[Aaron Miller]

Imagine what would happen to the film industry if technology and marketing were allowed to substitute for talent and artistic growth as often as it does in today's music industry. The most talented actors and actresses--the likes of Sean Penn or Kate Blanchett--would get nowhere while while Paris Hilton and Luke Perry would dominate the film/theater scene, not simply because they are hot but because technology and marketing would make up for and outweigh the lack of talent.

Video engineers would run facial expressions through the auto-emotionater to ensure spot on performances. They could digitally paint in performance subtleties that take talent, research and practice to develop almost as well as the true actors can perform them thus there would be no reason to waste time on artistic growth and development. Johny Depp would have certainly had his initial sex symbol success but never would have blossomed into an actor with real talent.

It wouldn't matter anyway because most of the people who watch movies wouldn't even know that the performances were edited to such an extent or even care if they did. Half of the consumers who contribute to a given actor's success would run out and buy his latest DVD simply because they think his *voice* sounds good on the 2:30 *audio* clips they hear on Acting TV which, of course, would have very little to do with the visual medium (To really make the analogy work, we'd have to say that a lot of people would become fans of silent movie actors because they like the soundtrack that is later added to the silent movie for Acting TV..."I love Paris Hilton's new silent movie and plan on buying it because the soundtrack that she did for Acting TV was so hot). Simply put, acting would cease to be an essential or even a required ingredient in an actor's or actress's success. But for some reason millions of people would keep watching them live on broadway.

A few people would get sick of it complaining that all the movies in the theaters and on DVD just seem generic, cartoonish and unreal while Broadway performances are downright terrible. Others would remind them that it's *entertainment* and *business* not just acting. Still others would be perfectly content with the state of affairs.