Research shows that as the interaction with life decreases and the feeling of loneliness captures the mind, the immune system of human also weakens. In the process of Covid-19 New Type Coronavirus Pandemic, it is necessary to keep the resistance of the society alive, even if social distance rules are followed. The film, advertising and entertainment sector keeps the emotional interaction with life alive, even in the personal life of the individual who is isolated from the social environment. Contents that strengthen our bond with the normal flow of life, even in fictional form instill hope and resilience for the continuity of life.
Is Deepfakes a milestone for digital fiction?
It is underlined in many articles that Artificial intelligence (AI) that shapes the era is a knife-edge technology. Which face is sharper, its benefit or danger? Probably, it depends on all of us. That’s why it is inevitable to reach an advanced level of consciousness. If we bring applications developed with the help of AI technologies to life with an undisputed awareness, the risk is scarcely any. In that case, the legitimacy criteria should be concretized accordingly.
You can make long definitions on deepfakes. In essence, it is digital fake synthetic media with high credibility, built with the help of AI. Sound, image (video) or text does not change this fact. What we call fiction is the artificial reality itself. Maybe it’s inspired by the natural flow of life. However, by synthesizing the contents arranged in line with the designed scenario, it produces a digital reality that reflects the message. Wasn’t the content before deepfakes fictional in the film, advertising and entertainment industries? Of course it was, only the production techniques were different. In areas where fictional content is already known to prevail, what kind of threat can deepfakes pose?
If fiction is inevitable, isn’t deepfakes an opportunity?
It is an indisputable fact that the first legitimacy criteria of deepfake technologies should be the production of content for fictional areas. We all know these fictional areas in fact. For example, can a person with a healthy mind believe that what he watches in a movie or TV series is real? Commercial films cannot be misleading. But does this code of conduct allow us to consider every thing we watch in commercials as true as we watch it? For example, does a child who drinks that brand of milk get taller immediately? Does the old man using that vitamin suddenly run and leave the sports cars behind? Do we blindly believe in visual effects that will strengthen the effect of the message? In a skit we watch on TV or online media, is it the person who is being imitated that makes us laugh? Or is it the performance, presented by comedian, who is performing imitation ? The intellectual capital of the cinema and film industry, advertising, marketing, humor and entertainment is fiction. Methods that make the fşctşon more impressive, convincing and possible provide quality and value increase. Just like deepfakes …
What does it have to do with social immunity?
According to news of Reuters, the feeling of loneliness and social isolation damage the immune system. It causes depression and cardiovascular problems. A study led by Professor Steve Cole at the University of California (UCLA) reveals that loneliness and social isolation can increase infection and reduce immune capacity. The American Psychological Association states that loneliness can also occur when there are also other people around a person. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also draws attention to the importance of online interaction in order to reduce the effects of social isolation and strengthen immunity during the Covid-19 Pandemic process.
While people around the world are getting sick and dying, online dialoging with family members and friends, despite of a distance, is undoubtedly valuable. But, what extent can this isolate the person from the pandemic? On the other hand, fictional contents that bring the usual reflections of life such as love, comedy and adventure to the screen, sometimes with a poetic visual expression purify people from the pressures they experience. It moves them from the circumstances it is in to other feelings and realities. The second world war is a good example for this. Under the fighter bombers, did not both the Nazis and the allied countries try to instill morale, hope and courage in their communities from the screen?
Why did Netflix take off in the pandemic?
While people stayed at their homes due to coronavirus measures, this change quickly turned into an opportunity for various online sales and entertainment platforms. Netflix, the online series and movie platform increased the number of users close to last year’s total during the 6-month pandemic period. Netflix reached 192.9 million subscribers, with a record 26 million-increase. According to Bloomberg’s news, Netflix has set its sights on new content and company acquisitions, using the cash power it gained in the first quarter of the year. While film production was halted or delayed due to the pandemic, it turned to operations that would position itself among the largest studios in the USA.
