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American Morning
"Final Fantasy" Introduces New Breed of Actor
Aired July 11, 2001 - 10:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: A Hollywood movie set where the actors do and say exactly what they're told to do, it could be a director's dream. Now technology is helping to make that one a reality. Our Marc Saltzman takes us behind-the-scenes of a new movie which features a cast of digitally animated humans.
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MARC SALTZMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One look at these images from "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within," there's little argument that this film is ushering in a new era of digital animation. Producer Chris Lee says the experience hasn't been too different than working with real actors.
CHRIS LEE, PRODUCER: The only difference we have is that instead of being inside their trailers, our actors are inside the computer and they come out whenever we want them to come out and they do what we tell them to do.
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UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: The dream is always the same.
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LEE: Well, "Final Fantasy" itself is sort of a hyper reality, you know? It has a dream like quality that, you know, takes you to places that don't exist. I think it looks better than it would in live action, actually.
DONALD SUTHERLAND, VOICE OF DR. SID: So I gather this will be somewhat of a rough ride.
SALTZMAN: Even veteran actor Donald Sutherland, the voice of character Dr. Sid, was impressed with the end result.
SUTHERLAND: I couldn't believe it. You know, you're about technology, this was about art. This was about, this was really brilliant.
SALTZMAN: Every aspect of human form, frame and function was meticulously studied and digitally recreated. The skin textures include minute details such as freckles, blemishes, wrinkles, veins and even acne. ANDY JONES, ANIMATION DIRECTOR: We tried to make the skin look fleshy in how it would stretch over the cheekbones. And it even pulls on the temples. It pulls on the eyelids a little bit. It's amazing. It's a weird control. We've never really been in that position where we feel like we're bringing somebody to life and making them, convincing other people that they look real.
LEE: I think the day of the digital character has been dawning for quite some time. It's simply that in this one, they look so realistic that we sometimes mistake them for human beings.
SALTZMAN: Sutherland says the story behind the movie addresses this issue, technology.
SUTHERLAND: It is a useful tool but then, but the picture is about, the picture itself, it's about that you cannot replace essential life form. You can't do "American Beauty" with animation.
SALTZMAN: One thing is for certain, as computers and technology become an increasingly significant part of movie making magic, we're only scratching the surface of what's to come.
Marc Saltzman for CNN, Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Well, as you can imagine, not everyone is excited about the use of computer animated movie characters. Some actors are concerned about having their images digitally cloned without permission. Entertainment lawyer Kevin James joins us now. He's in Los Angeles to help us understand the possible fallout of Hollywood going digital.
Kevin, good morning. Good to have you with us.
KEVIN JAMES, ENTERTAINMENT LITIGATOR: Hi. Nice to be here.
KAGAN: Two different types of actors, I would imagine, we would be talking about here. First, a very established star being concerned that his image is already out there and somebody taking that and using it for an unauthorized purpose. Have you dealt with that type of situation?
JAMES: Yes. In fact, very established stars have a cadre of people that work for them and...
KAGAN: Their people have people, you might say.
JAMES: Exactly. Their people have people who work for them who make sure that if their images are used in an unauthorized fashion, they are compensated. So this, while it is something that every actor can potentially be concerned about, the biggest names in Hollywood clearly are protected and anyone who uses their images should do so at their own peril.
KAGAN: OK, that's the big names. What about somebody who's not as well known but who has done some work and sees their image taken and don't, they're not at the level of having people, let's just say?
JAMES: If they're not at the level of having people, they also -- they have a number of other avenues for protection. The Screen Actors Guild is one of them. The story around the new film that's coming out today by Columbia Pictures indicates that the Screen Actors Guild is watching this very carefully. In fact, they are out there to protect their actors. They're a union and they are going to protect their actors' images.
So while each of these individuals owns their image, you can bet if it's used in an unauthorized fashion or if it's not paid for for a commercial purpose, then the actors will come calling and will get paid.
KAGAN: Is the Screen Actors Guild also watching the situation where it comes to a point where real actors aren't needed as much? I mean why pay for somebody who's going to cost you a lot of money when you could have somebody who can be there 24-7, can do endorsements for you and all the money goes back to the producer?
JAMES: Well, I think they're watching that but to a lesser degree. You know, in essence if what these film creators are creating is a new character, then they've basically created Homer Simpson. If it's not a likeness of an existing being, then they've created their own new character. And that's what you're seeing in the film that's coming out today.
KAGAN: Right. And that new character could put a real actor out of work.
