With New Technology, What Is Acting?

The following is a MediaNote Classic. It was originally presented to MC101 students in April 2016.

We're used to digital retouching of still photos, but what about movies? Apparently, the technology now exists to give an actor more (or fewer) wrinkles, greater facial expression and a lot of other things the actor might not be able to do on the set. NPR reports.

Questions...

•Is this the end of acting? Why or why not?

•Is this an example of disintermediation? Who is being disintermediated?

•When does live action end and animation begin?

•What jobs will be created by this technology?

•Will audiences care if actors don't look in real life the way they look in the movies?