Raising Arizona and Leaving Las Vegas star, Nicolas Cage recently took the stage at a Film Festival in US to offer some heartfelt advice to aspiring actors. Urging young actors to be cautious about the growing use of artificial intelligence in the film industry, especially when it comes to change or manipulating performances.
The Veteran actor emphasized that acting is a handmade, organic process. “It’s from the heart, imagination, and careful preparation,” he noted.
The Digital Replicas
Cage was actually talking the concept of Employment-Based Digital Replicas (EBDRs), which has become more prominent after recent agreements in Hollywood. EBDRs are digital replicas of actors generated through their involvement in a project. Although there are rules intended to protect performers, the A-list actor is worried that studios might use AI to modify performances without the actor’s consent.
The Academy Award winning actor spoke about his cameo in a 2023 film called “The Flash” as an instance where digital replication was used. “Studios want this so that they can change your face after you’ve already shot it,” Cage said, “they can change your face, they can change your voice, they can change your line deliveries, they can change your body language, they can change your performance.”
Urging young actors to think carefully before signing contracts that allow such changes.
MVMFMBMI
In a bid to make his message stick, he introduced an acronym: MVMFMBMI, standing for “my voice, my face, my body, my imagination.” He encouraged actors to protect these aspects of their craft, while signing contracts with studios.
This is not the first time Cage has spoken against the use of AI in Hollywood, in a conversation with The New Yorker in July, he said, “God, I hope not A.I. I’m terrified of that…I mean, what are you going to do with my body and my face when I’m dead? I don’t want you to do anything with it!”
