021
#26 One Of The Angels From South Leith Parish Church
One of the angels from South Leith Parish Church #DeepNostalgia pic.twitter.com/bWYHPEdYdH
— johockey_1968 (@leithlinkz) February 26, 2021
#27 Great-Grandmother
This one is very cool. It brings my great-grandmother Alice Elizabeth Nutick Armstrong to life! 💗💗💗 #DeepNostalgia filter #MyHeritage @MyHeritage pic.twitter.com/EOy2QOwBan
— 🌼A n n a ♡ K.🌼🐱🐾🌷💁 (@LadyAnnaKasper) February 27, 2021
#28 Rosina Sky
Loving the My Heritage Deep Nostalgia app. This is Rosina Sky, a suffragette from Southend @Snapthestiletto @SouthendMuseums #strongessexwoman pic.twitter.com/cYtC7gdQtG
— Amy Cotterill (@akcotterill) February 28, 2021
#29 Duala Manga Bell
New ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE tool brings very old photos to life.
Used it to animate this picture of DOUALA MANGA BELL, king and resistance leader in Cameroon.
"Deep Nostalgia" uses AI licensed from Israeli company D-ID.
Who would you like to bring back to life? pic.twitter.com/bpuhF5eZ9e
— Momo Bertrand (@AskMomoB) March 1, 2021
#30 Charles Darwin
Adding Darwin to the list of the resurrected. pic.twitter.com/Hx0ltRbQ36
— José R. Dinneny (@JoseDinneny) February 26, 2021
#31 Girl With A Pearl Earring
Girl with a Pearl Earring#DeepNostalgia pic.twitter.com/gS30UZblG2
— Andrey Frolov (@kznsq) February 28, 2021
Source: boredpanda.com