Deepfake YouTuber who went viral with Star Wars videos is hired by Lucasfilm

Shamook has gained over two million views for his fake ‘Mandalorian’ videos

Lucasfilm has announced that YouTube deepfake creator, Shamook, has joined its visual effects division Industrial Light and Magic.

Shamook gained attention for using deepfake technology on footage of Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian.

Deepfakes use a form of artificial intelligence called deep learning to make images of fake events.

When Luke Skywalker turned up in the season two finale of The Mandalorian, many fans criticised the de-aging technology used to make the character look younger.

In response, Shamook spent four days altering the footage to make Skywalker look more realistic.

In a statement regarding the hiring, Industrial Light and Magic said they are “always on the lookout for talented artists and have in fact hired the artist that goes by the online persona Shamook”.

Shamook also announced he has joined Lucasfilm in the comment section under one of his videos, writing: “As some of you may already know, I joined ILM/Lucasfilm a few months ago and haven’t had the time to work on any new YouTube content.”

(Disney)

Hamill has previously discussed how he had to keep his Mandalorian appearance on the lowdown, saying he was “sworn to secrecy” and that he was “stunned” when he was asked to play a younger version of the character.