As a cinephile with decades of movie-watching experiences under my belt, I find myself deeply moved by Nicolas Cage’s recent stand against the increasing use of AI in Hollywood. Having seen him evolve as an actor from his breakout role in Raising Arizona to his latest performances in films like The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and Color Out of Space, I can attest to the irreplaceable magic that a human actor brings to the screen.
At a recent event at the Newport Beach Film Festival, Nicolas Cage strongly encouraged young actors to resist being replaced by AI-created versions in movies. During his passionate speech, he directly addressed some of the young actors present. Given that he recently played a digitally replicated version of Superman in “The Flash,” he has firsthand knowledge about this issue.
Stepping onto the platform, Cage emphasized that the craft of filmmaking should be considered a “DIY” and “homemade” approach. Discussing the current trend of artificial intelligence influencing Hollywood, Cage expressed his thoughts.
Making a film, in my perspective, is a highly personal, natural, and homemade craft. It’s born from emotion, creativity, thought, detail, and refinement – a process of nurturing and preparation. Recently, a new technology has emerged, one I hadn’t encountered for 42 years until now. This group of ten young actors, the current generation, are embracing it, calling it EBDR. Essentially, this technology aims to replace your acting tool. As film actors, we are the tools; we’re not hiding behind musical instruments like guitars and drums.
Employment-based digital replica (EBDR) refers to a digitally created version of an actor. This term gained significant attention during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes, and it’s one of two types of digital replicas that the union permits under their new studio agreements. Essentially, using EBDR allows actors to work fewer hours than usual, but they still receive payment for “EBDR days” when required to work less. This way, actors don’t suffer a loss in pay due to the studio being able to manipulate their image.
Nicolas Cage Wants Everyone to Be Cautious About AI Use
Previously dissatisfied with Warner Bros.’ portrayal of his character’s appearance and performance in “The Flash,” Cage emphasized the need for upcoming actors to understand the unique hurdles they will encounter. Putting it simply, he expressed:
Producers may ask for the right to manipulate various aspects of your acting post-shooting, including facial features, voice, delivery of lines, body language, and overall performance. If a studio proposes a contract that includes EBDR (Extended Body Digital Reconstruction), I urge you to think about MVMFMBMI (My Voice, My Face, My Body, My Mind, My Imagination – My Performance). This refers to preserving your unique abilities as an actor. Guard your artistic toolkit carefully.
Over the past few decades, technology has significantly reshaped the film industry. However, concerns are rising about studios replacing human actors with artificial intelligence for cost savings. Although there are currently barriers to prevent this, it doesn’t guarantee that such a scenario won’t occur in the future. As Nicolas Cage pointed out, nothing is completely immune to change.
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2024-10-21 16:31