I appreciate your enthusiasm, but do you have to make every single post a quote and link laden plea for CGI Kirk. I can tell you that it is just not going to happen, certainly not on the big screen.

3 years from now someone else will ‘be’ Kirk and Shatner will be well remembered like Sean Connery as Bond, but he is done. And that is OK.

…and yes I know SC came back once as bond…but it aint gonna happen except a cameo or some other type thing….Kirk will be some new guy and we all need to either accept that or resign ourselves to our DVD collections forever.

And there is a very stark difference between seeing a computer generated image recreating a person’s emotion than watching an actor actually experience them.

Of course, Isaac Asimov or Clarke SF stories notwithstanding, acting won’t disappear.

I would love to see Shatner, Nimoy, Takei re-create their TOS characters again, and this or equivalent technology would allow it. The actor’s performance would be “mapped” on to the avatar.

But I know we’ll probably end up with Calvin Klein models cast as Kirk & Spock.

C’est la vie! Au revoir, I have a ship to tend to!

1. It will only deal with stereotypical portrayls of said actors/actresses to which their images are being created.

2. No one can say how any actor will play a role on the basis of how they created another one. Now, an actor can play or embody another actor of well known individual as has been seen in bio pics. But no actor can create a role under the guise of saying “this is how so and so would have played this next to so and so.”

Such a notion is simply a selling tool for image-metrics, as well as the very obvious gap that seems to be growing between those that create digital effects and actors/actresses who create characters. Those who create the effects believe they know everything already to what makes a good character, when most that are created always end up being very stereotypical in portrayl and characterization.

However, if you\’re a published SF writer, get your agent to deal with Simon & Shuster on a book! ;)

Image-Metrics technology most likely will not be used in this new film; however, this is what they say, which I quote below. If the avatars are good, then the image mapping technology should work. Unfortunately, there is no CGA — A for “Audio”. In theory, De Kelley could be recreated, using the performance of another actor. But there is no realistic way, now, I think, to duplicate this voice.

I think Image-Metrics and its competition shall be feasible, creating totally convincing “actors”, but perhaps not for a few years. On the other hand, they are being “hush hush” on their web site.

So, let Abrams have a go, but Paramount should keep all options open. Shatner, Nimoy and the surviving cast could act, and thier performances be “mapped” using this technology or a competitor.

Now, is Image-metrics “hyping” their work? If so, the studios won\’t use it.

a) IF the movie is well directed and entertaining, and the plot, effects, sets, music, and acting is good, then word of mouth, reviews, etc. will ensure a smash hit.

b) IF that proves the case, audiences old and new alike will embrace the fresh casting.

A-listers in my opinion will DETRACT from this effort due to their financial demands taking away from the budget that could be better utilised onscreen. Apart from casting SLIM, as opposed to MUSCLEBOUND ( the original crew were slim and looked terrific in the original uniforms! ) actors, I have a preference where the Spock character is concerned… I would really like to see someone cast who is TALLER ( I always thought this emphasised Leonard Nimoy’s otherworldlyness ) than the rest, and who has a voice with reasonable GRAVITAS.