The Idea of an Essay, Volume 3

200 The Idea of an Essay: Volume 3 thegap fromcartoon to lifelike. Itwill beused tohighlight many recent advances in virtual actor technology. The source is scholarly because it is published by a journal that is peer reviewed. Silva, Rogerio. Ido, Iurgel. Manuel, dos Santos. Pedro, Branco. Nelson, Zagalo. “Understanding Virtual Actors.” Games and Digital Entertainment (SBGAMES). Florianopolis: IEEE, 8-10 Nov. 2010. 220-229. Print. The paper defines what virtual actors are and how to train them using the same techniques that real performers use. The article explains how this might one day lead to replacing the performer with a virtual copy that is as convincing as a human. It will be used to talk about how virtual actors are hurting children’s social abilities. The source is a conference article which may have an excess of opinion but is written by many authors to add credibility and reduce the overall bias. Silva, Rogerio. Manuel, dos Santos. Ido, Iurgel. “Developing Virtual Actors Inspired by Real Actors’ Practice.” Workshop on Digital Media and Digital Content Management. Hangzhou: IEEE, 15-16 May. 2011. 146-149. Print. This article is from a convention that discusses the advances in training artificial intelligence to take over the role of animating virtual actors. It will be used to outline the use of AI in the field of virtual actors. The source is a workshop article so it is not scholarly but it stays mostly unbiased. Smith, Alvy. “Digital Humans Wait in the Wings.” Scientific American Nov. 2000: 72-76. Digital. This article provides an overview of a future where real actors are separated frommovies and shows. The author discusses it from a positive perspective. The source will be used for showing the future of virtual actors from the pro virtual actors’ side. The source is scholarly because it was published in a peer reviewed journal.