Months after its release, the romantic comedy “Prom Pact” launched on Disney platforms last March has been ridiculed for its overt use of AI-generate extras.
A clip from the movie was shared on X, where digitally-generated characters, which appear noticeably artificial and rather ghastly, are seen cheering amidst genuine actors. This clip has since been extensively mocked across social media.
This issue of replacing human actors with AI is sharp in focus against the backdrop of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike that has halted Hollywood’s production.
A pivotal concern in this strike is the potential for an actor’s image to be digitally replicated without obtaining proper consent and fair remuneration.
Specifically, actors fear that their consistent work might be condensed to a mere day if studios digitally replicate their personas and integrate them into different sequences.
The figures in Prom Pact are blatantly non-human and aren’t particularly well-hidden.
Reminder this is what SAG-AFTRA is fighting against pic.twitter.com/dsZl130uif
— Caiden Reed | Ghostface-Doo (@caiden_reed) October 12, 2023
However, sources close to The Hollywood Reporter have disclosed that the digital figures in the scene were not AI-generated replicas of actual actors.
Instead, they were fashioned using various VFX methodologies, implying that these AI characters were the product of CG artists’ expertise.
Disney representatives have yet to issue a statement clarifying the matter. Disney has a longstanding relationship with cutting-edge and emerging technologies and has clearly stated their intention to invest in AI.
In May 2023, on a post-earnings conference call, Disney CEO Bob Iger said, “It’s pretty clear that AI represents some pretty interesting opportunities for us, and some substantial benefits.”
Disney listed 11 highly-paid AI jobs on their website a few months ago, touching a nerve among SAG-AFTRA members. A Disney insider said, “Legacy media companies like Disney must either figure out AI or risk obsolescence.”
The Hollywood Reporter notes that employing digital extras to simulate crowds isn’t a novel concept in Hollywood. Films such as “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody” and TV series like “Ted Lasso” don’t genuinely recruit thousands of extras for vast stadium sequences.
A recent statement from AMPTP, representing major film studios, confirmed that their latest proposal to SAG-AFTRA regarding AI mandates actors to provide written consent.
Additionally, they must receive a comprehensive outline detailing the intended application of their digital duplicate if it’s requested or signed over. The strike continues.
