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Amazon accused of using AI to 'replicate the voices' of actors in Road House remake
Amazon is being sued by the writer of the original 1989 Patrick Swayze version of the film Road House over alleged copyright infringement in the movie's remake.
Netflix deal with Hollywood union promises better conditions for actors
Netflix regularly works with unionized actors (they're ubiquitous in Hollywood), but usually on a show-by-show basis. Now, though, it's establishing a deeper connection. The service has signed a roughly three-year contract with SAG-AFTRA that provides expanded coverage for union work. It now recognizes "performance capture" (think motion capture) and dubbing as covered work, giving actors in those fields the same labor protections as others. The people voicing the English-language version of your favorite anime might have better pay and working conditions, to put it one way.
Actors on streaming shows reach a deal for better pay
It's not just writers who are getting a better deal from streaming video providers. SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have reached a "tentative" 3-year deal that includes better pay for actors on Amazon, Hulu, Netflix and other subscription-based on-demand services. They'll now get their first residual payments (compensation for subsequent showings) within 90 days, rather than a year. They'll also get a higher residual rate, and will receive their first residuals for "foreign use." A streaming show available worldwide will be about 300 percent more lucrative over the first 2 years.
Video game voice actors push for standardized contracts
In the midst of a protracted squabble, the union representing voice actors has come up with a contract for low-budget indie game developers. SAG-AFTRA is promoting a new agreement for titles under $250,000 that would limit difficult vocal sessions (presumably involving yelling or other vocal gymnastics) to two hours. Actors would also be paid double for such work, and collect residuals above the normal rate ($825.50 for four hours) for games that sell 500,000 units or more.
Change the romantic pairings in Cassius' latest music video
The French musical duo Cassius has released a new music video that, for the first time, lets you change actors in the middle of a scene. Created for the group's single "The Missing" from the upcoming album Ibifornia, it features an interactive video from the director collective We Are From LA. During scenes with couples making out, you can switch between 20 actors just by clicking on the person you want to change, making for more than 100 possible versions of the video. The technique is not unlike YouTube's multi-angle videos, but you choose the actor, rather than the camera.
Quantum Break motion-captures Iceman, Meriadoc
Xbox One exclusive Quantum Break features a hobbit and an ice-man in the form of Lord of the Rings and Lost's Dominic Monaghan and X-Men's Shawn Ashmore. As Digital Trends reports, developer Remedy confirmed the news after Monaghan inadvertently revealed he was filming for the project with Ashmore. It's unknown which role either actor plays, but given the nature of the game's intertwined connection with its TV show accompaniment, we may see the stars both in live-action and in-game form. Remedy's time-manipulative shooter launches on Xbox One next year, along with a TV companion series that comes with the game. As Creative Director Sam Lake told us back at Gamescom in his wonderful accent, how you play the game impacts the TV show, including alternate scenes based on the way you react to in-game events.
Star Trek Online goes behind the scenes with Denise Crosby
When Star Trek Online launches its first expansion, Legacy of Romulus, players will find themselves facing off against the formidable Empress Sela right from the start. The return of Sela also marks the return of veteran actress Denise Crosby to the game, and the community team behind STO had a chance to speak with Crosby about returning to the franchise and to the same characters she portrayed years ago on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Crosby mentions that while she enjoyed the chance to reprise the role of Tasha Yar (a character she jokingly says simply refuses to die), revisiting Sela is a chance to dive deeper into a character who was not fully realized during her first appearances. Sela's life is the Empire, and she feels that any means necessary to restore the power and prestige of her people is more than justified. Click past the break to see the full video and learn a little bit more about the face of the Romulan Empire in the expansion.
Google Knowledge Graph explains related content, finds the six degrees with less Bacon
We had a bit of a laugh with Google's Kevin Bacon calculator. Not everyone needs to tie their searches to the star of Footloose, though, which is partly why Google is pushing out an update to its Knowledge Graph that explains how searches turn up related items. The effort is starting with actors, celebrities and their links to any movies and TV shows they've starred in. Looking for Orson Welles and mousing over Rita Hayworth's portrait reminds us that the two luminaries were married for years, for example. We won't know when the more intelligent searches will expand, but at least we won't be quite so confused if the animated Transformers movie appears next to Citizen Kane.
Google adds 'Bacon Number' easter egg to its search engine
Adding to the fun and games already hidden within its search box, Google's new not-so-secret addition gives you a quick way to calculate exactly how many degrees your favorite (or most obscure) actor falls from Kevin Bacon. Sure, it may take half the debate out of it, but at least the definitive answers are now out there -- just type in "bacon number" followed by your thespian of choice.
