Masterpiece: Nighthawks

Masterpiece: Nighthawks places British art historian, BBC presenter and BAFTA nominated broadcaster, Dr James Fox inside the virtual 3D representation of Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks - his famous 1942 oil on canvas painting that portrays four people in a downtown diner late at night as viewed through the diner’s window.
To see the the Behind The Scenes and for more photos please go to: marsstudios.one...
Working closely with Dr James Fox creative director Christopher Pearson from The Experience Machine (TEM) and the production team from Bild Studios have been able to re-imagine how a painting could exist as a 3-dimensional world. This process has allowed the technology to reveal insights into the painting that have never been considered before.
In Masterpiece the 3D representation of Hopper’s painting was created as carefully extracted 3D geometry with detailed layers of texturing added; partly handmade, partly AI-generated, that would resemble the brush strokes and fine crafting of Edward Hopper’s unique painting style. Finally, the 3D scene was imported into the game engine Unreal Engine and rendered in real-time based on the position of the physical film camera on the MARS stage.
The integration of real-world effects such as time of day, virtual depth of field, environmental lighting and other properties were configured to be controlled via a mobile tablet - directly controlled by the director on set.
Produced and Engineered by: Bild Studios
Concept and Direction: The Experience Machine
Presenter: James Fox
Technical Producers: David Bajt & Rowan Pitts
DOP: James Medcraft
Executive Producer: Ben Fender
Senior Producer: Eleni Willmott
Project Coordinator: Caroline Wong
Studio Manager: Ali Owen Thomas
Technical Director: Christian Dickens
Lead Engineer: Pete Dunsby
Lighting Engineer: Rury Nelson
Unreal Engine Lead Developer: David Kanekanian
Unreal Engine Developer: Michael Adefehinti
Unreal Engine Artist: Rhodri Thomas
Environment Artist: Stefano Tsai1st AC Focus
1st AD: Ksenia Kulakova
Editor: Matt Watt / Chris Pearson
Puller: Morgan Spencer
2nd AC Loader: Andres Claridge
DIT: Nerea Castro
Grip 1: Jib Adrian Barry
Grip 2: Jac Hopkins
Gaffer: Dom Aronin
Lighting Technician: Stefan Mitchell
Playback: Andrew Spindle
Sound Recordist: Adam Scourfield

[@screamingtima1318]

I love all of Hopper’s paintings. There’s something so comforting and nostalgic about them to me.

[@moe7387]

"we can turn nighthawks to dayhawks" Hopper shaking his head

[@JamesK7911]

What I feel is a sense of loneliness in the 1950s at 1:00am with some quiet conversations and little laughter, the sound of coffee or beer being poured into a cup, hearing the light buzz because it’s quiet enough to hear, and hearing rain outside hitting the pavement (even though it’s not raining in the portrait)

[@squirlmy]

Yes. I'd note though, New York City in 1942 that licenses, regulations were strict, and taxes for bars and such were fairly high. It had been less than ten years since Prohibition, and while many places gladly accepted all that overhead for in exchange for the extra money, most late night diners did not. I think learning about New York of the time actually helps with appreciation here. For a certain period, art critics wanted to separate painter's biography from the artwork, but in cases like this, I think it helps to know the New York streets Hopper was wandering on late nights. It makes me feel closer to the work, anyways.

[@ddmirolli]

How does this not have more views?

[@dwddwd1234567890]

You are so right about this.

[@Tenaiji1413]

The only thing-I think- that anybody can't penetrate using any form of technology, is the artist's intentions and his emotions when starts or finishes his/her work.

[@Baslium]

This actually really cool. I am always imagine myself walking across it.

[@Arniqua]

This is great beyond words. I commend your efforts.

[@jeshkam]

I commend you on your choice.

[@yves3714]

It would be awesome to have a vr version of this

[@RommyFallas]

This is the one painting that describes me❤

[@popcornenglishonline9548]

somebody here on youtube has nighthawks live with oldies songs, amazing

[@2209009pm]

Extremely interesting; I loved it.

