Live or Memorex? 'Avatar' Raises Oscar Question by the Associated Press
by: Lauren Secaras
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/02/11/arts/AP-US-Film-Oscars-Digitized-Actors.html?_r=1&scp=10&sq=avatar&st=cse
Summary:
A while ago, the movie Avatar came out and it was praised for the human like creatures in the movie along with all the other special effects that went into it. The movie tied the lead at the Acadamy Awards with nine nominations including best picture. Now, people are wondering whether it was the animators that created the human characters or the humans themselves. According to the Oscar-voting rules, nothing can prevent this movie from earning acting nominations. However, some say that the lack of recognition for performance-capture in Hollywood is a matter of inexperince. The actors in the film were put into body suits that had sensors all over their body. Some even had tails put on so that the motion of the actor would be just like the character. The creators spent a long time working on this movie so that it didn't look animated. In time, technology and animation could create a great performance that would have to change the way that award voters look at this in comparison to live-action roles.
Connection to Class:
In class, we are talking about the 1920's and at that time, silent films became more popular. Back then, it was all up to the actors on how the character performed. It was even more difficult because for a while, none of the actors spoke words. Today, we have the technology that can create human-like movements for an animated character. Also, in th 1920's, film making was a new idea. The idea of a 3-d movie is still a bit new to us today.
Discussion Questions:
1. Should Avatar have been put in the best acting catagory? Why or why not?
2. Do you think there will be a time when animations will really look life-like?
3. Where do you think movies will go from here?
My Answers:
1. I think that Avatar should be put into the best acting catagory. There were actual people that put time and effort into the characters that made them look life-like.
2. I think that there will be a time when the technology will be advanced enough where animations will look real. They have already created things in 3-d. This has already a "real" aspect to the characters. Technology is a big part of society and who knows what it will become.
3. I think that there will be a lot more animated movies that will be in 3-d. Overtime, we could get to a point to where we don't need actors anymore. Everything could be computer generated and voices could be created so that we don't need people.
Comments (4)
Nicolas f said
at 2:17 pm on Feb 21, 2010
1.)no because acting is mostly facial movements and expressions that add to the drama these people only moved acording to how they where told to
2.) they already do,atleast in avatar but our brain knows its not real because we have watched tv to the point where we can instantly know that its a screen
3.) well movies will last untill we can perfect prodjecting dreams onto a screen (yes it is possible) and once that happens movies will become extinct and youtube will become the movie theater
Tierney B said
at 3:56 pm on Feb 22, 2010
I think avatar should not be put into the best acting catagory because it is too computerized, and even though it was cool, i think that it shouldn't be in the best acting catagory.
I think there will be even more technology that can make things look more real than they already are.
I think that there will be many more animated movies in 3 - D. Also, I think that all the movies will be more computerized until finally there will be no need for real people, which are what movies are really about.
Molly K. said
at 4:40 pm on Feb 22, 2010
1) I think that Avatar should be put into the best acting category because the actors did actually act out the scenes. The actors had to work hard and get into character even though parts of the move were computerized.
2) I believe that because technology is moving forward at such a fast rate, animated movies will look life like in the near future. Also, 3-D movies help bring the picture to life so soon we may have a combination of life like characters and 3-D so everything looks realistic.
3) I think that many other movie creators have seen Avatar and are working hard to expand on that idea. I bet that movies are already being filmed using the same, if not better, technology. Movies are soon to be completely realistic and computerized at the same time.
elisa h said
at 6:23 pm on Feb 22, 2010
1) Avatar should not be put in the Best Acting Category, but it depends on your definition of acting. Someone did have to decide what moves the animated actors made and how they expressed themselves. It's just that it wasn't real people doing the acting. So I think maybe it was actually the technology producers that should have gotten an award. They were the ones who created the acting.
2) Yes, I think that characters already look extremely realistic when they're animated. So I think it can only get more advanced from here because we never stop aspiring to make things better.
3) I believe that movies will eventually not be something you watch, but something you experience. Soon you'll be able to not just see in 3-D and have surround sound, but also be able to experience the setting through smell and touch. You'll be able to smell what kind of food the characters are making and the wind blowing in your hair. I think this will also revolutionize advertising as well.
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