JAMES: Well, yes and no. They, you know, it's going to take up some time, certainly. It's going to take up some film time, just like Homer Simpson takes up some air time. But again, the major stars that you see in the industry today carry their own following. They have their own fans. They have their own marketability. And while, yes, some of these new stars -- and you can bet that we're going to see some new stars from these new images who will grace the cover of magazines, who will sell souvenir memorabilia, but again, I think it is going to be a long way down the road before they make a serious dent in the paychecks of the big superstars of today.
KAGAN: It is a changing world, and thanks for helping us take a look at it. Kevin James in Los Angeles, thank you.
JAMES: My pleasure. Thank you, Daryn.
KAGAN: And now to Stephen.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: Much more happening, Daryn, in the entertainment world. We're going to take time now for a look at an actor who got a big break despite a messy break-up. CNN's Michael Okwu is in New York. He's got all the details in this "Showbiz Today" report -- Michael?
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Stephen. And good morning, everyone. Like many of the men who appear on HBO's SEX IN THE CITY, David Eigenberg gets jumped and then he gets dumped. But Eigenberg proved himself to have more longevity than the average Tom, Dick or Harry, and began this season as a series regular.
CNN's Laurie Blackman visited his New York apartment and found out that if his acting gig doesn't work out, he's got skills to fall back on. Say hi to this "Showbiz Today" star of tomorrow.
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(AUDIO GAP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: ... this whole apartment, which might account for the slight beads of sweat you're seeing on the two of us today. This man lives without air conditioning.
DAVID EIGENBERG, ACTOR: I like it hot. Because the problem is, if you have air conditioning, like, I have a hard -- I like staying home. But if I had air conditioning, I would like never leave the house.
LAURIE BLACKMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Instead of leaving his house, David Eigenberg has rebuilt it.
EIGENBERG: This is the passageway from my kitchen to my office, and it's my family over there. That's my father's family. This is my kitchen. I built these cabinets. They took me forever to build.
BLACKMAN: He is a carpenter who moonlights as an actor, one with a really good gig.
EIGENBERG: What do you think?
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UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I think, I think you did good.
EIGENBERG: Really? You mean it?
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BLACKMAN: Eigenberg came to "Sex in the City" two years ago as a guest star. But Steve the bartender and Eigenberg himself were so likable that they brought him on as a series regular.
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EIGENBERG: Well, the producers, I give them like $200 a week, and as long as the money keeps coming and they keep writing for me -- so, it's costing me a lot of money, but...
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BLACKMAN: It's costing him his privacy, too. And lest you think it's just the female fans that hoot and holler... EIGENBERG: As you come down the street and people are going, "Hey, Steve!" Whatever, you know, like truck drivers, a cement truck mixer was like, told me to, "Hang in there, man! Don't let her get the best of you." I mean, like a big macho guy was like screaming out his window at me.
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EIGENBERG: Please, quiet lady, take me home and love me.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: You're insane.
EIGENBERG: But it's a puppy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
EIGENBERG: And I think what's great about Steve is that he all, what he sees is a person that's so capable of love and yet is kind of jaded and bent. And we all have that, and I can identify with that.
BLACKMAN: What he can't quite identify with, his role on "Ed" this year, where he played Jeff the genius.
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EIGENBERG: I'm a dork for joining Mensa.
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EIGENBERG: So it was a stretch for me. It was like, you know, we're always trying to stretch our boundaries. So I became a genius on "Ed." I don't know if it was very convincing.
BLACKMAN: And for those of you who don't see enough of David on the small screen, there's plenty more to see if you happen by his kitchen window.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Let's come see how David bathes. He bathes in his kitchen.
EIGENBERG: This is my bathtub in the kitchen. And what happened in the old days, all they had was a bathtub in the kitchen because they didn't have a sink. So they would, you would wash your clothes, you'd wash your dishes, you washed the baby, you washed the other people in the bathtub in the kitchen.
BLACKMAN: In the old days, they didn't have air conditioning either.
Laura Blackman, CNN Entertainment News, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
OKWU: I'm glad we got to see how David bathes.
With their plunging necklines, bare midriffs and tight pants, the women who make up Bond would feel right at home on SEX IN THE CITY. The classically trained string quartet might remind you more of Brittany than Beethoven. We'll catch up with these classical spice girls in our next "Showbiz Today" report. That's in one hour at 11:35 A.M. Eastern.
I'm Michael Okwu in New York.
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