[@jenniferzheng3907]

this is seriously so cool, using technology to discover so much more about this painting

[@ashton_5000]

I love this

[@analoguejerry9066]

The diner is an aquarium - inside made available visually while remaining "cut-off" physically. Possibly the best articulation of Hopper's life-long preoccupation with inside vs. outside: the street in the background is viewed simultaneously from the outside (the left section) and through the medium of the bubble of the diner (the right section) - the outside being viewed through an inside.

[@srishtikandavadivelan]

Mannn.. these videos are so underrated.

[@cathyserafinowicz6374]

Fascinating,I think Hopper would be intrigued by this.❤️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@electrictroy2010]

TCM has used this scene as a TV intro since the 1990s. They air it during the pre-dawn hours (2am to 5am) * Turner Classic Movies (US cable channel)

[@bro6046]

Damn !!!! It was so good. Definitely deserves more views. I hope i can see other paintings like this

[@christopherpearson7612]

In the works!

[@commonasus7858]

@@christopherpearson7612 Imagine ! starry night !!!

[@baharbea]

Fascinating!

[@popcornenglishonline9548]

Definitely sharing that video with my students here in Brazil

[@rienwijnsma3410]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[@katerynabannikova7315]

so cool

[@timgluckman8663]

Thanks for the film

[@LionelBaronArtiste]

what a beautiful gift you gave us! This documentary is amazing! (I myself come from a family of 3 generations of painters and also practice painting) what a pleasure to discover in 3D this immense painting of secrets! Thank you and Bravo to your technology, which allows you to visit this painting and understand it!

[@redadamearth]

All that effort and they didn't even notice that in "Nighthawks", the barman is *talking to the man and woman* at the bar. His mouth is open and he's looking right at them, talking to them while he puts away dishes. In the "A.I. recreation" of the barman, you closed the barman's mouth, changing the entire moment and scene of the painting. And you don't get to just create elements that don't exist in the painting. The mystery of what's there is part of what makes the painting beautiful; this isn't theory, it's literally just making a new painting *based* on "Nighthawks" with new elements. That's not theory, it's just wild extrapolation. While that aspect of it may be arguable, the fact that this effort apparently didn't even look at the barman's mouth shows how careless it really was, relying on "A.I." instead of doing actual human work and paying attention.

[@heinhtet2234]

I appreciate the amount of effort you guys put in this video.

[@TomoBystedt]

This is an amazing analysis. I wish the video was longer and discussed some of the other elements of the painting.

[@raka7743]

it's really fascinating

[@ercanpeker]

thanks, for a good usage of technology

[@heinhtet2234]

This video should get more viewers.

[@NickJohnCoop]

It’s one of my favourite pieces of art. I’ve never felt it was melancholy,just midnight on of the busiest cities on the planet. A rare time of quiet in the city that never sleeps. The technology is amazing, but maybe unnecessary. It was already in its perfect form. An interpretation that is just as valid this was when that 70’s show used it as part of a scene . If you enjoy this ,OK , but something that could be cool is if someone makes a short movie just based on the scene.

[@MVbyN]

This was amazing!!

[@karenwolsey2283]

Edward Hopper is an ancestor of my family. My grandmother is Maude Hopper, from Hyde Park, NY. This is astounding!! Thank you so much for revealing the inner-workings of this iconic New York Masterpiece. To see that the hawk-nosed man is probably touching the woman's leg is a revelation! Well done, and a tribute Edward would truly appreciate. He sketched out architecturally all of his paintings with pain-staking detail.🎨🌃🏙🗽

[@quarant1353]

This is totally awesome !

[@djbouncer420]

This feeling give me this strange feeling you have being outside alone when it’s dark.

[@derrickmartin877]

great video. looking fwd to future projects

I use this beautiful painting in my novel "The Light in Loreto".

[@electrictroy2010]

TCM has used this scene as a TV intro since the 1990s. They air it during the pre-dawn hours (2am to 5am) * Turner Classic Movies (US cable channel)

[@tsozbk]

Wow, what an incredible video...

