Disney+ Movie’s AI Actors Called Out With MORE Flaws By VFX Artists

The AI background actors in Prom Pact are being called out with even more flaws by VFX artists. The Disney+ movie follows Mandy Yang, a high school senior who agrees to take her best friend to prom. Complications arise when she begins developing feelings for another boy, Graham Lansing. The cast of Prom Pact includes Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Blake Draper, Milo Manheim, Monique Green, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Margaret Cho. After the film’s release, one particular scene involving AI characters went viral, and audiences criticized how easily discernible they were.

In Corridor Crew‘s latest video, VFX artists looked at Prom Pact‘s AI actors and highlighted some of the flaws surrounding their inclusion. They pointed out a number of digital doubles, and questioned why they were ever needed, with Wren suggesting the filmmakers might have caught something afterwards that had to be covered up. However, he noted, “Had they realized whatever it was in the moment, any producer, any director would have been like ‘Yeah, get those extras and put them there.’” Read more of Wren’s comments regarding Prom Pact‘s AI below:

“It’s also just so bizarre to me because it took so much work and effort to do that one little shot, cause you have to rotoscope all of the people in the foreground, you have to actually animate and render out the characters that you make, and then you get them all situated, you get the lighting matching, and then you have to composite it in. That’s a lot of work just for this one second shot, when you could have just been like, ‘Hey, you four people in the back, can you come sit up front.’”

Why Prom Pact’s AI Actors Are An Issue

Replacing real actors with digital scans has become a growing concern, and the SAG-AFTRA strike made that clear, with members voicing frustration over Hollywood’s use of artificial intelligence. Back in October, the questionable AI in Prom Pact gained attention yet again, as audiences targeted Disney for having computer-generated characters in their projects instead of supporting actual performers. While the inclusion of AI presents real issues, especially for actors, Corridor Crew mentioned that when it came to Prom Pact, the effects didn’t even look good. Sam explained that by adding movement to their faces, it might have been less noticeable.

Now that the SAG-AFTRA strike has finally ended, it is worth wondering what the tentative agreement states in terms of artificial intelligence. The recent response made by SAG-AFTRA suggests that digital likenesses of actors will not be used in the same way, which could mean that extras will be properly utilized and not replaced by AI. However, there has also been concern online that the deal doesn’t protect actors enough, and with no specifics made public as of yet, it is hard to say.

The AI background actors in Disney+’s Prom Pact seem to have been noticed right away, and as Corridor Crew mentioned, that kind of film did not necessarily need any effects. Once more information about the agreement between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP comes out, it will be interesting to see how AI remains used in film, if at all.

Source: Corridor Crew