Defiance beefs up its TV cast with big-name stars
Next month the pilot for Syfy's Defiance will commence filming, and the station has announced several additional cast members joining lead star Grant Bowler in the sci-fi post-apocalyptic series. As the show and Trion World's upcoming MMO will share the same world and influence one another, it's quite possible that gamers could be running into virtual versions of these characters. Four new actors have been announced for the show. The first is Julie Benz (Dexter, Angel), who will be playing Mayor Amanda Rosewater, a leader of a small mining town. Stephanie Leonidas (MirrorMask) is Irisa, an alien warrior who's adopted by the lead's character and raised as his bodyguard and daughter. Finally, Tony Curran (Gladiator, Blade II) and Jaime Murray (Warehouse 13, Dexter) are coming on as an alien husband-and-wife team fleeing the destruction of their home world. [Source: Trion Worlds press release]
15 Minutes of Fame: Azeroth to Westeros with Game of Thrones' Kristian Nairn
From Hollywood celebrities to the guy next door, millions of people have made World of Warcraft a part of their lives. How do you play WoW? We're giving each approach its own 15 Minutes of Fame. If you've read the books behind the spellbinding new HBO series Game of Thrones, you'll instantly recognize the character portrayed by the bearded beast of burden above -- yes, that's Kristian Nairn as Hodor, on the set with young passenger Isaac Hempstead-Wright (as Bran Stark). While you may not recognize Nairn yet if you're new to the gritty fantasy series (he hasn't been onscreen yet), the show itself has been hard to ignore, debuting amidst a deluge of publicity and earning a renewal for a second season after only a single episode. Luckily for us, Nairn's enthusiasm for the World of Warcraft proves to be as capacious as both the series' success and his own 6'10" frame. The Belfast resident, who's also a professional DJ, plays on both US and EU servers (yep, he's that enthusiastic about the game), and once we'd covered the basics by email, he felt there was still so much left to say that we wound up chatting on Skype a few days later. So Hodor -- no, not Hodir, Hodor ... although come to think of it, they're both rather remarkable in stature, and ... awww, heck, set thy nose to the page if you haven't yet read George R.R. Martin's best-selling Song of Ice and Fire series and you don't know who Hodor is. These are characters that'll grab you by the short hairs -- it's the ride of a lifetime. In the meantime, settle in with us for the first of two interviews with Kristian Nairn, from Azeroth to Westeros and back again.
Netflix busted for using actors in crowd at Canadian launch event
Netflix certainly didn't have much trouble attracting interest in its Canadian launch today -- the country's waited long enough, after all -- but it looks like it nonetheless went a bit too far in its efforts to build up buzz at its press event. It turns out that many of the onlookers at the event were actually actors hired by Netflix, at least some of whom went as far as to talk to the press and pass themselves off as regular people -- regular people who happen to be really enthusiastic about Netflix, of course. An information sheet handed out to the extras reportedly even told them to "play types" and "behave as members of the public" who just "happen upon a street event for Netflix and stop by to check it out." After word of the shenanigans got out, Netflix quickly issued an apology, of sorts -- the company's VP of corporate communications, Steve Swasey, said that he was "unaware" that a script was handed out to the extras, and that "some people got carried away and it's embarrassing to Netflix." Update: Netflix has now issued a more complete apology on its blog -- saying flatly, "we blew it."
LA Times examines SAG voice acting dispute
A recent LA Times article explores the "why" of the Screen Actors Guild's dispute with game publishers over pay for voice actors in video games. The main issue in the contract dispute is the "atmospheric" provision, which allows the client to use actors in 20 voice roles, up to 300 words, at the "daily base rate" of $800 for four hours of work. The article singles out 38-year-old Dave Wittenberg, who has done extensive video game work and earns about $30k a year. Amy Hennig, director of Uncharted 2, kind of lays out the feelings of many in the video game industry. She expresses that employees of studios may receive discretionary bonuses, but aren't "going to have a lot of sympathy for actors who want back-end residuals." She continues, "That's why we're talking two different languages when we sit down at a bargaining table." The SAG proposal seems to acquiesce on the contract the publishers want, but asks that actors who play "principal roles" (think Nolan North) who drive the narrative forward would receive the same fee for three characters and double if they do six to 10 voices in six hours. As actors become more important in the video game industry, expect this issue to grow. Optimistically, if actors begin receiving residuals, it may bleed into development -- a terrifying notion for publishers. [Via GamePolitics]
Screen Actors Guild rejects video game voice deal
The Screen Actors Guild has rejected a new video game voice actor contract, while the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists has approved the deal. Variety reports that the "thesps" (stop it, Variety) of the SAG have asked "vidgame" (seriously, stop it, Variety!) employers to come back to the bargaining table. Scott Witlin, who represents the employers, isn't sure if the companies are willing to negotiate.The main opposition in the contract appears to revolve around the "atmospheric" provision, which allows employers to use actors in 20 voice roles, for up to 300 words, at the "daily base rate" of $782 for four hours of work. That means Nolan North might not just be the lead in your next video game, but play every character in the adventure -- we wonder how his falsetto is for female voices.[Via Big Download]
WoW Mountain Dew ad was directed by Tarsem Singh
A number of sites have done a post-mortem on the Mountain Dew WoW Game Fuel ad (featuring two ladies battling it out through their WoW characters in a live-action supermarket), and they've uncovered a really interesting fact: the ad was actually directed by Indian director Tarsem Singh, one of my favorites -- he not only did the visually stunning sci-fi/horror flick The Cell a few years ago, but more recently made The Fall, which is an very well-done kind of mirror-life fairy tale. He's directed a number of commercials before, including some for Nike and Levi's, and teamed up with a company called Zoic Studios (they've done a few other spots for video games already) for this WoW commercial.The original CGI models for the ad did come from Blizzard (I'd guess that they're the original models from the WoW CGI trailer), though they were spruced up quite a bit by Zoic to add facial expressions and dynamic costumes and hair. They were then connected to motion captures from stunt artists (which were probably also tweaked to seem a little more than human, and then composited all together in the supermarket scene.Very cool stuff. This isn't the first time WoW characters have been used to sell soda, but hopefully we'll see more fun sequences like this come out of the deals between Blizzard and their partners.