[@BEASTxMODE]

We need more analysis like this! Very impressive!

[@Dan-dg9pi]

And it is definitely good that the presenter didn't talk about color, because that was never important in Hopper paintings.

[@cemsarioglu5947]

Incredible video.

[@bruceg1845]

the painting on first impression, seems ordinary, is truly extrordinary

[@miguelavila2131]

I love it, new way to see and understand art 👍

[@electrictroy2010]

TCM has used this scene as a TV intro since the 1990s. They air it during the pre-dawn hours (2am to 5am) * Turner Classic Movies (US cable channel)

[@LazyBuddyBan]

After so many years, i finally learned the name of this damned painting i seen so many times, only in this random recommended video lol

[@303Cheryl]

moooooore i need more

[@plumeria66]

Create an ambience video out of this 3D exploration with some jazz music. Bang, a million views.

[@olsonspeed]

Amazing, more of this please.

[@thenotontvshow1928]

This was fantastic.

[@plumeria66]

Great production. Fascinating.

[@patrickmerritt3663]

I know full well what this masterpiece is saying to us. In creating this work of art Hopper is telling the world that he is a master of creation and light and you who are talking in this video are just trying to worm your way in with words. while He used his talent with his hand, pulling from his brain and his heart and he did not do it for you to talk about it he did it for me to enjoy its beauty of it in its simplicity and it has, as he intended, fulfilled its purpose.

[@randallkoch6183]

I like when masterpieces are parodied. I once heard, "If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, parody has to be the second sincerest form".

[@jannikgentsch8214]

I love this!

[@magicknight13]

Love this!!

[@hobbybacker5227]

Fascinating and brilliant!

[@vegemitedreams]

incredible

[@kingrichard3033]

On top

[@simongarrettmusic]

I think this interesting but also kinda more a case of "look what we can do with computers now", than having anything useful to add to Artistic Appreciation. Fews may differ.

[@ishasingh2474]

But also fascinated by 3D

[@simongarrettmusic]

@@ishasingh2474 definitely, feels like a first-person experience of it would be more rewarding than just watching

[@ishasingh2474]

@@simongarrettmusic I think people want to appreciate the beauty in different way

[@simongarrettmusic]

@@ishasingh2474 Sure thing, I can see AI building a whole world out of a set of paintings - Hopper's work is certainly a rich world to draw on

[@ishasingh2474]

@@simongarrettmusic aww I understand.well I am sure they do respect the painting and just to feel it other way

[@danilotesanovic6768]

It’s really sad that this channel dont have the thousands of views

[@markdettra1794]

The title 'Nighthawks' arises from the fact the customers are keeping vigilance through the night, not because a man has a pointy nose. Hopper is going to haunt you for that.

[@downo]

lol ikr

[@michaelcarter5624]

Actually Hopper’s wife named it Nighthawks after the dude at the diner next to the chick. His nose looked like a beak to her. Facts

[@royfr8136]

@@michaelcarter5624 Really? The truth sucks.

[@markdettra1794]

@@michaelcarter5624 O.K. so why is it called NighthawkS with an 'S' instead of the singular form ? Do all three of them have beaks ?

[@soundexperience5179]

Very cool. Purists wouldn't like it but I love the exploration.

[@rickywei1360]

Great effort.

[@supaspydamn]

Amazing! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@sandrarivera1262]

I really like this. I was hoping to recreate this pairing and this gave me some good new perspectives.

[@gsahara8405]

I've been doing the same, with many paintings. Now I'm kinda worried.. bc I'm starting to think my art is not as good as my recreations of those pieces... could I be called a paintor? Have you ever struggled with this? Are you happy with your personal pieces?

[@sandrarivera1262]

@@gsahara8405 Aww you know, it's interesting that you bring that up. I've painted some tutorials and recreations a couple times and it's easy to fall into that mind trap. Every artist has their own strengths and are at different levels of the process. I think as painters we often forget that the process of painting is equally as fun as the final result. As long as you're having fun creating, it doesn't matter if you're branching out your art from other inspiration. Go crazy!

