#WeSeeYou Lily Parr

Reconstructing History

A significant challenge was the paucity, inconsistency, and poor quality of the archival source material. Without extensive source material or training data available, we had to innovate, test and interrogate tools available to us. Using a blend of our own artistry, experience, human direction and validation, and an Ai tool suite including image restoration tools such as InstantIR, Photorestore.io, GFPGAN, and image upscalers like Magnific.ai. Face Replacers & Dialogue Sync, we could create a high-res, colourised portrait true to likeness.

Animation and Lighting

With the archive image de-noised, cleaned, and requisite resolution and detail achieved, we moved onto the process of animating the face in preparation for digital face replacement.

Computer vision tools analysed test shots and footage of the performance actor, tracked their facial movements, and inferred how to replace the actor’s face with Lily’s on a frame-by-frame basis. A blend of AI and artistry was then used to refine the image. The AI was most effective at generating macro features, while artists focused on overall quality, direction, micro features and finishing touches.

Creating the Face Mesh

We conducted a final test to determine if the AI-generated footage could be used to extract a typical dynamic motion-tracking 3D facemesh for VFX work (Blender/Nuke Keentools). The results were impressive, but the AI process didn’t perfectly conform to human physiology, so we concluded that this required manual keyframing to achieve a truly high-quality 3D match.

On-set Production

The actor’s performance was essential to the project as it captured Lily’s essence and was the basis of the digital recreation. Whilst the facial model we created would dictate the look of the final facial imagery, the actors movement, vocal delivery and performance directed the facial movement.

The shoot took place in a controlled environment to ensure consistent lighting and camera conditions. This was essential for accurate face tracking and replacement. The actor’s real facial movements then drove the movements and detail of the facial replacement, which reacted in real-time.

An Interview 100 Years in the Making

By combining performance capture, digital restoration, and a thoughtful use of AI tools, this innovative method opens new possibilities for education and engagement with the past, highlighting AI’s transformative potential in creative projects and its ability to connect with history in an authentic and compelling way.

For more information on Territory Studio’s statement on working with Artificial Intelligence, please see here.

AI is often framed as a threat to creativity, but this project shows its real strength lies in expanding what’s possible. Without it, Lily Parr’s story – her likeness, her presence, her impact – would have remained firmly in the past. By blending advanced technology with deep human craft, historical research, and performance capture, we’ve been able to bring her back to share her own legacy. This wasn’t about cutting creatives and their skillsets out of the process; it was about giving them the tools to do something that’s never been done before. AI became the bridge between history and today, helping us honour Lily Parr in the most authentic way.

Ben Walker, Executive Creative Director, Generation at Three

Reconstructing History

Animation and Lighting

Creating the Face Mesh

On-set Production

The Making Of

An Interview 100 Years in the Making

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