Why Eva Herzigová Became a Digital Human
Late last month, Eva Herzigová became the first supermodel to have a realistic MetaHuman (also called a digital human) created and ready to star in virtual and mixed reality worlds.
As brands embark on the endless exploration of the future of digital fashion and their presence in the metaverse and beyond, many are looking to expand accordingly. This is why leading talent agency Unsigned and virtual production studio Dimension worked with Eva to create her lifelike, real-time 3D digital human - ready to be booked for shows and appearances. As it stands now, brands are able to license Eva’s MetaHuman just as they would engage with Eva herself, via her talent agency Unsigned.
Scanning Eva in a 70 camera rig allowed Dimension to generate data for a team of character artists to use to recreate the model with near perfect accuracy (including her signature walk) in the digital world. Now, Eva’s MetaHuman can be dressed, posed and lit according to brand desire using the avatar.
LBB’s Zoe Antonov spoke to Simon Windsor, co-founder and co-CEO of Dimension and Gavin Myall, CEO of Unsigned about this ambitious project, the future of digital fashion, and the tech involved in the process of creating Eva’s MetaHuman.
LBB> How did this idea come up and what kind of project did Dimension and Unsigned have in mind? Was Eva involved from the beginning?
Gavin> We were already having conversations with Eva about developing new innovative ways we could work with her and brands together, so when we began talking to Eva about creating her MetaHuman, she saw the exciting potential.
Simon> We’ve been working in digital fashion for over five years - while the industry has experienced explosive growth. Brands, artists and talent are increasingly exploring virtual representation and the concept of digital identity. Eva and Unsigned want to be at the forefront of this mixed reality fashion future. They recognise the exciting creative and commercial opportunities, but also the responsibilities that come with digital twins. Eva worked closely with us right from the start and throughout the project.
LBB> Tell me about the full process of creating Eva's MetaHuman from start to finish. How long did all of it take? What kind of technology was used and how?
Simon> Towards the end of 2022, Eva was scanned by our team in our multi-camera rig, providing the data to create a 3D scanned mesh of Eva's face and head. Alongside this we took photographs and measurements to help create an accurate full body likeness of Eva.
Dimension’s character artists worked in MetaHuman Creator to create the base MetaHuman head. Using a proprietary workflow, the mesh was customised and sculpted, adding secondary and tertiary details, creating custom textures to bring the avatar closer to Eva’s likeness.
With Eva and the Unsigned team providing creative feedback along the way, Dimension’s artists styled the avatar’s hair, make-up, and wardrobe. XGen in Maya was used for the hair groom, Substance Painter for the makeup and textures, and Marvelous Designer for the clothing.
Eva took part in a motion capture shoot at Dimension’s performance capture studio in London, generating animation data used to drive her MetaHuman’s authentic walk and pose. For the teaser video, our artists have taken Eva’s MetaHuman into a virtual catwalk environment that we created in Unreal Engine, adding camera paths and virtual lighting.
LBB> What were the most difficult and intricate parts of creating the MetaHuman?
Simon> Metahuman Creator is an amazing tool, but getting the facial likeness and hair correct still requires careful craft and attention to detail. Eva’s MetaHuman is not designed to trick people into thinking it’s the real her. Instead, we wanted to target a hyperrealistic, high quality look which is authentically Eva… but at the same time allows us to recognise she is an avatar. That requires striking a careful balance.
LBB> We have seen digital models before, but those have always been rooted online. This is the first real-life model to create a MetaHuman of themselves - why is this a valuable way to approach the fashion industry and will it become commonplace as we move forward?
Simon> We’re seeing a shift from 2D to 3D content creation tools. Real-time engines such as Unreal Engine are opening incredibly creative possibilities for brands and storytellers. Dimension has been using Unreal Engine for 3D virtual production for over a decade, creating virtual worlds and bringing these to life across media, entertainment and fashion use cases.
Increasingly, this has involved the use of Metahuman Creator for avatar development. By creating Eva’s avatar as a MetaHuman, brands have the power to employ her as a character in any real-time project, from games to films, fashion shows, immersive experiences and more. As digital fashion continues to evolve, the industry will have the ability to work with Eva to tell their stories and bring product experience to audiences in powerful new ways. For Eva, her MetaHuman is an extension of her brand, and an asset that can unlock new value.
LBB> What kind of legislation is in place when it comes to MetaHumans? How did you work with Eva and what was her part of the project in terms of rights of usage?
Simon> Eva and Unsigned will licence Eva’s MetaHuman to brands and productions. To ensure responsible management data and quality assurance, and to meet Eva's own standards and expectations, Dimension will manage production work for Eva's MetaHuman avatar. This includes, for example, updates to wardrobe, styling, and animation of Eva's MetaHuman. Dimension and Unsigned Group are able to work with partner production companies on the licensing, handoff, and integration process to help deliver the best results.
LBB> What kinds of new pathways does this open, not only in the digital world of fashion and communications, but also in social media and other formats? For example, can Eva's MetaHuman take part in a Live on Instagram?
Simon> Eva’s MetaHuman is powered by Unreal Engine, so the avatar can be used for digi-physical experiences, catwalk shows, editorial shoots, digital and social campaigns, and any mixed reality application within the Unreal Engine ecosystem. She can also be used for real-time puppeteered performances.
LBB> And what was the most fun part of creating the MetaHuman?
Simon> Creating and introducing the world's first MetaHuman supermodel has been enormously exciting. Working through the process with Eva and Unsigned has been fun for all the team and there have been valuable learnings that will benefit future productions
LBB> What is on the horizon for Eva's digital avatar and where should we anticipate to see her in the future?
Gavin> We are already having exciting conversations with several brands at the moment about innovative campaigns, new collections and experiences involving Eva’s MetaHuman - so stay tuned!
LBB> Any final thoughts?
Simon> Ultimately, this is a representation of Eva, who has been a key creative partner in this process. She has an acute eye for detail, and I think it’s been really valuable to have her curating her digital identity to get the right results.
The creation of Eva’s MetaHuman opens up a whole new world of possibility for brands - changing the way they produce campaigns, with more creative freedom and flexibility than ever before. I can imagine partnerships with fashion and beauty brands, as well as activations that span cross industry such as automotive.
Gavin> We believe this is a really positive step for the industry that will bring more opportunities for models, brands and others to have creative freedom, while exceeding fans’ wildest dreams. Just like when campaigns went from print to digital - virtual worlds aren’t something to be afraid of, but will work symbiotically with everything that’s preceded it.