[@utubepunk]

Have you finished your painting? How'd it come out?

[@sandrarivera1262]

@@utubepunk I did. It came out great. The video really helped with creating depth and I changed the subjects to people who I knew :)

[@electrictroy2010]

TCM has used this scene as a TV intro since the 1990s. They air it during the pre-dawn hours (2am to 5am) * Turner Classic Movies (US cable channel)

[@festfotodesign]

Great Projekt!

[@BGTuyau]

An intriguing take on Hopper's masterpiece -and definitely an alternate visual reality. Viewing this led me back not only to a decade-old video exploring the painter's Greenwich Village done by Carter Foster of NYC's Whitney Museum, but also to a more recent show at the museum. For all that AI may have to offer, Hopper's genius remains unchallenged.

[@maryharvey6909]

I never knew about this painting until I saw it used on one of the, “that 70s show” episodes. Then I still had to look it up to see what the deal was

[@ConstantThrowing]

I am building this as a practical set one day.

[@jarx7500]

I’ve started writing a screenplay about it like Barry Lyndon takes inspiration from paintings

[@ConstantThrowing]

@@jarx7500 really interesting project. To try and contextualise it and place it within a wider story.

[@isaacc.2815]

I don't think Hopper would approve of this...

[@jaelsonnen5750]

He would have shit on the computer and spit in the presenter's eye.

[@thomasmcdonald5887]

He was an artist , he would have loved it. Only a neophobe would not .

[@otabek.cephalo]

Hopper would wish he’d be in the software. This video is so cool!

[@SirNerdly]

I spent 20 years waiting to step into a painting and partially learned 3D modeling/game development just to step into mine. Pretty sure an old school painter would have loved this.

[@otabek.cephalo]

@@SirNerdly ikr bro? this hater is out of his mind

[@jonx76]

Amazing😍

[@ThomasMotheral]

I would happily go to an art gallery that had nothing but This! Imagine being able to explore many wonderful pieces of art this way. Do you have any information on where the best place to experience this would be? Also if you do not mind, how does the licensing of this kind of thing work? That may be too much to ask. I very much appreciate this content. TM

[@robinwitting2023]

I thought that they were going to locate and identify the diner. I don't know what Hopper might have thought having the heart of his mystery blown out though. Nonetheless a remarkable video. Robin Witting, England

[@quarant1353]

We must rebuild Nighthawks.

[@crimony3054]

Maybe the background storefront is 70 Greenwich Ave. in New York City.

[@zxcvbnm6669]

Corner of Carmine street across from the fountain and joes pizza and dos torros in nyc

[@andreaharlow8982]

Bluedevils 2018 man 😫

[@GS-vb3zn]

Cool. Now do Pollock.

[@jamiecozier]

Why would you do any of this? Surely not for any artistic reason, as giving more context to the figures in the image take away part of the point of the image which made it so great! So I'm guessing this had to be for technical proof of concept reasons, but even then there are far more images out there that would better serve to show the true potential of the tech. Don't get me wrong the techs cool, but application feels flawed.

[@christopherpearson7612]

So to the first of your points ... you are completely right. This was always about offering new ways in which to experience existing artworks and less about the creation of new pieces. This pilot is very much a technical investigation into how narrative structures and technology could offer a new way to navigate art. It was also a proposed narrative and far from a finite definition, something Dr James Fox is a master of. To your second point … why Nighthawks? When we initially looked at painting, we wanted to consider narratives that were never fully revealed by the artists. Paintings that had open and speculated questions that we could investigate through our new perspective. There was a pretty large shortlist of possible paintings (too long to list), but we were drawn to Nighthawks by his use of light, cinematic framing and stark stillness of a captured moment. As the project was also made possible by Covid friendly virtual production techniques, it seemed apt to use Hopper's isolated individuals, a feeling that seemed to mirror the zeitgeist of the moment.