Roleplaying is a wave of the future
When you look at games like World of Warcraft versus games like Dungeons and Dragons, you can see that in some ways they are just the same, while in others they are vastly different. Thematically, they're both about romping through a fantasy world having adventures, and depending on the kind of activity you enjoy most in your games, the actual content of either one can be very similar. The difference lies in the user interface: WoW takes over your computers screen and presents you with intensive graphics, while D&D relies on paper, dice, and your imagination. While WoW is obviously a child of the early 21st century, all the practical tools used in D&D have existed for thousands of years. One might well wonder: "why didn't Plato (or any other suitably wise old figure out of history) ever think of putting together a dungeon adventure?" A recent Escapist magazine article asks that very question, and then provides us with a bunch of theories about what roleplaying is and why people do it. All these are interesting in themselves, but they leave me wondering "but wait... why didn't Plato ever think of it?" The answer I think the article is trying to give is that roleplaying is actually a form of social innovation that couldn't have existed before, because the culture and ideas to give it form hadn't developed until the '60s.So tonight when you get home and log into WoW, especially if you are logging in to roleplay your character, remember that you are participating in an activity that is on the growing edge of human civilization. Just as, all those hundreds of years ago, it was a great innovation for the Greek playwright Aeschylus to bring two actors onto the stage at once as opposed to letting one actor and a chorus carry the show -- in our own era, the way players get together today to collaboratively create worlds, characters and stories with one another is a new and exciting innovation that never existed before. Roleplaying itself is one of many brilliant and beautiful examples of how society and culture continue to evolve and progress well into the the future... and beyond.
EA signs celebs Henstridge and Lumbly for Kane's Wrath
Sci-fi sex alien Natasha Henstridge of Species fame will join the cast of Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath, as will former Alias star Carl Lumbly, better known around these parts as the voice of J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter on the Justice League animated series. The pair will join veteran C&C actor Joe Kucan, a.k.a. Kane, as the central characters in the upcoming expansion, which will cover 20 years of in-game history, from the rebirth of the Brotherhood of Nod following the second Tiberium War to events beyond that of the most recent game. The use of digitized actors is something of a ghost of gaming past, but Command & Conquer has nonetheless continued to embrace tradition in using live actors in its games, and any news that gives us an excuse to (go)ogle Natasha Henstridge is just fine by us.
Casting gets easier thanks to live HD videoconferencing
While you've probably heard how Peter Jackson relied heavily on his trusty iPod to complete the production of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, it looks like casting work for the Halo film could take place from afar. Thanks to a "high-definition video communications technology" known as LifeSize -- which has apparently stepped up since its humble beginnings -- casting agents, producers, and directors alike can catch more than a glimpse of potential candidates from around the world without ever setting foot on their private jet. Gearing up to become a hot commodity around Hollywood sets, the LifeSize room features video panels to display the 1,280 x 720 resolution feeds, full-room audio coverage, a camera, wireless remote, and a sweet speakerphone to boot. The video and data are captured in real time and sent instantaneously through an IP address, so long as the bandwidth can handle the pressure. So if you're itching to become an extra in that forthcoming Spielberg flick, but don't exactly reside in LA or NYC, you just might be in luck.
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children reports from Hollywood
For the Final Fantasy fans lucky enough to be near Hollywood yesterday night -- and in line for free tickets during the middle of a regular workday -- there was much rejoicing to be had as Advent Children celebrated its U.S. theatrical premiere in style.Siliconera has a write-up on the event with quotes from most of the American voice actors in attendance, who, along with the audience at hand, watched the film in English for the very first time. Lip synching may have been off due to the low-resolution print the actors had to work with, but even Rachel Leigh Cook -- pictured here with her character Tifa Lockheart -- declared herself a new fan of Final Fantasy after the show.Helpful Joystiq Contributor epobirs also had something to report from the screening yesterday, where he gives us an Ain't-It-Cool style rundown of the event. If you want the rest of his reflections on the requirements of the Academy in Oscar nominations, as well as what it takes to "assert your hetero nature ... after watching a movie packed with metrosexual men," simply continue reading below for more. Siliconera's report can be found by clicking on the image of Ms. Cook above or the Read link below. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children will be out on DVD/UMD April 25th.[Thanks, epobirs; image of Tifa courtesy of Eyes on Final Fantasy]