Hollywood extras face body scans as AI likeness fights escalate
Background actors in Hollywood are expressing concerns about being replaced by AI as studios are already performing face and body scans to create digital replicas. This practice is a central tension during the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, with unions and studios at odds over consent and compensation for the reuse of digital likenesses. The article highlights that studios are using AI for 'crowd tiling' and other digital effects, potentially reducing the need for human extras.
Key Takeaways
- Alexandria Rubalcaba says she and other WandaVision background actors were scanned for about 15 minutes each in a tractor trailer.
- Rebecca Safier said she was recently body-scanned on a Los Angeles set and worried about retaliation if she pushed back.
- SAG-AFTRA says digital replica use should be bargained separately each time, while the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers says permission would be sought and fair compensation paid.
- Apple has used digital doubles of 20 background actors to fill a stadium with what looked like 26,000 people, a technique known as crowd tiling.
- About 84,200 of SAG-AFTRA’s 160,000 active members have done background work at some point in their careers.
Why It Matters
The immediate issue is that background actors are being scanned now, not hypothetically later, and many say they were not told how their digital replicas would be used. That puts consent and compensation for likeness reuse directly into the SAG-AFTRA strike talks. The ecosystem angle is broader: studios already use crowd tiling, and the article points to Apple, Disney, and other productions using AI to reduce the need for extras in crowd scenes. Watch for whether the contract fight lands on one-time consent versus repeat bargaining for each use of a digital likeness.
Read full article at npr.org