Technology and the future of actors

Steve Aronowitz's article Technology and the Future of Work discusses the future of technology in the everyday working and labour world, and the advances of technology replacing human labourers. He has even been quoted as claiming that "the second phase of automatic production - computerization - is merely a wrinkle of disempowerment" (p.140)

Throughout history, many new technological advances have been created to aid human labour, and most have ended up nearly if not entirely replacing human labour. From the machines used to produce vehicles replacing labourers at the Ford plant, for instance, up to the creation of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and computerized businesses online, advancing technology has been a threat to all forms of labour. The reason? Most would argue the decrease in business costs.

How you may ask? First, certain Banks in Canada will charge much less for a Bank account if you agree to only use the ATMs as opposed to the human bank tellers. This in turn requires the bank to hire (and therefor pay) fewer employees. As a consequence to that, bank branches can rent smaller offices and operating facilities, cutting down rent/lease costs.

Now on to the relevant issues for film students. ( I assure you this isn't a business of banking blog). With the increasing developments of film animation, Computer Generated Imaging (CGI), cyborgs, avatars, and all other forms of non-human actors is becoming a threat to all actors in the film industry. Films such as Hironobu Sakaguchi's Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001), which was entirely computer generated avatars, require no biological actors. Certain genres especially, such as sci-fi, thrillers, and children's films (animated), are using much fewer actors. Most of the characters in these types of films are animated, avatars, or computer generated images. The Hulk in Louis Leterrier's The Incredible Hulk (2008), Optimus Prime in Michael Bay's Transformers (2007), The mummy is Stephen Sommers' The Mummy series (1999, 2001, 2008), the 'monster' in Matt Reeves' Cloverfield 2008); all generated with digital technology and each replacing the role that could possibly be played by biological human actors. There are also numerous entirely animated films, such as Toy Story (John Lasseter, 1995) and numerous other Disney films require no biological human actors.

What about the individuals paid to do the voices for these characters, or the individuals who work to create these characters? While this does open the job market to more employees in these fields in still decreases the use of biological actors, and in some circumstances most likely costs the film production more money, simply because the production may require numerous individuals per character they create technologically.

What does the future hold for the future of actors and actresses in film? Will we eventually reach a point where actors are few and far between and the majority of films will use digitally engineered characters? Only time will tell, but history seems to be telling us, it doesn't look good.