Watching this now live on SBS. It’s very confusing.
I cannot tell when actual footage is being used (AI colourised + cleaned up) or when it is re-enactments that have been re-colourised similarly to match. The program actively seems to not want me to be able to tell the difference.
It can’t possibly be all based on period footage. There is too much in too high of quality and resolution.
Most (but not all of it) has had its framerate increased to be smooth, so I can’t use that as a hint.
Sometimes the soldiers wave at the camera and the footage is a bit lower in quality. Other times they ignore the camera and look more like actors, but I can’t be certain.
Some of the equipment looks wrong period (gasmasks) but I can’t be sure. I really want to know now (I guess that means its a successful program in some ways). EDIT: Looks like the gasmask is legit!
Never thought watching a program on the SBS would unsettle me as much as this. I’ve seen AI colourised and interpolated footage, but not mixed with (what I think is) re-enactments in a way designed to stop you telling the differences.
EDIT: It’s hard to find info about this show, it has a generic name and looks like it was only released this year.
- Watchable online in Aus right now: https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/watch/2374216259693
- Main site (language switch at top-right): https://www.cccprod.com/en/production/apocalypse-d-day
Some short excerpts for the purpose of demonstrating examples of questionable footage (short enough that they shouldn’t be a copyright problem, for purposes of criticism, review, research and study).
Which of this footage is real and which is re-enactment? Is the photo of the clapboard separate to the video before it, with the camera flash transition inbetween?
This ship footage looks like it could be real. The quality is amazing however.
Direct evidence of AI colourisation: a flag that changes colour
No, no, it symbolises… something, when they one person hands it to another and it changes to red. /s
Wait a second… if the AI was trained to think that blue flags lie down and red flags are windswept, then what are the biases of the footage was it trained on?
leafblowers near UN headquarters flagpoles intensify
Wasn’t it white when lying down?
Here’s a short excerpt with a lot of editing. I am not sure which parts are period or not and to what level the editing has been done.
- Sphere in wall: anyone know what this is?
- Periscope rising: unnatural movement, probably just because of AI frame interpolation?
- Machinegun barrel wiggling from a bunker: footage is looped backwards and forwards.
- Scene panning #1: possibly a still photo that has had the ocean animated, then panned left to right?
- Scene #2: Real photo I assume.
What is SBS is this context? All I know it as is the YouTuber Mindshift’s Secular Bible Study playlist, which recently ended.
SBS is an Australian TV broadcaster, partly gov funded but not fully (unlike the ABC).
Special Broadcasting Service: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Broadcasting_Service
The stated purpose of SBS is “to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect Australia’s multicultural society”.
A good sign - the company behind the show does appear to hire "Documentalist"s, which I assume means they put some effort into historical accuracy. The video itself has a much longer credits list for them.
The company’s about page claims they use historical footage, but make no mention about re-enactment footage (that I suspect they use, but I might be very wrong).
The video’s credits have lots about archive sources. At a cursory glance I can’t see anything about re-enactment.
Maybe it is all real footage? Perhaps I’m just imagining that some is re-enactment? But some of it seems like it would be really weird to have a camera there and people acting that way. IDK, I wish the program made it clear-cut for me.
Maybe it is all real footage? Perhaps I’m just imagining that some is re-enactment? But some of it seems like it would be really weird to have a camera there and people acting that way. IDK, I wish the program made it clear-cut for me.
I think it is all real footage that has been touched up. People still act that way in front of the camera today, like at grand openings with functionaries or a scene from a short product video. War is no different. I can imagine propaganda crews looking for anything to film, or R&D units wanting to keep a film record of any equipment they designed etc.
From Who are we?:
To do this, they have overturned the codes of historical documentary with the series APOCALYPSE by getting closer to those of the cinema: rhythmic films with restored archives, restored in color and sound.
It could be a mistranslation but to me this sounds like they are catering to the colourisation crowd among others, folks who are not so concerned about historical accuracy and preservation.
