5 ms·

Theater is a niche now. And whenever I go to the theater with my wife we are the only members of the audience under 50. Doesn't look like this form of art will

Theater is a niche now. And whenever I go to the theater with my wife we are the only members of the audience under 50. Doesn't look like this form of art will survive very long. I don't think people care very much whether characters are played by real humans. It used to be that dangerous stunts were performed live. Nobody cares that they were replaced by CGI. Nobody cares that Tom Cruise doesn't really jump out of the burning helicopter.

the_af 3y ago
What do you mean, "a niche"? I mean, sure. Reading is a niche, too. HN is a niche as well. Almost everything you care about is a niche. But back to acting: Broadway and off Broadway exist. Maybe it's not doing so well, I wouldn't know: I don't live in the US... but theaters exist in my city. Both big and indie plays are conducted by young people, for young people. People watch them. People act in them. It's mistaken to believe that tech will replace things that people value other human beings doing. Theater and cinema -- barring blockbusters -- are not "processes" to "optimize". They exist for their own sake. People love watching other people act. Want to know what else people love doing: acting themselves! Acting classes are everywhere. So excuse my extreme skepticism: human actors aren't going anywhere. Maybe Tom Cruise in Top Gun 5 will be auto-generated by AI, who cares? Those blockbusters sure are within reach of AI, since it's all about the thrills and no-one really cares about the acting behind all those CGI scenes. > Doesn't look like this form of art will survive very long. Art is more resilient than you give it credit for. Art has been with us -- mankind -- since our beginnings, and it will never be gone. It's something humans crave doing.
mejutoco 3y ago
According to this logic marvel superhero movies will soon be the only existing form of art.

the_af 3y ago

What do you mean, "a niche"? I mean, sure. Reading is a niche, too. HN is a niche as well. Almost everything you care about is a niche. But back to acting: Broadway and off Broadway exist. Maybe it's not doing so well, I wouldn't know: I don't live in the US... but theaters exist in my city. Both big and indie plays are conducted by young people, for young people. People watch them. People act in them. It's mistaken to believe that tech will replace things that people value other human beings doing. Theater and cinema -- barring blockbusters -- are not "processes" to "optimize". They exist for their own sake. People love watching other people act. Want to know what else people love doing: acting themselves! Acting classes are everywhere. So excuse my extreme skepticism: human actors aren't going anywhere. Maybe Tom Cruise in Top Gun 5 will be auto-generated by AI, who cares? Those blockbusters sure are within reach of AI, since it's all about the thrills and no-one really cares about the acting behind all those CGI scenes. > Doesn't look like this form of art will survive very long. Art is more resilient than you give it credit for. Art has been with us -- mankind -- since our beginnings, and it will never be gone. It's something humans crave doing.

mejutoco 3y ago

According to this logic marvel superhero movies will soon be the only existing form of art.