Last year, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes rocked Hollywood, bringing the filmmaking industry to a standstill until an agreement could be reached by all parties involved. One of the big points of disagreement was the possible use of AI in filmmaking, which could make some professions unnecessary.
One person who appeared as a background character, or extra, The Mandalorianrevealed that facial scanning of actors was commonplace on the set of the show, and this individual’s comments strongly suggest that Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy was aware of the technology’s active use on set at the studio, so here’s everything you need to know about it.
The Mandalorian Extra reveals uncomfortable face-scanning experience Star Wars series
In 2023, the Screen Actors Guild went on strike after failing to reach an agreement with the Motion Picture and Television Producers Association. During the strike, Nicole Kreutzer spoke about her experience working as a background actor in one episode. The Mandalorian.
Speaking to Capital & Main, Kreuser said Hollywood’s increasing reliance on technology to aid in filmmaking is impacting the lives of people like her. Kreuser said she and other extras were asked to undergo face scans.
When Kreutzer asked what the scans would be used for, he recalled being told:
You can make them jump over buildings and even fight.
Kreutzer added that she felt very uncomfortable during the test but decided to undergo it because she feared she might lose future job opportunities.
At the same time, Kreutzer has questioned the application of the scanning technology, claiming that his likeness could be digitally used to force him into uncomfortable poses on screen. Similarly, other background actors have voiced similar concerns about face scanning.
Kathleen Kennedy likely knew about the threat of AI before the Hollywood walkout
Kreutzer’s comments come in the wake of a Hollywood walkout, with the use of AI to scan actors’ faces and digitally generate performances a major point of contention between studios and SAG-AFTRA.
The actors’ union argued that background acting jobs could be replaced with AI and facial scanning, similar to what Kreutzer received on the film. The MandalorianIt was produced by Lucasfilm, a subsidiary of Disney.
Additionally, Kreutzer likely worked as an extra during the show’s first season in 2018, so it’s likely Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has known about the production having actors’ faces scanned and their likenesses preserved since at least 2018.
While there is no way to verify whether Kennedy was actually aware of the situation, it is difficult to imagine that the president of a major studio would not have been unaware of the practices surrounding one of its flagship shows.
Moreover, because issues with AI became a hot topic that led to the strike, it’s likely that a Hollywood shutdown could have been avoided with more proactive measures from powerful figures like Kennedy.
The Mandalorian Now streaming on Disney+.
