For as long as
Hollywood has been making movies its been making stars. The entertainment
industry has been nurturing the cult of personality for over a century now,
oftentimes with some shocking results. Society’s lust for drama both on and off
screen has evolved as much as the technology used to create such stories. The
entertainment industry of 2019 is now technologically advanced enough to
eliminate the psychological detriment that stardom has on actors and the society
that idolizes them.
Approximately
fifty years ago, the first use of computer-generated imagery – otherwise known
as CGI – was used in the 1973 sci-fi western, Westworld. Amounting to just 2 minutes of effects, the scene “took more than four months and
tens of thousands of dollars to create.” Today these effects are now an
industry standard and are oftentimes indistinguishable from reality. From mega-budget
blockbusters to fifteen-minute Netflix episodes, CGI is changing the way we interpret
visual storytelling.
In an article
written by Safeera Sarjoo of hotcourses.com, she explains “Actors at their
very core are story tellers. Art, acting and performance are an expression of
life – our cultures, our worries, our love, our strengths, our weaknesses and
our existential curiosity.” By those standards, a hyper realistic CGI character
could easily fit the bill. Take for example the Netflix series, Love
Death & Robots episode 16: Ice Age.
For 15 minutes the viewer easily suspends all disbelief as rich CGI
animation tells a fantastical story that would be impossible to convey just a
few years ago.
Advancements in A.I.
have taken facial recognition software to mind blowing levels. A few clicks of
the refresh button on this site
showing faces of people that don’t actually exist should convince anyone that the
lines between technology and reality have officially blurred. Animation allows
these renderings to come to life, as is in the case of this convincing “deep fake” of Barack
Obama.
Traditional
movie-making is disruptive as well with dozens of logistical issues such as
location scouting, endless release forms, contracts with multiple cities, as
well as teams for hair and makeup and catering. Money.com
estimates that an A-list star on a $200 million movie can cost $15-$20
million with supporting and minor actors making $50 thousand each as well.
Easily the talent alone is a major part of a movie’s budget. But what about the
psychological cost?
You’d have to be
living under a rock these days to not see the damaging effects that celebrity
culture has on the world. Nearly every other month a new revelation is made
into the personal lives of A-list celebrities and producers, from Harvey Weinstein and
Kevin Spacey’s sexual harassment convictions to once child-actors turned
adult train-wrecks like Lindsay
Lohan or Amanda Bynes, it’s clear to see that something isn’t right with the
entertainment industry.
The celebrity
lifestyle culture media perpetuates has long protected serial rapists, pedophiles,
drug
addicts, and tuition
scammers. In fact, even Barbra Streisand weighed
in on the recent claims against Michael Jackson stating in an interview
that she “absolutely believes the allegations of abuse by Robson and Safechuck.”
She disgustingly added, “His sexual needs were his sexual needs, coming from
whatever childhood he has or whatever DNA he has. You can say ‘molested,' but
those children, they were thrilled to be there. They both married and they both
have children, so it didn’t kill them.”
These comments
give a vivid glimpse into the mindset of those with major celebrity status and
financial power. It is just a small fraction of the vile culture that Hollywood
and the entertainment industry are guilty of. Over looking the negatives of
this industry culture diminishes the art of hundreds of others who work on
these films. With society’s tendency to mimic the actions of famous people, it
is time to eliminate the need for real life actors and put the art back into
film by way of CGI technology. We are already more than capable.
References:
I love your writing! You have that musical flow which (to me) marks the difference between words on a page and true writing. To the content, it's an interesting proposition worth exploring. I think perhaps the future could have space for both CGI and live actors.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the entertainment industry went to all CGI if we would wind up still seeing manufactured stories about these "celebrities" even if they are manufactured by computers.... Would there be CGI reality TV? Would there be a "Real Robots of Hollywood?" Great Post, that Barbra Streisand quote is unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteThe title alone to this article had me intrigued. This is a fascinating opinion and as a movie lover, it's something I never though of before. Technology is very powerful, but I hope it doesn't get to the point of changing the entire movie industry.
ReplyDeleteThis is such an interesting topic. I just watched that Michael Jackson documentary and was disgusted. I agree with your point. I also do not believe famous actors deserve millions of dollars while the world has countless problems with poverty. I'm sure the wealth wouldn't be dispersed regardless, however the "shield" of being famous and rich does allow some celebrities to take advantage of people.
ReplyDelete