Transfiguration refers to changing the shape of a person. In some film and television dramas and novels, it usually appears in plots that require a complete change of face for the characters. For example, Arjun in "Tianlong Babu" is very good at the skill of transfiguration, and Tang Ling in "Peace Hotel" completes the face change with a water-soluble edible glue.
In "Peace Hotel", Tang Ling directly rubbed the glue down
Is this purely a plot exaggeration, or does transfiguration really have such a magical effect? In this issue, let's explore this interesting "black technology".
The origin of transfiguration
The original purpose of transfiguration was not to change appearance, as it originated from ancient sacrificial activities. During the ceremony, people wear masks or paint. For example, the intangible cultural heritage of the mainland, the Wu Dance, is the oldest kind of Han Dance that worships gods and dances ghosts, drives away plagues and avoids epidemics, and expresses Anqing. The so-called "taking off the mask is a person, wearing a mask is a god", when performing the dance, it is common to wear the masks of mythological images and secular figures. And these elements formed the prototype of the original transfiguration.
Dance Beggar Soldier
Later, as people wanted to change their appearance or facial features for some purpose, it gradually evolved into transfiguration.
Ancient transfiguration
In some costume film and television dramas, the protagonist's transfiguration technique is often to change a hairstyle + a dress, and the heroine of "women dressed as men" can paste a beard at most, which can fool the eyes of everyone in the play. Were the ancients really so stupid? Not really. Because the ancients changed their clothing not only changed the appearance, but also represented a change in a person's identity and social status, so they could achieve "false chaos".
So was there a "more advanced" transfiguration technique in ancient times? According to historical records, Wang Mang, who was already in his sixties at the time, achieved the purpose of reducing age by dyeing his hair to "transfigure". Although it is not known exactly how he used to darken his hair, in the "Biography of Wang Mang" in the Book of Han, "if you want to look outward and be at ease, you dye his hair." "It confirms that this is indeed the case.
Western Han reformer, politician, and new emperor Wang Mang
If hair coloring is just a primary way of transfiguration in disguise, then "plastic surgery" is a way to really change the appearance.
In the movie "Sword Rain", the extremely complex jianghu transfiguration magic is shown, first introducing yunnan worms from the nostrils, and after many operations such as flesh-eating, grinding bones- suturing, etc., "Lin Xilei" transformed into "Yang Ziqiong".
In history, such technologies as the prosthetic eye have long existed. According to the twenty-third volume of Tao Zongyi's Nancun Shu Cultivation Record of the Yuan Dynasty, the Sacred Iron Chapter: "Hangzhou Zhang Cun, young afflicted with one eye, then called Zhang Eye. Suddenly encountering a skillful craftsman, for An Yi magnetic eye obstacle to cover up, no one can distinguish its falsity. From the last sentence, it can be seen that the technique of pretending to be prosthetic eyes at that time was still very exquisite, to the point that no one else could distinguish between true and false.
Tao Zongyi and his masterpiece "Nancun Quit Farming"
In the Qing Dynasty, this kind of "plastic beauty" transfiguration technique has made great progress. The famous doctor Gu Shicheng recorded in the "Complete Book of Doctors": "To repair the missing lips, first apply anesthesia to the missing lips, stab the skin of the lips with a sharp knife, that is, use an embroidery needle to thread the silk thread to bind the two sides of the skin, and then rub the medicine for blood regulation, do not cry and laugh within three or five days, and are afraid of colds and gimmicks, only eat thin porridge every day, the muscles are full, go to its silk thread, that is, the lips of unity." "It was enough to see the level of cleft lip and palate repair at that time."
Gu Shicheng's book "The Complete Book of Doctors"
Modern transfiguration
From the current point of view, the ancients were limited to the knowledge reserves and environmental factors at that time, so it was not easy for the real ancient transfiguration to change the local appearance. Thanks to the progress of modern technology, today's transfiguration is a complete makeover.
Beginner: Filter/AI face swap
In 2019, an incident of "Lolita becoming a big mother" once triggered heated discussion among netizens. The anchor "Her Royal Highness Qiao Biluo" on a certain platform revealed her true face due to bugs during the live broadcast, which was very different from the photos she posted on social software. This incident even attracted BBC reports, and made foreign netizens wonder, how did she make herself look young?
This, of course, relies on a powerful filter function to achieve a one-second face change online. The "Her Royal Highness Qiao Biluo" in the filter is a young woman with big eyes and a small face, and she who is out of the filter is obviously judging the two. Various filter functions such as face slimming, big eyes, and skin polishing are one of the simplest and most relaxed contemporary transfiguration techniques.
However, compared with the filter function, today's AI face-changing technology is even higher, only needing a photo, through specific software can not only completely change the face, but even become a star.
For example, an anchor named Ah Leng changed his face to Become Tang Yan under the creation of netizens, and his demeanor and actions look very realistic, without the slightest sense of stiffness or connection.
The anchor who has been changed face by AI
And Yang Mi crossed over to the 94 version of "The Legend of the Eagle Shooter" through AI face change, "starring" in the role of Huang Rong.
Due to the problems involving the actors themselves, many film and television dramas have now fully used AI face-changing technology to achieve role changes, thus avoiding the cost of re-shooting.
Left: TV series "Three Thousand Crows Killing" Right: TV series "The Sound of the Wind"
All use AI face-changing technology
In fact, the face-changing technique of AI has been used as early as "Fast and Furious 7", and the deceased actor Paul Walker changed his face through a CGI technology and finally appeared in the movie.
