The Idea of an Essay, Volume 3

204 The Idea of an Essay: Volume 3 need for super realistic virtual humans. Also, the uncanny valley only affects a handful of virtual humans at most. It is only when the digital actor looks 80 to 90 percent humanlike that the effect is a problem (M. Masahiro 1). Cartoon characters can still be produced and star in films without experiencing the effects of the uncanny valley. The effects of this phenomenon have even been put to good use in films by producing digital actors that are intentionally creepy. An excellent example is the character Gollum fromThe Lord of the Rings movies. Gollum is a small, grotesque, barely dressed human. The uncanny valley does wonders for this character because each time an audience member sees him on screen, he or she feels like there is something not quite right, but they cannot place it (Bath Digital 3). This effect makes Gollum appear even more disturbing than he really is and it adds to the character’s credibility, which contributes to the films’ realism. The other aspect that critics claim takes away from virtual actors’ realism is their apparent lack of a soul. When you stare into a digital actor’s eyes, all you get back is a blank stare. Many people have noticed this effect in movies with a large or fully digital cast. Movies such asThe Polar Express or evenThe Adventures of Tintin:The Secret of the Unicorn possess this flaw (Perry 3). The lack of soul negates any advantage that virtual actors may bring to the realism in films. Even George Lucas, the director of Star Wars, agrees that digital humans detract from the humanity in films. George Lucas said in an interview about virtual actors that “Acting is a human endeavor and the amount of talent and craft that goes into it is massive - and can a composite reproduce that” (“George Lucas” 1). It may be true that virtual actors lack a soul currently, but in the future this problem will likely be solved. The ways that digital humans are used now mitigates the chance that viewers will notice the lack of soul in digital actors’ eyes. In most cases, the virtual human is not close enough to the camera or stays still long enough for the viewer to notice any imperfections. The problem should be solved by future advancements in computing power and increased understanding of human physiology. Virtual actors have already come so far as to fool the average moviegoer into thinking they are real, thus it is not that far of a leap to imagine a day in the near future when digital humans will overcome this “soul” challenge as well. The advancements that are being made in virtual actor technology is contributing to the reduction of movie costs and allowing directors to use more digital actors. Back when movies were