On the My Heritage websites, even if you have the basic free version, you can upload family photos and animate them. Their brand name for this facility is Deep Nostalgia.
Trying out My Heritage
I tried this. Here was my photo of my mother.
My photos of my ancestors did not work in the system. I got the message, not sufficient pixels.
I tried it on a photo of my husband. It looked even more blurred. However, it worked.
But the result was not impressive. Just moving, not speaking nor smiling.
On the other hand, I know my husband. I have the real thing. To animate your ancestors might be more impressive.
Possible Developments
But the voice over would have to be the right tone. They could make it higher for a woman, mostly, even higher for a child. If you had never heard them speak, you would not know if they did not speak like the original person.
What about the accent? I foresee that one day you will be able to program the animation to speak upper class Oxford English like Prince Charles. Or maybe neutral and clear received pronunciation, like me and Julie Andrews. What about cockney, or slang, yeah instead of yes, for your working class or teenage ancestors. You might even be able to get them speaking in different tones in different situations, in school on speech day, or to friends.
You could also program the speech to be in an American or UK or other accent. This is already done when you program your Satnav. You can choose a male or female voice.
A simpler version would be another option. You, could just get the figure to nod and say um, as if listening to you. This might work for a baby or to animate the absent owner of a dog, if the owner is at work, or has passed away.
Photoshop Version
My husband was not impressed by the version of himself moving. He shrugged, "Yes, I already have that in Photoshop."
I went onto a forum discussing the pros and cons of animation of the dead. I found a link to a video a couple had made animating their son who was shot dead. In the video he says he will never get to vote but he wants you to vote to ban gun ownership in the USA.
His mother says at the prologue to the animation, 'I find it hard to look at this'. The video of their son talking is totally realistic.
It remind me of the video movie star Yul Brynner (who played the Thai king in The King and I) had made to be shown after his death. He asks the viewer to stop smoking.
Yes, both are unsettling. But those posthumous videos convey a message which many would consider beneficial to the public.
On a final positive note, I have found My Heritage useful in locating relatives who are interested in researching our common ancestors.
Useful Websites
The My Heritage animation of Abraham Lincoln makes him speak as if nowadays praising My Heritage.
The boy brought back to life on a video animation speaking about banning guns:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEtiajHLmQY
About the Author
Angela Lansbury is a British author who has lived in the USA.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.
Angela Lansbury teacher of English (advanced and English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language, French and other languages, aspiring polyglot.
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