[@meditativelandscapes1140]

@@christopherpearson7612 Great explanation, and the part where the perspective shows the actual shape of the building, with it showing how critics have been wrong for years does proof that these technologies are very useful. However Jamie Cozier has a strong point here, there is perhaps something ethically wrong with answering questions about artworks, since artworks (especially from that era) often were made to rather raise then answer questions. A work by Bacon would lose its purpose if you would analyse it fully, such is with many more. Yet again these technologies are amazing just as this video, what a mind-blowing production wow. And if I may give one suggestion dive into the works of Hieronymus Bosch, that would be terrifying yet very fascinating.

[@enblanchard5492]

@@christopherpearson7612 "Zeitgeist of the moment" ... Nice.

[@JerryAttric42]

@@meditativelandscapes1140 "the perspective shows the actual shape of the building. . . " what building? the building that existed only in imagination of the artist?

[@meditativelandscapes1140]

@@JerryAttric42 Good point, of course there isn't any actual building, however there is when comes to what the artist had in mind. Like many other techniques used in the past, these technologies can be of great help understanding certain points and our view on artworks. However, beauty of art often lays in the unknown and mystical.

[@popcornenglishonline9548]

This video...WOW, butmy question is: How did he get in? I saw no doors to invite guests hehe

[@simonmuhamed1071]

Call me psychiatrist this has blown my mind.

[@briankeys5259]

You guys need to watch Boomer Diorama, he scratch built a dinner that was his vision of this painting, it is a fantastic and inspiring build

[@chocothemagnificent1019]

This is like opening a huge can of worms. I always thought the couple was a pro and her john. Hopper has his back to us. The counter guy is talking to keep the patrons in the place. There would have to be a radio on inside the place.

[@Zeniator]

Ojalá alguien lo subtitulara al español. Maravilloso análisis.

[@anyone5263]

Where can we better see the other material you show us? Nighthawks is one of the finest paintings of mid century America. It is right that it receives some treatment in the modern age. I would be fascinated to see, in detail, the other material please.

[@popsfreshenmeyer7607]

Crap! I made a similar 3d model, and now I learn this has been done already. :D

[@chrisreddig]

two things: his coffee cup is not steaming; only her cup. This suggests he'd arrived before her and was waiting for who knows how long. there's no bread on the counter

[@alexeypraprin]

It's quite the same if you would "recreate" "Mona Lisa" painting and kinda find out that she is half-horse under the visible area of actual painting))

[@oscargluja426]

emptiness and coffee

[@plumeria66]

This could easily have been a lot longer!

[@DavidChristieCareerCafe]

Hmm. Interactive mood responsive art!

[@bogkitchen]

The questions this painting raises have no definitive answers. The answers are supposed to be provided by the viewer…based on their view of the world and their life experiences. Everyone’s answers to the questions will be valid. This video does prove that maybe I think the painting is ok…because I’m not this into it!!! But I’m VERY glad others are…

[@andrewhowarth4578]

Diners do not have barmen. But it's a fascinating video anyway.

[@michellecornum5856]

Interesting.

[@brunopeers4330]

Did you have too much money? This seems totally useless

[@108hugh]

Wooo, Is that a LED panel replacing the green screen?

[@pavelow235]

5:43 Where can I buy the alternative perspective Nighthawk paintings from?

[@takshoji5735]

Where i the entrance door?....Usually round corner?

[@djsoulfilter]

I see a Tom Waits song painted 😎

[@moe7387]

must have thought Josephine was short for Joker from looks of that recreation

[@deanmainwaring7634]

Does anyone know if they released the alternate paintings mentioned at the end. ¿

[@jaffaorange3809]

The point of this exercise goes beyond me. In any case, it takes away the gloomy atmosphere of this painting, turning it into a vehicle for the host and the agency who did this. The recreated faces look fake and stale, coming right out of an early 2000s video game. And the suggested hand on the woman's leg? It gives an answer to a question nobody asked. Why trivialize a work of art with technology, just for the sake of it? I fail to understand.

[@tomelifeisjustonebig]

Totally agree.

[@royfr8136]

There is something very Alan Partridge about this...