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CGI Version of Richard Biggs

R

Robach

Member
The sadness of actor Richard Biggs' passing is now being compounded by his loss as an important character in the continuing saga of Babylon 5.

I wonder if anyone has considered the use of the latest technology, CGI and compositing techniques to create a virtual Dr. Franklin.

I'm sure that the technolgy has reached a stage that would make this a believable possibility. It could either be a completely digitized virtual actor or a real actor superimposed with a digital composite a la Gollum of the LOTR movie trilogy.

There would be several moral and legal situations to be considered, but I'm sure these could be worked out in
a fair and respectful manner.

What do you think?
 
Honestly...I think this is a dreadful idea. I much prefer the idea of JMS writing around the character of Franklin, perhaps having him off on a noble mission someplace or already quarantined on Earth. Richard Biggs' death is way too recent, I think, for people to feel comfortable with seeing something like Tom Hanks (as Forrest Gump) shaking hands with JFK. It seems disrespectful.

And it's not like the character _can't_ be written around, for this particular film. The film (as far as we can tell) isn't centered on the character of Franklin, and B5 was always an ensemble effort, anyway.

It just seems gruesome to me at this early date, frankly.

Aisling
 
I agree with Aisling on this. At some point in the distant future I can see perhaps CGI-ing Franklin in a news bulletin or something. For the immediate future, I think it'd be best to have the characters 'quoting' him or perhaps ISN reporting on a medical breakthough with a picture of him but definitely not replacing him with either another actor or by CGI.
 
I too agree. If I was a family member of his, who was to make the decision of CGIing him, I would be horrified by the suggestion, even knowing that it was meant to be a tribute
 
I agree with Aisling and the others. Such a thing would be in appallingly bad taste. Using SFX to alter some of Brandon Lee's already shot footage on The Crow to finish the film is one thing, creating an entire performance with a CGI doppleganger of a dead actor is just too creepy for words. My skin crawls at the very thought.

Regards,

Joe
 
Absolutely not. First, it's way too disrespectful. Second, CGI isn't that good yet. I didn't find Gollum to be believable, even if he wasn't human. Using cgi on some... this important in B5.. Well, lad, that's worse than Wesley Snipes as dr. Franklin.
 
creating an entire performance with a CGI doppleganger of a dead actor is just too creepy for words. My skin crawls at the very thought.

Regards,

Joe
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Well said Joe. I agree...it would be incredibly bad taste.
 
Not only is it in bad taste, but CGI is not that advanced yet. You simply can not make cgi character to look like a realistic human amongst otehr real humans. Gollum worked extremely well, but gollum wasn't human so it didn't stick out.
 
They could get another actor to play Dr. Franklin, and he could keep a surgical mask on during the entire film, ala Plan Nine From Outer Space. :D ;) :D THat would actually work a bit better than holding a cape in front of your face for most of a movie. :eek:
 
Honestly, it would be disrespectful both for the family and us, to have a CGI Richard done in a B5 movie. Again, honestly it would be too much pain to see him in the movie and know he is not real. I miss him terribly and would never see that movie if he was put in it. But I know WB would never spend that much money on a CGI character so, I am confident that it will never happen. Also I know that we as well as JMS, will find a better solution than that. I think, making changes to the story is a much more respectable approach for all. This way, his name will live on if only "that his character which he brought to life is mentioned in the movie".

I have full confidence in JMS penning a respectful reference to Steven Franklin in the new B5 movie.

I miss Richard very much... Most of us still grieve...
 
Second, CGI isn't that good yet.
Click to expand...

This is certainly true, but is also an argument I deliberately omitted because it is ultimately besides the point. If CGI were developed to the point where a CGI character could be made indistinguishable from a real actor, and the costs were no more than an actor (or even less than using one) I would be opposed to the notion of bringing the dead back to life in this particular way, and believe the industry would also eschew it. If (or rather when) it becomes possible to do entire photo-realistic films inside a computer with no actual photography all sorts of interesting things will become possible - and all of them will be opposed by the Hollywood unions. Does anybody seriously think SAG would lie down for a real-life Simone?

Regards,

Joe
 
The woman in the film Final Fantasy - The Spirits Within was very convincing at times.
Click to expand...

Hardly. Those characters looked "ok" because the rest of them were CGI as well. Stick one of those next to a actual human and they stick out like a sore thumb.

I'd rather (if they HAD to), just replace the character of Franklin with another actor. No one can live up to Richard's version, but it would be less disrespectful.
 
I am trying to recover from a brain-freeze imagining Wesley Snipes as Franklin, let alone anyone else real or created. It just isn't right.....
 
The woman in the film Final Fantasy - The Spirits Within was very convincing at times.
Click to expand...

Hardly. Those characters looked "ok" because the rest of them were CGI as well. Stick one of those next to a actual human and they stick out like a sore thumb.
Click to expand...

I agree with you on this, Maagic. And I just recently read an interesting article on why realistic graphics make humans look creepy in Slate:

Slate: Why Realistic Graphics Make Humans Look Creepy

Oddly enough, the closer we get to photorealism, the worse the effect.

Aisling
 
I think it's because they keep trying to get things PERFECT, when there IS no "perfect" person... It's the little imperfections on people that make them unique. They keep trying to make CGI stuff smooth and shiny and that's a clear tipoff that it's CGI.

However it's getting to the point now that (aside from people) you can't hardly tell what's CGI and what isn't. Still I'd rather they use actual sets and things to give the characters a point of reference to. It irks me to all heck when you know character (the new star wars film for example) are just dancing in front of a big green screen. Plus when they have to look at something (looking Jar Jar in the eye for ex) they never get the eye line just right and it sticks out.

ok rant mode off :)
 
I seem to recall, that in one of his commentaries, JMS jokingly remarked that all actors would be CGI some day ;)
 
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