Virtual Stuntmen Ready for Hollywood

Kerhop writes "Discovery Channel has an article about a new form of virtual actors in movies. In particular "Endorphin's virtual actors learn how to move and react independently, unlike most computerized characters now that depend on fixed databases containing animated clips". MSNBC also is featuring a news video (no direct link is available, stream must to be added to playlist). The featured software Endorphin is created by Natural Motion."

Comments

Just now!!!

[hey]

I assumed many "stunts" were done my CG!
How about the burning Terminator emerging from
the fire in Terminator 2?

Union?

[p51d007]

Outsourced actors......well, the next logical step would be to somehow figure out a way to force them to belong to the screen actors guild (union), before the are allowed to "act"

Yeah right.

[cjpez]

May added, "In future there won't be many movies without digital doubles, and those movies without them will seem boring by comparison."

I know that *I'm* always excited when I know that it's just some videogame onscreen. I'd love to see him explain how CG stuntmen would enhance a Jackie Chan flick somehow. It certainly didn't work for the Matrix sequels. Or practically any action flick I've seen since CG started becoming popular.

Great

[OldManAndTheC]

So now the backgrounds are virtual, the actors are virtual, the script is formulaic, and the whole thing is financed by funny money.

Clearly the next step is to make the audience virtual. You send your movie-watching robot to watch the movie for you, and it e-mails you a "thumbs-up" or "thumbs-down", freeing you to read a book or take a walk. Perhaps this is progress after all.

With any luck...

[stealth.c]

...we can turn movie making into a completely safe, risk-free and boring enterprise.