However, the convenience and pleasure of this transfiguration technique has also been abused wantonly, some celebrities have been added to the spoof video, and even the faces of many female celebrities have been replaced by, and the video has been maliciously widely disseminated and caused adverse effects.
The spoofed Obama
In general, the technological transfiguration of AI face-changing is really a double-edged sword, in addition to the mastery and application of the "sword holder", it also needs the improvement of relevant laws and the review and control of Internet platforms.
Intermediate: Blogger imitation makeup
The filters and AI face swap mentioned above are relatively rudimentary transfiguration because they only need to be simple to operate, while imitation makeup is a proper "technical flow" transfiguration. In the very inward-looking beauty circle, it is not unusual for beauty bloggers who can make up good makeup, and the ingenious and technical imitation makeup gods can attract more attention and discussion.
For example, the beauty blogger "Little Pig Sister", who has more than 8 million fans, was out of the circle because of imitation makeup as early as 16 years or so. The characters she imitates regardless of gender, partial or overall makeup can be imitated beautifully. At the same time, Sister Piggy is not simply imitating for the sake of imitation, but wants fans to get inspiration from imitation makeup and apply it to daily makeup, and such transfiguration seems to have taken a step forward.
The blogger on Douyin, "Bobo is the most foreign", has done the imitation makeup to the extreme, and the imitated characters are extremely extensive, from classic characters to comic characters and celebrity stars, all of which have cleverly captured its essence.
Bobo's most foreign imitation of Kobe Bryant and Andy Lau's own praise
As a technical flow of transfiguration, imitation makeup pursues both shape and god, not only to have good observation of the eyes, but also to wear makeup hands. It is well deserved to be listed as an intermediate transfiguration.
Advanced: Special effects makeup
To say that the highest level of transfiguration is not special effect makeup. It combines a variety of techniques such as sculpture, molding, and modeling to achieve special effects. Not only can you completely change your appearance, but you can even cross races and transform into various creatures through this technique.
In the early days of the mainland film and television industry, the most typical special effects makeup masterpiece was the 86 version of "Journey to the West", in which most of the characters used this "transfiguration technique".
The makeup artist is making a final touch on actor Andy Andy's "pig mask"
Special effects makeup originated in the United States. As early as the 1930s, new York artist Buck invented the basic special effects makeup technique, which was first used to create a full-face latex mask by means of sculpture.
The representative figure of this technology is the famous American special effects makeup master Dick Smith. In films such as The Godfather, Mozart and The Exorcist, which are well known to audiences, he has his innovative and creative special effects makeup techniques.
Dick Smith is working on the movie The Godfather
Actor Marlon Brando, who plays the "Godfather", wears old age makeup
At the 57th Academy Awards in 1985, 63-year-old Dick Smith won the best makeup award of the year for his superb skills in the film Mozart. He also won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 84th Academy Awards in 2012.
Left: 57th Academy Award for Best Makeup
Right: 84th Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement
In order to pursue better makeup results, Dick Smith changed the traditional full-face mask practice at that time, creating a multi-part detached mask that only needs to be attached to the chin, nose, eyebrows and other areas that are needed. This unique new invention also brought about a huge change in the field of special effects makeup at that time.
This method has been used to this day. Jonna Mendez, former CIA camouflage director, when explaining how agents use camouflage and how to effectively transfigure themselves, mentions that the agents use latex prostheses to change cheekbones, foreheads or noses, or use braces, pads and artificial dental panels to change the shape of the face.
The traditional full-face mask mentioned above is also a more commonly used transfiguration prop in public perception, and it is still used in disguise.
In addition, a company called REAL-f Co has also produced a surreal face mask, which is made of resin and plastic, and its main function is mostly to involve face testing. From the red blood on the whites of the eyes and the hair flow of the eyebrows, you feel the ultra-realistic skin texture, and every detail is as realistic as possible.
This kind of transfiguration that can easily change faces every day, do you want to have?
The props used in the special effects makeup are made of a variety of materials, some of which can be directly applied to the face. For example, the "nose bridge elevation technique" and "chin sharpening technique" that were once on fire on a short video platform were used in a material called skin wax in special effects makeup.
Compared with the special effects makeup techniques shown in the American reality show "FACE OFF" (Special Effects Makeup Artist Showdown), these two simple transfiguration techniques are "small witches see big witches". Many of the contestants are very skilled in transfiguration and have a strong visual impact. The vastness of the subject matter not only spans races, but also closely links with paintings, sculptures, dramas, movies, etc., creating a variety of strange and glamorous rays.
In this reality show, it is not difficult to see several key steps in the transfiguration of special effects makeup. The first step is to design the drawings first, draw the rough prototype and the desired effect.
The mold is then made on a plaster head that precisely replicates the face (usually poured into an inverted mold made of alginate) and the feature can be carved directly from clay.
The clay molded part will eventually be made into a latex foam sponge material for the actor to wear. This production process is the most time-consuming and energy-consuming. It is not only the imagination and creativity of the special effects makeup artists and contestants, but also the test of whether they have a strong artistic foundation and hands-on ability.
Finally, a special glue is used to glue the mask made on the face of the real model, and various prostheses are worn, plus makeup, spray paint and other beautification steps to present the final effect. Take a look at these works in the show and really feel the magic of the transfiguration technique of special effects makeup.
After taking stock of the various transfiguration techniques from ancient times to the present, I have to admire the infinite wisdom of human beings. People's exploration of changing their appearance has been continuing, and they don't know what kind of advanced transfiguration will appear in the future, and what impact will it have on the world? Stay tuned.
Editor & Writer - Penny Lee
Images are from the web