A disturbing blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment from a recent Disney teen film is getting attention on social media, with those that’ve spotted it labelling it “horrendous.”
The Disney teen rom-com Prom Pact was first released in March this 12 months, but one short clip from the movie is spreading online this week.
The scene shows a cheering crowd at a highschool basketball game – but one row of audience members look markedly different to those around them.
While the people within the front row are all normal human actors, an in depth look at the row of “people” them may be very disturbing indeed: Dead-eyed and stiff, their bodies jerk strangely as they stare straight ahead.
They appear more like animated blow-up dolls than humans.
That’s because they’re not humans – they’re “digital models,” added into the frame in post-production, presumably to save lots of on paying real, human background extras.
The clip caused a minor controversy back when the film was released in March, but has been shared widely again after one person on Twitter re-shared it with the caption: “Reminder that is what SAG-AFTRA is fighting against.”
Because the clip spread again, the bizarre-looking extras were labelled “horrendous” and “abominations.”
Others noted that the row of “digital” extras appear to mostly be people of color, potentially taking acting work away from performers from diverse backgrounds.
It comes as talks between Hollywood actors and studios over the continued strike collapsed overnight, in a blow to hopes for a swift end to a crisis that has crippled the entertainment industry.
In a press release late Wednesday, the studios said talks could be suspended, describing the gap between the 2 sides’ positions as “too great,” with talks “now not moving us in a productive direction.”
Hours later, SAG-AFTRA hit back by accusing the studios of using “bully tactics” and “putting out misleading information” concerning the negotiations.
AI has proved a significant sticking point within the negotiations. Actors fear that the technology could possibly be used to clone their voices and likenesses, allowing them to be reused in perpetuity without compensation or consent.
Studios say they’ve offered to create strict protections resembling requiring actors’ “advance consent,” and limits on repeated use of a performer’s “replica” unless they agree and are paid.
But SAG-AFTRA said the proposal regarding AI was “continuing to demand ‘consent’ on the primary day of employment to be used of a performer’s digital replica for a complete cinematic universe (or any franchise project).”
“We’ve got sacrificed an excessive amount of to capitulate to their stonewalling and greed,” SAG-AFTRA said.