And Amazon is trying to take advantage of these opportunities both with its online sales services and its own TV series platform, Hulu. Quibi, the newly launched online broadcasting platform also has also taken off the gloves to seize opportunities arising from measures of staying at home. Quibi aims to broadcast episodes of 10 minutes or less, and the app has been downloaded by 2.7 million people since it launched on April 6. And its main purpose is to enable those who go to work or school to watch short series episodes on the way. Let’s see how it will perform at a time when people have time to stay at home and watch longer productions.
Walt Disney also got the virus
Shares of Netflix and Amazon have gained value since mid of March, when the Pandemic increased its impact. The shares of Walt Disney, which launched the Disney + platform last November followed a avoidant course. One of the biggest reasons for this is that Amazon and Netflix are completely digital platforms. But Walt Disney has physical sources of income, unlike them. The company, which owns many theme parks suffered a serious loss of income after the parks were closed. Another reason was that many movie productions were delayed. Netflix, which is known for having a stock of content, shooting all episodes of the series and offering them to their subscribers has taken advantage. Delays for planned new productions due to the pandemic have turned into a serious threat for Walt Disney.
A tough trial awaits the cinema industry
In the film industry, which reached a $ 42.5 billion global record last year, the cost of production is too many. The average production cost of a full-length film is calculated as 65 million dollars. Undoubtedly, movies have to marketing investment to reach their box office target like many other products and services. When the average marketing investment per film reaches half of the production expenses, together with the distribution cost, the cost of a movie to reach the screen becomes 100 million dollar. Of course, there are also mega-budget movies such as “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”, which holds the record in this field with $ 378.5 million dollar. Among them, there are those who deserve a huge budget of 237 million dollar with over 2 billion dollar gate, like the the movie Avatar, produced in 2009. According to The Guardian, the movie industry pays about 25% of their film budgets to those who play roles and takes in charges in the films. As in the Avatar, special effects can be a big investment for the movie.
We mentioned it in a previous article titled “The Art of Distorting the Facts”. The 77-year-old famous director Martin Scorsese waited 10 years to find the necessary budget for the effects needed to rejuvenate and age cinema’s giant names such as Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci. Scorsese’s 10-year dream “Irishman” could be completed for $ 159 million with the CGI (Computer-generated Imagery) technology used by Hollywood to realize fictional reality effects and a Netflix investment. The Oscar-nominated movie incurred the wrath of the deepfakes after meeting with the audience last year. A Youtuber named IFake managed to make younger De Niro in the same scene of the movie more convincingly than million-dollar CGI technology with a free deepfake software.
Deepfake can save a key scene or an entire production
During the Pandemic period, Deepfakes gradually turns into an inevitable production option for the film, advertising and entertainment industry. Deepfake technologies will not be the savior for scenes that only require special effects in the future under the threat of Pandemic. Maybe it will become a solution to realize the whole scenerio and complete the production. It won’t have any importance, whether the sets cannot be set up, the age, physical qualities, dance skills or athletic qualities of the actors and actresses.
Even, the examples of deepfakes, which personalized the conversations that US Presidents Nixon and J.F. Kennedy could not do in life with their own images and voices showed us something else. For alternative history documentaries, the related persons will no longer have to be alive. Some of those who plays role in the movies may never actually exist, human-looking avatar characters will play roles. Wherever the scenerio requires, every corner of the world will digitally host deepfake scenes. There will be no need for giant plateaus and studios. Dubbing in any language will be easily possible from the original sound. Thus, no movie will be left half finished and no production will be delayed.
By many others, Covid-19 is a starting to the Process of Pandemic. Maybe others will follow it. The unexpected Pandemic shock had a handbrake effect that lasted several months and life began to continue again only in low range. Life is a outgoing process. But life should not be put off. When football was interrupted, billions of people were lacked of an important value that added meaning to their lives. A huge economy is greatly distressed. E-sports, the digital version of football could never fill that gap. Football didn’t have a wildcard, like deepfakes…
Deepfakes must ensure the continuity and quality of production in the cinema, TV series, advertising and entertainment sectors, even in the most difficult periods. It must ensure it, then people can maintain their connection with normal life and their immunity…