Denmark Takes on Deepfakes

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Welcome to VP Land! Denmark is poised to enact a pioneering law granting individuals unprecedented copyright over their own likeness and voice, aiming to combat the rise of unauthorized AI-generated deepfakes. This first-of-its-kind European legislation could fundamentally reshape digital identity rights.

🕹️ Last week, we asked what you think of Runway’s new AI-powered Game Worlds. Most of you think it's either too soon to judge or not built for pros. Check out today's poll below.

In today's edition:

Denmark proposes new deepfake copyright law
Apple engineers custom iPhone camera for F1 film
Beeble's SwitchLight 2.0 updates AI relighting
Inside the URSA Cine Immersive Workflow

Denmark Fights Deepfakes with Personal Copyright

Denmark plans to introduce legislation that grants individuals copyright control over their own physical and vocal features to combat AI-generated deepfakes. The Danish government announced this first-of-its-kind European law with backing from 90% of parliament members.

The law creates personal copyright over face, body, and voice, allowing Danes to demand removal of AI-generated content that mimics their likeness without consent, even outside commercial contexts.
Tech platforms face severe fines for failing to swiftly remove infringing deepfake content upon notification, marking a shift from voluntary cooperation to mandatory legal compliance for companies operating in Denmark.
The legislation includes clear exemptions for satire and parody to preserve free expression while criminalizing non-consensual creation and dissemination of deepfakes involving real people.
Denmark's Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt plans to use the country's upcoming EU presidency to promote similar protections across Europe, potentially setting new standards for digital identity rights.
The proposal enters public consultation in summer 2025 with formal legislative introduction expected in autumn.

Denmark's approach could establish a new international standard for balancing technological innovation with fundamental rights to personal identity and digital autonomy.

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How Apple Built a Custom Camera for F1

Apple's engineering team created a custom iPhone-based camera system to capture authentic Formula 1 racing footage for the F1 Apple Original film. The custom camera module replaces traditional broadcast equipment while maintaining the exact specifications required for F1 cars.

The module contains an iPhone 15 Pro sensor, A17 Pro chip, and iPhone battery, all disguised to look identical to standard F1 broadcast cameras to avoid altering car performance or regulatory compliance.
Apple engineers tested the system to withstand extreme racing conditions including high-speed vibrations, G-forces, and heat that surpass Formula One's official specifications.
The camera captures footage in ProRes with LOG encoding and ACES color management, giving filmmakers more color grading control over traditional broadcast cameras
Filmmakers control the camera remotely through a custom iPad app connected via USB-C, allowing real-time adjustments to frame rate, exposure, and white balance during live races.
This development led to two new features in the iPhone 15 Pro: LOG encoding support and Academy Color Encoding System (ACES) workflow compatibility for professional post-production.

This breakthrough demonstrates how mobile devices can match professional cinema equipment in extreme environments while offering unprecedented creative flexibility. The success of Apple's F1 camera system signals a shift toward mobile-first approaches in high-stakes film production, potentially inspiring creators to reconsider the boundaries of smartphone filmmaking.

Beeble's SwitchLight 2.0 Brings Studio Lighting Control

Beeble has launched SwitchLight 2.0, a major upgrade that brings AI-powered relighting to any footage without requiring 3D reconstruction or alpha masks. The new model delivers full-scene physically based rendering from video, enabling real-time lighting control across complete environments.

The upgraded model is 10 times larger than its predecessor and trained on 13 times more data, allowing it to understand complete scenes rather than just isolated subjects.
SwitchLight 2.0 works with challenging footage including outdoor scenes, low-light conditions, motion blur, and handheld camera work while maintaining consistent multi-frame results.
The tool generates detailed PBR maps including normal, basecolor, metallic, roughness, and specular data that can be exported directly to Blender, Unreal Engine, Nuke, or After Effects.
The browser-based platform eliminates download requirements and offers simple lighting controls for creators less familiar with 3D tools, while providing studio-grade precision for advanced users.

Team2Films does a deep dive into Blackmagic’s URSA Cine Immersive camera and Resolve workflow.

Stories, projects, and links that caught our attention from around the web:

🤖 The British Film Institute's AI in the Screen Sector report details how artificial intelligence is reshaping film and TV production practices.

👊🏼 Chinese studios are launching AI-powered remakes of classic kung fu films originally starring legends Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li.

🧩 The new OpenMemory Chrome Extension allows users to carry shared memory seamlessly across major AI assistants including ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Grok, and Gemini.

🍿 The NY Times ranked (via a survey) the best 100 films of this century. Number 1 pick: Parasite

🌃 Responding to MrBeast shutting down his AI thumbnail generator after backlash, a new AI tool for YouTube thumbnails offers content creators a fast solution for generating expressive, customized images.